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The introduction of pre-registration nursing degree and diploma programmes in the United Kingdom has provoked considerable scrutiny of a range of issues such as funding arrangements, links between colleges of nursing and midwifery and higher education and the impact of the new courses on education and service provision. Less attention has been devoted to the changing orientations and values of diploma and undergraduate students during their courses of study. The parallel commencement in 1991 of 3-year undergraduate and diploma programmes in Leicestershire provided an opportunity to chart the changing orientations (personal, political, ethical, professional and academic) of two cohorts of students matched by age, gender and branch programme. Research is being undertaken, a primary aim of which is to assess the changes that occur in these orientations over time and to relate these to the educational progression of the students through successive phases of their respective courses. The focus of the research concerns the student's personal experience and developing insights into health, nursing and care delivery. This paper seeks to provide an overview of the literature relevant to the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. This paper is a report of a study to explore the phenomenon of empowerment cross-culturally by comparing the situations in which nursing students from the United Kingdom and Japan experienced empowerment and disempowerment in clinical practice. Background. Empowerment has been the focus of many studies, but most focus on the experience of Registered Nurses and few have explored the phenomenon crossculturally. Method. This was a cross-cultural, comparative study using the critical incident technique. Anonymous written data were collected from nursing students in Japan and United Kingdom between November 2005 and January 2006. Japanese data were translated and back-translated. Analysis of the transcripts revealed three themes: Learning in Practice, Team Membership, Power. Findings. Nursing students in these countries are exposed to different educational and clinical environments, but their experiences of empowerment and disempowerment are similar. For both, learning in practice, team membership and power are associated with either empowerment or disempowerment; depending on the context. United Kingdom students are aware of the importance of acting as patient advocates, although they cannot always find the voice to perform this. Japanese students however, appear to be unaware of the concept of advocacy. Conclusion. Student nurse empowerment may transcend cultural differences, and learning in practice, team membership and power may be important for the empowerment of nursing students globally. Further cross-cultural exploration is required into the association between advocacy and empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers some of the initiatives taken by community nurses in England in implementing Project 2000 placements. The data were obtained during an English National Board funded study in two phases. The first phase involved a series of exploratory interviews, a postal questionnaire survey, and semi-structured interviews with 15 managers. In phase two, one Project 2000 demonstration district was studied in depth by means of interviews complemented by small-scale questionnaire studies. Community nurses had confronted a number of difficulties in implementing Project 2000. Among the most serious of these were shortage of time, poor communication with the colleges of nursing and lack of preparation. As a consequence, community nurses took what they saw as independent approaches to students’ placements. Many set their own aims and objectives for placements and produced written guidelines and teaching plans for students. Many also asserted the importance of their role in the assessment of students’ practical work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Title. ‘Do no harm’? Professional regulation of disabled nursing students and nurses in Great Britain. Aim. This paper is a report of the findings of a General Formal Investigation launched by the Disability Rights Commission, Great Britain into the impact of regulatory fitness standards on disabled people, and on nursing students and nurses in particular. Background. The potential for systemic discrimination against disabled nursing professionals lies in the existence and nature of regulatory fitness standards, as well as in how these are interpreted and implemented in practice. Methods. A review of relevant legislation, regulation and guidance was conducted to explore the interaction of the regulatory framework with the Disability Discrimination Act. A formal call to key national stakeholder organizations solicited information on perceptions of the regulatory framework and the adequacy of guidance issued. Independent research was commissioned on disabled people’s disclosure of disability, informal and formal decision-making around fitness within the educational, and employment contexts. An Inquiry Panel examined all evidence sources, solicited further oral evidence from key organizations, and developed recommendations. Findings. No mention was found of the Disability Discrimination Act in any regulation and guidance governing nursing prior to 2006. There are particular requirements for ‘good health and good character’. Respondents from key national stakeholder organizations, higher educational institutions and employers struggle to interpret the fitness requirements consistently. Implementation is variable, with reliance on ad hoc self-initiated strategies. The variability of