Frankenstein's nurse! What are schools of nursing creating?

The research presented in this paper examines the socialisation of nursing students under the current educational arrangements and the way in which it creates nurses who assign high status to technological expertise and its manipulation, while regarding many of the traditional, more 'basic', nursing skills as being of low status. Such a professional outlook has serious implications for areas of nursing practice where technology is largely inappropriate and where care of the body dominates practice (such as in aged care). In a longitudinal study which followed student nurses from neophyte to graduand status, results showed that intentions to work in aged care decrease as students progress through their pre-service programs. At the same time, however, these students come to regard areas that require a manipulation of technology, such as is perceived in surgical wards and intensive care, as the 'real' role of nursing. Structures which guide students through the socialisation process, (i.e. the curriculum and teaching staff) were examined regarding their contribution to the establishment and maintenance of this culture. The findings of this study have important implications for the future of quality nursing in areas like aged care--as well as for the future success of nursing in its quest to be regarded as a 'true', autonomous profession.