Changes in nursing students' perceptions of nursing as they progress through their education

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Humanistic Science
• Professional Development

Background:

• Shift in nursing education from biomedical to humanistic models.
• Evolution of the nursing role towards increased professionalism.
• Development of nursing science influencing practice and education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine Finnish nursing students' evolving perceptions of nursing.
• To track these perceptions over 4 key educational milestones (6, 18, 30 months, and program end).
• To assess the congruence between student perceptions and curriculum aims.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study design.
• Stratified sampling of 158 nursing students across six specialities.
• Data collection via questionnaires across 26 institutes.
• Factor analysis for variable summarization and one-way ANOVA for analysis.

Main Results:

• Students assimilated nursing as a health and well-being promoting, professional activity.
• The medical-technical model was not dominant at any educational stage.
• Perceptions varied only slightly across the six nursing specialities.
• Student development aligned with curriculum objectives.

Conclusions:

• Nursing education effectively fosters a humanistic and professional view of nursing.
• Student perceptions evolve consistently with educational goals.
• The study supports the integration of humanistic principles in nursing curricula.