interpretation and implementation can lead to discrimination against disabled people. Conclusion. The imprecision of fitness requirements and variability of implementation raise serious doubts about their utility in managing risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. This paper reports the findings from a naturalistic enquiry undertaken in the United Kingdom into the extent to which the ideals and values of the preregistration nursing course are adopted by individual newly educated Registered Nurses. Background. Research in several countries provides consistent evidence of the existence of a theory–practice gap in nursing. Clear disparities have been demonstrated between the best practice ideals and values that are taught and those actually encountered in everyday practice. Nurse education ‘Project 2000’ reforms in the United Kingdom were designed, in part, to address this issue. Few studies to date have examined the impact of these reforms on newly qualified Registered Nurses’ ability to translate theory into practice. Methods. A longitudinal study was carried out in three educational institutions in the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2000. Final year nursing students ( n = 72) in three colleges of nursing completed questionnaires to elicit views on their ideals and values for practice. In-depth interviews with a purposive subsample of 26 participants (at 4–6 and 11–15 months postqualification) indicated the extent to which these ideals and values were adopted in practice. Interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed, and data were analysed using constant comparison and negative case analysis. Findings. Although new nurses emerged from their programmes with a strong set of nursing values, a number of professional and organizational factors effectively sabotaged implementation. Professional sabotage includes obeying covert rules, lack of support and poor nursing role models. Organizational sabotage includes structural and organizational constraints such as time pressures, role constraints, staff shortages and work overload. Conclusion. The disparity between nursing as taught and as practised may have profound implications for the future of the profession both in the United Kingdom and internationally, in terms of morale, job satisfaction and retention. Measures to improve resources and reduce the professional–bureaucratic work conflict are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. This paper reports a study exploring the clinical experiences of student nurses with dyslexia and its potential influence on their practice. Background. Widened access to university education has meant an increase in the number of students with dyslexia. A limited number of studies have explored the academic experiences of dyslexic student nurses. However, nursing students in the United Kingdom spend 50% of their programme in practice settings, and there are no studies detailing their clinical experiences. Method. This qualitative exploratory study involved tape-recorded interviews with a convenience sample of 18 nursing students with a formal dyslexia diagnosis. Data were collected in 2003-2004 and were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings. Participants described a number of personalized approaches to managing their difficulties in practice. Whilst many of these may be useful to non-dyslexic students, descriptions of, for example, avoiding answering the telephone, were inappropriate. Some participants contended with discrimination and ridicule, often choosing not to disclose their disability. Less acute clinical environments appeared to provide more satisfying working experience, and this factor may be influential in shaping future career options. Participants valued more time and an undisturbed place to complete clinical documentation. Heightened self-awareness promoted patient safety as the major concern for study participants. Positive aspects of dyslexia were never raised or acknowledged by participants. Conclusion. The clinical setting provides a challenging environment for nursing students with dyslexia, who find personalized ways to manage their disability. A dyslexia diagnosis continues to carry a stigma that may result in non-disclosure, with implications for the level of support available. Greater awareness of the practice-specific needs of such students is required to ensure appropriate support and public safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The qualities of an effective mentor from the student nurse’s perspective: findings from a longitudinal qualitative study Parker and Carlisle (Journal of Advanced Nursing 24, 771–778) argue that there is a scarcity of empirical research focusing on issues such as supernumerary status and mentorship in Project 2000 courses from the students’ perspective. This paper presents the findings of a longitudinal cohort study using Grounded Theory to discover the effect(s) of mentorship on student nurses following the introduction of the 1992 programme of education leading to a Diploma of Higher Education in Nursing and registration with the United Kingdom Central Council (UKCC). The cohort consisted of 10 students from a large Scottish College of Nursing & Midwifery who were interviewed on five occasions during the three years of their course. Students also kept a diary to record their thoughts and experiences regarding mentorship during their practice placements. In addition, a further seven students volunteered to participate by diary only. Data were analysed with the aid of NUD.IST and subjected to the constant comparative method of analysis. Findings indicate that Diploma students quickly lose their idealistic view