Development of interpersonal relationships of a student nurse

This study sought to investigate: •!• student nurses' perceived role of tutors, preceptors and professional nurses in fostering the development of interpersonal relationships of students nurses during training •!• student nurses' espousal of positive interpersonal relationships with colleagues, patients, friends and relatives of patients •!• Whether or not any significant differences existed between the first and fourth year students' perceptions and espousal of positive interpersonal relationships. First and fourth year student nurses in the Eastern Cape Province were studied. More first, than fourth, year respondents contended that tutors, preceptors and professional nurses facilitated the development of student nurses' interpersonal relationships with colleagues, patients, friends and relatives of patients. On the espousal of positive interpersonal relationships vis-a-vis patients, friends and relatives of patients and amongst themselves as colleagues, both groups of respondents provided similar response profiles. A posteriori "t" comparisons revealed no statistically significant differences in the response profiles between the first and fourth year respondents in their espousal of positive interpersonal relationships with colleagues, patients, friends and relatives of patients. The major inference drawn from this was that the four-year comprehensive course should place greater emphasis on the development of interpersonal relationships of student nurses in the Republic of South Africa.