Socialization into the nursing profession is essential for student nurses to develop an internalized professional identity and the corresponding professional role. The espoused professional values are the foundation for the development of professional identity and commitment to the profession. Nurse educators have a responsibility to foster students' learning for the development of the student nurse as a professional. The formation and internalization of a professional identity through acquisition of values that are congruent with those espoused by the profession facilitates professional development.The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how baccalaureate nursing students were professionally socialized into nursing values in the classroom. Mezirow's transformational learning was used to examine how nursing students came to critically reflect on personal and professional values as part of the process of professional socialization.The context for this study was a university classroom setting. A purposive sample of eight nursing students in a baccalaureate program in the first nursing, non-clinical course was used.The study used interviews, observations, and review of documents which included the informants' journals, course text, course examinations and syllabus. Two one-hour interviews were conducted with the informants at the fifth week of a seven week course and at completion. The instructor was also interviewed following completion of the course. The three classroom observations were conducted every other week to correspond with significant content areas. Journals were collected every other week.The findings suggest that nursing students do not attain the espoused professional values from the formal curriculum or role-modeling of the instructor in a classroom setting. Qualities attributed to the professional values were expressed rather than the values themselves through personal experiences. Content areas which were controversial and value-laden held the most meaning and triggered critical reflection on personal and professional values. Eight subcategories emerged from the data analysis: formal curriculum, perceived personal values, perceived values learned in the classroom, perceived values role-modeled, triggers for critical reflection, hidden curriculum, sense of belonging to the profession, and consequences of professional socialization.This study has implications for nurse educators regarding teaching strategies, nursing education and curriculum development, professions concerned with professional socialization, and adult educators interested in Mezirow's theory. Further study is recommended on aspects of belonging, triggers for critical reflection, and professional values. / Department of Educational Leadership
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/182023 |
| Date | January 1995 |
| Creators | Wilson, Connie S. |
| Contributors | Murk, Peter J. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | viii, 129 leaves ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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