The professional values of English nursing undergraduates

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine and describe what English nursing undergraduates internalize as professional values. The method was qualitative; specifically, a grounded theory approach was used. The sample comprised 12 senior baccalaureate nursing students from two educational institutions in the north of England. 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 audio-taped interviews and the constant comparative method was used to analyse data. The findings revealed that informants perceived two concepts as central to their professional values. These were respect for patients and 'caring about the little things'. They valued the rights of patients to be treated with respect, to know what was happening to them and to have a say in what happened to them. They described the 'little things' as 'an approach with patients that gets through to them'; 'getting out the mirror so they can see themselves'; 'fixing their water so they can reach it'; worrying about someone's dentures or the cat they left at home. They expected that their values would be in conflict with common hospital practice. They valued 'fitting in' and 'going along' but retained their own ideas and values until such time as these could be implemented. They perceived themselves as powerless to create change as new graduates. They believed the overwhelming power resided in the hospital system and the ward sister/charge nurse. They were not inclined toward a career in hospital nursing.

Finessing incivility: The professional socialisation experiences of student nurses' first clinical placement, a grounded theory

“…Professional values of English undergraduate nursing students were also investigated in order to describe what it was they internalised (Kelly, 1991). Her findings revealed two perceived concepts as central to the undergraduate's professional values; these were 'respect for patients' and their autonomy and 'caring about the little things' including physical aspects of care such as care of dentures.…”

“…Whilst they expected these values to be in conflict with common hospital practice, they also valued 'fitting in' and 'going along' whilst retaining their personal ideas and values until such a time that they could be implemented. However, some felt powerless to instigate these changes when newly qualified, as they believed the power remained within the hospital system and the nurse in charge (Kelly, 1991).…”

Comforting touch in a neonatal intensive care unit

“…She suggests that 'basic' care is truly basic, but basic in the sense that this is fundamental to the nursing care for a baby, and nurses use the term 'basic' to mean that such care is essential and concerned with first principles, the basis on which other things are established. There is also an added danger in specialised units that nurses, themselves, regard 'real nursing' as 'technical nursing' and everyday nursing activities as 'just basic nursing' (Kelly, 1991;Seed 1991;French 1992). This literature also appeared to suggest that there was a problem of language, not only in reference to touch, but also with the inability to articulate what nurses do when they practice.…”

Research study

“…9 Astute healthcare organizations are anticipating the impending nursing crisis and may be more amenable to proactively addressing critical issues that affect nurse retention. 11 Empower nurses to impact changes in organizational values by giving them seats on committees that review matters relevant to values interpretation, such as staffing, financial priorities, patient safety, and ethics review boards. Because of their pivotal position, nurse administrators have the opportunity to bridge the gap between organizational and clinical values.…”