This thesis illuminates final year student nurses’ perceptions of their nurse education, and contributes both to the nursing and Higher Education (HE) literature. This thesis highlights both the approaches and motivations to learning student nurses take, the implications of this for wider public protection, and the role of the nurse. A qualitative phenomenological insider research study is undertaken, utilising a sample size of eighteen final year student nurses as the data source, undertaking semi-structured interviews from a United Kingdom (UK) Higher Education Institution (HEI). Data analysis is undertaken by using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).
I argue that based upon the assumptions that student nurses make, in terms of their perceptions of what is and is not important from the curriculum, this changes approaches and motivations to learn. Subsequently, this causes gaps in the students’ knowledge. The perception of the role of the nurse is also found to be somewhat misjudged, and the holistic role of the nurse has been diminished. The theory practice gap is perceived by student nurses to not exist, yet whilst underpinning theoretical knowledge is limited there is a level of confidence. Furthermore, student nurses demonstrate a blissful ignorance towards the importance of knowledge for professional practice. Future practice as registrants may be affected, alongside the holistic role of the nurse being lost. Subsequent implications may be that patient care is adversely affected due to the approaches and motivations to learning that student nurses take.