PubMed2002
Nursing students, guided by aspirations, begin training with an idealized representation of the profession, and the experiences they will encounter during their studies will vary progressively. Nursing training is based initially on a pedagogical system alternating between the classroom and the work place, exposing the student to a variety of situations. This process of work experience during the three years of study is marked by a crisis period during the second year. This involves an identity crisis resulting in a change of objectives. The analysis indicates that this is structural. The beginning of the second year is characterised by the student's confrontation with the theoretical and practical applications of the course. It is the result of a year's experience and instruction, which puts into question the student's vision, beliefs, and the orientation towards a new conception of himself/herself and of the world. The realisation of an incongruity, this reality check, is followed by a feeling of deception. This conflict, common in the second year, must be recognised in order to avoid further compromise to the identity's transformation. As soon as the student finds himself/herself committed to a training program that does not contribute to the realisation of his/her objectives, the feeling of being thrown off balance in relation to his/her point of reference increases, and the end result will be absenteeism or opposition. The handling of this identity crisis, as well as the motivational procedure, implies a modification in the quality of the instructor and in our way of thinking and acting. Are we adequately prepared to manage this crisis? Do we have access to the theories needed to resolve this cognitive conflict?
Attitude of Health Personnel↗