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The purpose of this research was to examine whether there are resultant behavioral changes in professionalism for returning adult RN–to–BSN students and to identify teaching-learning activities that stimulate transformative learning. Mezirow’s adult learning theory served as a theoretical guide for the study. A convenience sample of students enrolled in a RN-to-BSN completion program during 2 academic years was surveyed using the core standards from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s essentials of baccalaureate nursing education. A total of 26 learning activities were identified as creating cognitive dissonance (conflict of values). Changes in professional behavior 3 months postgraduation included increased collaboration with the health care team, increased patient advocacy, and increased confidence in the role as a teacher of patients and families. The findings indicate that planning learning activities in nursing curricula can foster perspective transformation in professionalism.

Socialization includes internalization of attitudes and values critical to the development of a professional identity. Resocialization relates to the returning registered nurse student's development of professional values and roles. Nurse educators' challenge is to consider socialization/resocialization as a formation/re-formation process. The purpose of this article is to report findings from a replication qualitative descriptive study that examined the process of change in knowledge and attitudes of recent MSN graduates using Mezirow's (1994)Transformative Learning Theory. Findings substantiated the changes in attitudes, knowledge and skills of MSN graduates identified by Cragg and Andrusyszyn (2005). Results further inform nurse educators of the process of transformation in MSN graduates according to Mezirow's Phases of Perspective Transformation.

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An award-winning journalist spoke to a group of students during their first month in a baccalaureate nursing program, challenging the nursing profession to abandon its image of nurses as angels and promote an image of nurses as competent professionals who are both knowledgeable and caring. This presentation elicited an unanticipated level of emotion, primarily anger, on the part of the students. This unexpected reaction prompted faculty to explore the students’ motivations for entering the nursing profession and their perceptions of the relative importance of competence and caring in nursing. The authors begin this article by reviewing the literature related to motivations for selecting a profession and the contributions of competence and caring to nursing care. Next they describe their survey method and analysis and report their findings regarding student motivations and perceptions of competence and caring in nursing. Emerging themes for motivation reflected nursing values, especially altruism, and coincided with students’ beliefs of self-efficacy and goal attainment. Student responses indicated their understanding of the need for competence and revealed idealistic perceptions of caring. The authors conclude with a discussion of these themes and recommendations for student recruitment, curricular emphasis, and future research in this area.