From bedside nursing to managerial roles: Changing occupational perceptions of nursing students

This longitudinal study examined changes in the occupational perceptions of nursing students studying in a non‐traditional undergraduate nursing program. The respondents, 210 first‐ and second‐year nursing students, completed a questionnaire measuring the perceived importance of traditional and non‐traditional nursing interventions and values. Questionnaires were administered at the beginning and at the end of the academic year. Students studying in a more traditional program comprised the control group. The results show that certain traditional nursing activities and values are perceived as more important by first‐year students compared with second‐year students in both programs, whereas the perceived importance of non‐traditional activities is higher among second‐year students. The preference for non‐traditional interventions is stronger among students in the non‐traditional nursing program. The results are discussed with regard to the gradual effect of nursing education on students' occupational perceptions.