Students in the BN program--do their perceptions change?

Perceptions of nursing have been linked to students' decisions to enter the nursing profession and their decision to continue in or withdraw from nursing programs. As part of a longitudinal study, the Nursing Attitude Questionnaire and Nursing Orientation Tool were used to explore the perceptions of nursing of students in a baccalaureate nursing program. The study began with 213 students, of which 140 completed the study. The Nursing Attitude Questionnaire (NAQ) measures attitudes towards nursing using statements that reflect nursing roles, values, responsibilities, characteristics of nurses/nursing, professionalism, and stereotypes of society. The Nursing Orientation Tool measures students' orientation to nursing using three sub-scales: caring, nursing expertise, and life orientation. Overall, the students held a positive image of nursing and total scores for the NAQ became significantly more positive as students progressed in the program. Life orientation continued to be the most dominant orientation to nursing over the four years.