Pre-professional Identity in Higher Vocational Education: The Case of Student Nurses and the Ethics of Care and Patients Safety.

The nature of pre-professional identity (PPI) for emerging professionals is explored in this paper through an examination of student nurse accounts of their decisions to either report or remain silent on matters of poor care or practice. One major aspect of PPI is self-awareness and the ability to reconcile personal values with those of his/her intended profession. The ethics of care is s central aspect of the nursing professional role and identity and is something that all nurses are expected to uphold. However, this is not easy for undergraduates who encounter tension and conflict while speaking up and yet it is vital for their learning as critical and reflective practitioners. The paper re-examines interview data from a larger study with respect to the ways in which student nurses explain and justify their decisions regarding reporting instances or poor care. These accounts are examined in the light of their developing PPI and what it means to them as they become socialised into the nursing role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]