of their mentor and over time develop an insight into the qualities they perceive are required of an effective mentor. Students quickly become aware of the importance of choosing good role models and learning their own mentor’s likes and dislikes as they realize this impinges on the outcome of their assessment. As students move into their Branch programme, a gradual distancing from their mentor is evident. This coincides with a development in their confidence, skills and a holistic perspective of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of nurse education with higher education in the United Kingdom, has highlighted an uncertainty over the clinical role of nurse lecturers. Although benefits have been identified from lecturers maintaining strong links with clinical practice, the evidence suggests that nurse lecturer participation in practice areas is limited. This paper reports a strategy for developing the clinical role of the nurse lecturer through collaborating with practitioners in teaching and research. An action research project designed to implement and evaluate a teaching programme for pre-registration nursing students was developed. The research aimed to evaluate the programme and identify the benefits for students, practitioners and the nurse lecturer in collaborating in teaching on the programme. Ethical approval was granted from the local research ethics committee. Data were collected in three ways: questionnaires to 17 students; focused interviews with nine practitioners; and analysis of the reflective diary kept by the lecturer. Findings identified the success of the teaching programme and also revealed substantial benefits for students, practitioners and the lecturer. Selected findings are used to demonstrate how the liaison, teaching, clinical practice and research elements of the nurse lecturer's clinical role could be developed. The project was small scale and grounded within a specific context and thus may not be applicable to other settings. However, it is suggested that collaboration between nurse educationalists and practitioners in this way offers a potential model for developing the clinical role of the nurse lecturer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New recruits to courses in nursing, midwifery and health visiting come from a wide range of educational backgrounds and it is reasonable to expect that this diversity will also be reflected in the range of their experience and competence with information technology (IT). Accommodating such variety can make the planning of appropriate training to enhance and develop their IT skills difficult. In order to explore the likely extent of diversity in IT experience and skills in today's recruits, the project reported here examined the competence, attitudes and previous IT training of two consecutive cohorts of new entrants to a higher diploma programme. The surveys add weight to the view that nurse educators do face a considerable diversity in new students' competence and experience with IT. Further analysis has also shown that subgroups of the cohorts, characterized by their age, gender, education or previous IT training, differed significantly in a 'knowledge of computers' score but not in their attitudes to IT. Arising from the results, the paper argues that, in seeking to develop a consistent level of IT literacy, core IT competence should be identified and all courses should have the clear objective of raising students' confidence in using computers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the findings of a study conducted into the perceptions of final year Project 2000 pre-registration students towards their pre-registration education programme. The aim of the research was to discover how students perceive their training in terms of value, relevance, intellectual potency, teaching methods and organization. Data were collected using the Hoste scale which has been developed for the evaluation of educational courses. A convenience sample of students (n = 131) within one college of nursing were invited to participate. Findings include a particularly high level of satisfaction with Project 2000 in terms of value, breadth and relevance. Organization and liveliness of the course were perceived much less satisfactorily. There was a trend for a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the theoretical and practical components of the course. The findings are discussed with particular reference to the perceptions of theory and practice within the educational programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on research commissioned by the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting into mentorship and clinical support arrangements for Project 2000 nursing students in the adult and mental health branches. Interviews and observation data were gathered from staff and students in three of the demonstration centres. Findings showed that the terms 'mentorship', 'assessor' and 'supervisor' were used interchangeably and covered diverse roles in both clinical and community settings. Generally there was an impression that staff were willing to help students learn from their experience but felt unprepared for the 'new nursing students'. Several factors emerged which seemed either to promote satisfactory experiences for students or inhibit their learning and enjoyment of the placement. These are discussed under the themes 'supernumerary status', 'team spirit', 'theory and practice', 'diploma level practice' and 'organization of nursing teams'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ideas discussed in this paper are derived from a longitudinal study of student nurse socialization. The emergent views of a cohort of student nurses were explored by the researcher, over a period of 3 years, utilizing the approach referred to as grounded theory. 'Patients to people' represents a continuum of changing perceptions about those whom the students were nursing. It seemed that the cohort had to move along this continuum in order for them to be able to empathize with those they nursed. In the context of the students' changing perceptions, several things were of significance. For example, encounters with individuals who failed to demonstrate the passive and compliant attitude associated with 'typical patients.' such as children, challenged the cohort's thinking about those they nursed. During their training the students matured as both nurses and adults and this was also important, as was their recognition of their own 'personhood.' The cohort's emergent views suggested that there was a reciprocity between the way they viewed themselves and the perceptions they held about those they nursed. Such findings are important to people involved in preparing individuals to enter the caring professions. However, it should be noted that the experiences described in this study represent those of 'traditionally' trained rather than of Project 2000 students. The names used to describe people involved in this research are pseudonyms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the recent shift of emphasis away from long-stay hospitalization for elderly people the availability of clinical placements for student nurses to gain experience in caring for elderly people has been reduced. This paper explores the potential value of Teaching Nursing Homes, already well established in the United States, as a possible alternative placement to facilitate learning. In analysing the models of affiliation in current use critically the authors conclude the the concept of Teaching Nursing Homes offers vast potential, not only to nursing education in the United Kingdom, but in raising the profile of care of the elderly, provided that the most appropriate form of affiliation model is adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of a student-centred module of learning using Jarvis’ experiential framework. One hundred and thirty- five students undertook the module over a 9-month period. A semi- structured questionnaire was used to explore students’ learning, choice of topic, structure, and benefit of the module. The data were analysed using simple descriptive statistics and content analysis. A key theme emerged related to the beneficial learning experience. Presentation skills/shared learning, choice and autonomy, taking responsibility, and research skills were other themes that emerged. Whilst the literature suggests students dislike experiential forms of learning, the positive evaluation of this module demonstrates that it can be used effectively. Furthermore, Jarvis’ model provides a useful framework for structuring this approach to learning. One of the research strategies within a nursing faculty should be to develop progressive student-focused educational methods and evaluate their effect or professional preparation. This, it is argued, needs to be perceived as a valuable and essential activity within an academic nursing department. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A trainability test is a means of estimating the suitability of a candidate for a course of training. Grounds for assessment are provided by the construction of a learning task which replicates some key aspects of the skill to be learned and the procedure by which they must be acquired. Such a test, based on the learning of medical terms, was given to 129 student nurses at five London general hospitals. Lower test scores were found to be associated with high drop-out for UK nurses and it is assumed that for them the test was measuring a capacity relevant to performing satisfactorily on the course. Low-scoring overseas nurses, however, were less likely to leave than their UK counterparts. Discussion of the reasons for this includes reference to the general phenomenon of lower wastage rates among overseas nurses, evidence about overseas nurses' attitudes towards completing the course and the possibility that this test, like others, somewhat underestimated the potential of overseas candidates. Methods are considered for making the test as valid for overseas as for UK candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The ageing of the United Kingdom (UK) population means that the care of older people will become an increasingly important part of nurses’ remit. However, employment statistics suggest that this is an unpopular nursing specialism. This may be due to a number of factors, one of which may be nurses’ negative attitudes towards working with older people. This constitutes a potential problem, especially if such attitudes have an impact on the quality of care provided. Aim. To examine the attitudes held by student nurses towards working with older patients. Methods. Questionnaires incorporating Likert-type scales, two vignettes and demographic questions were designed using the theory of planned behaviour. These were distributed to 172 student nurses undertaking preregistration nursing courses in the UK during the academic session 2000–2001. Results. Student nurses displayed positive intentions towards working with older patients. These were based on their own attitudes and beliefs about what others would wish them to do. Participants believed that their behaviour towards older patients was to a large extent under volitional control. Analysis of the beliefs underlying student nurses’ views showed that they differentiated between those participants who had a relatively positive approach to their work with older patients and those with a less positive approach. In addition, the results offered mixed support for the view that more knowledgeable or experienced nurses hold more positive views towards older people. Conclusions. The findings offer some support for previous studies that have looked at the more general issue of attitudes towards older people. However, the results also indicate that a more rigorous and more highly focused approach to the study of such attitudes is required if the research is to be relevant to the issue of working with older patients. The theoretical, methodological and practical implications of the... