Abstract
M.Cur.
The student nurse is primarily an individual undergoing personal and professional
development towards becoming a competent and creative professional
nurse. The presence of the student nurse in the clinical practice during her
term of training is aimed at the realisation of this development.
Consequently it appears essential that the student nurse be granted the
opportunities for gradual personal and professional growth. This constitutes
the basis for the advancement of her status as student.
On the basis of a literature study a conceptual framework has been developed
to serve as the basis for granting student status in South Africa.
A descriptive, exploratory survey was undertaken by means of a questionnaire
submitted to student nurses registered with a nursing college in the Transvaal.
The purpose of the survey was to determine to what extent
o student status is being advanced in the clinical practice, and
o the service component of the student's training programme possibly
obstructs advancement of her student status.
From the survey it appears that frequently much of the sparkle attached to
being a student is not realised in the clinical practice. This can be
ascribed to the dominant utilisation of the student nurse as the primary
service unit in the clinical practice.
The research results indicate that in the clinical practice student status is
only advanced to a limited degree due to the fact that the service component,
which requires the student nurse to act as primary service unit during her
term of training, greatly obstructs the advancement of her student status.
Based on these results certain recommendations have been made.