An exploration of the perceptions of caring held by students entering nursing programmes in the United Kingdom: A longitudinal qualitative study phase 1.

In a climate of intense international scrutiny of healthcare and nursing in particular, there is an urgent need to identify, foster and support a caring disposition in student nurses worldwide. Yet relatively little is known about how core nursing values are shaped during education programmes and this warrants further investigation. This longitudinal study commencing in February 2013 examines the impact of an innovative nursing curriculum based on a humanising framework (Todres et al. 2009) and seeks to establish to what extent professional and core values are shaped over the duration of a three year nursing programme. This paper reports on Phase One which explores student nurses' personal values and beliefs around caring and nursing at the start of their programme. Undergraduate pre-registration nursing students from two discrete programmes (Advanced Diploma and BSc (Honours) Nursing with professional registration) were recruited to this study. Utilising individual semi-structured interviews, data collection commenced with February 2013 cohort (n = 12) and was repeated with February 2014 (n = 24) cohort. Findings from Phase One show that neophyte student nurses are enthusiastic about wanting to care and aspire to making a difference to patients and their families. This research promises to offer contributions to the debate around what caring means and in particular how it is understood by student nurses. Findings will benefit educators and students which will ultimately impact positively on those in receipt of healthcare.

Promoting leadership: the development of a nurse executive team in an acute hospital trust.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to evaluate how an executive nursing team, within an acute hospital trust in the south of England, developed their leadership characteristics through the use of a professional development programme. BACKGROUND: This paper offers an insight into how this team worked together to clarify their views of their new role and how the role would be enacted. METHOD: A questionnaire using quantitative and qualitative measures was used to explore the group's leadership style and evaluate the professional development programme. FINDINGS: The findings show how the development programme worked and what clarity it afforded the group in terms of their leadership style. Group work, building on the findings, helped them define their particular characteristics, skills and leadership ability and what further work was needed to demonstrate this. CONCLUSIONS: The issues raised, such as team-working, mutual purpose and personal development, are discussed in terms of their function within an integrated executive team with vision and goals. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: In ensuring that the nursing service has positive purpose, direction and goals, there needs to be a strategic approach to corporate development; otherwise, nursing will struggle to lead itself within a fast changing health care system.