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nursing students’ perceptions of research: usefulness, implementation and training Aims. The present study explored students’ perceptions of the usefulness of research for nursing practice; beliefs about difficulties in implementing research on the wards; and finally, their satisfaction with the research training received. Background. Anecdotal reports of nursing students’ dislike of research. Method. Recruiting preregistration students for the present study was the first obstacle, and so the sample size remained small, consisting of 12 students. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and later transcribed. Results. The findings indicated that resistance, both by students and by qualified nurses, was a recurring issue. Several students disagreed with the training and expressed a need for more practical experience. Conclusions. Overall, the present study suggests that educational and organizational improvements need to be introduced to transform nursing into a research-active profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following recent evidence of continuing high levels of distress in both trained and student nurses, a critical review of the stress reduction and stress management literature targeting both trained and student nurses is presented. Using a systematic approach, some 36 studies dating from 1980 until the present day were identified adopting either pre-experimental, quasi-experimental or experimental designs. While many work-site programmes in this series were successful in terms of adaptive changes in problem-solving, self-management skills including relaxation and interpersonal skills, affective well-being, and work performance, a number of design and evaluation inadequacies were identified. The relative lack of home-work interface or organizational level programmes to reduce work-related distress, and the scarcity of interventions targeting aspects of the work environment likely to contribute to such outcomes may have contributed to continuing high levels of distress in trained and student nurses. Recommendations regarding the future design, provision and evaluation of such work-site interventions include the further clarification of the structure of perceived stressors, and development of causal models of the stress process to identify the job characteristics 'causing' work-related distress. Such an approach would inform the design and implementation of evidence-based organizational level interventions augmenting strategies to target the health behaviour, lifestyle/risk factors and self-management skills of practitioners and students with attempts to amend problematic elements of the psychosocial work environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A qualitative study was undertaken to explore the experiences of student nurses recruited to three British colleges of nursing. A series of focus groups was initiated to discuss the career decisions surrounding their entry into nursing and their experiences of the selection interview. Similar groups were conducted with those who are involved in the selection of candidates for nursing to determine what influenced their decisions to accept or reject people. Analysis of the data suggests that nursing is attracting people from careers that are unstable or unsatisfactory. Selection procedures are outdated and inconsistent and interviewees quickly learn to provide appropriate responses. There is confusion surrounding the skills and qualities required of potential nurses, and more effective recruitment strategies might attract potential undergraduates without losing those with vocational aspirations. A more systematic approach to selection, using a range of objective, measurable criteria, may remove the intuitive selection of nurses, increasing the efficiency of the selection process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the attitudes of undergraduate nursing students towards nursing models in Great Britain. Trends in the use of nursing models; Perception of traditional nursing students on the models; Comparison between traditional and undergraduate nursing students.

Cites a study that investigates the effect of death education and experience on nursing students' attitude towards death in Great Britain. Need for addition of modules of death education to the nursing curricula so as to promote personal death awareness in nursing students; Implications of death awareness on nursing education.

Though the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (UKCC) refers to student status as an `emotive term' (UKCC 1982), the author through this small-scale study looks at the advantages and disadvantages of its implementation. Alternative models of training and other implications are also considered, the findings indicating that implementation is important for the learners' ongoing education and professional development, but not without further investigation of some of the issues raised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]