The "real world" of hospital nursing practice as perceived by nursing undergraduates

The purpose of this study was to examine the expectations of senior nursing undergraduates in the "real world" of hospital nursing practice, with particular regard to the ethical dimensions of their role. The method was qualitative; specifically, a grounded theory approach was used. The sample consisted of 23 senior baccalaureate nursing students, from a possible population of 120, who were in their final clinical rotation before graduation. Informants were volunteers who gave informed consent, having been briefed on the purposes of the study and how their confidentiality would be protected. Data were collected through audiotaped interviews and clinical logs and analyzed through the constant comparative method. The study concluded that (1) senior nursing students were not naive about the reality of practice; (2) most perceived themselves as fairly powerless; (3) they voiced a commitment to the ethical principle of respect for the client as evidenced by listening, providing information, accepting values, and encouraging a climate for self-determination; (4) they experienced guilt when they did not "say something"; and (5) they expressed disappointment that nurses did not "stand up" for patients.