title: Socialization into nursing: nursing students as learners.
abstract: In this article, we describe how the functionalist and interactionist approaches to socialization are exemplified in the learning experiences of nursing students in a 4-year baccalaureate program. A qualitative longitudinal exploratory research design was used to study the socialization of baccalaureate nursing students in a large western Canadian university. The findings suggest that student learning reflects a combination of functionalist and interactionist approaches, with the relative emphasis of each approach varying over the 4 years. In the first year, functionalist learning predominates as students learn the "ideal." In second and third year, students are confronting and adapting to reality, which requires a more interactionist approach. Fourth year students look beyond their practice situation as they anticipate and prepare for a reality beyond the student world. This article concludes with implications for nursing education.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Reutter
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Field
authors.forename: I E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Day
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017145:Models, Educational; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D011361:Professional Competence; D012951:Socialization; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires