Tasks and routines in 21st century nursing: student nurses' perceptions.

摘要

The aim of this study was to explore final year nursing students' views about their clinical experiences. This was the second of three studies using a grounded theory approach overall with theoretical sampling of final year student nurses being chosen as a result of the initial study's findings. The sample was of a volunteer nature. The data collection tool was an open-ended questionnaire, with themes arising from the first study helping to form the questions. It was anticipated that more clinically experienced students would confirm, refute and perhaps provide "new" information about the reality of clinical nursing when compared with the sample of neophyte nurses from the first study. Data were analysed through initial coding of responses and then compared and contrasted to the data of study one. Findings included categories of views about the nurses' roles and tasks, clinical priorities of qualified nurses, holistic care, and care plans. The conclusion suggest that despite nursing theory proclaiming the advent of "new" nursing with hallmarks of holistic care and movement away from tasks and routines, the student nurses did not find this to be the case. Indeed, tasks and routines are what seemed to structure the work of nurses, with little evidence of holistic, patient-centred care occurring clinically.