Second-year medical students' perceptions of the professional nurse's role

This study assesses second-year medical students' views of the nurse and compares them to those commonly held by the lay public. Using a modified version of the American Nurses Association National Commission's "Nursing Implementation Project Survey," views of the role of the registered professional nurse were elicited from second-year medical students in 1992 (n = 38), 1993 (n = 50), and 1994 (n = 70) during workshops designed for them to enhance nurse-physician collegiality. Misconceptions about the nursing profession and the scope of the nurse's role to ensure positive patient outcomes, were elucidated. Medical students welcomed opportunities within the curriculum to redefine their conceptions of the image of registered professional nurses. Nurses' advanced professional capabilities and interdisciplinary collegiality deserve continued attention throughout the medical school curriculum.