Bridging idealism and reality: Nursing students’ perceptions about the impact on their wellbeing from being a nurse: A qualitative study

Background: Nursing students often enter undergraduate nursing programs with idealistic perceptions of how nursing can impact personal wellbeing. The gap between expectations and clinical realities may hinder progress and contribute to attrition. Aim: To explore nursing students' perceptions of how the nursing profession impacts a nurse's wellbeing. Methods: This descriptive qualitative study, informed by Transformational Learning Theory, involved semi-structured online interviews with 23 nursing students from three Australian universities. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Results: Students began the program with idealistic views about the physical, emotional and social impacts of nursing. Clinical placements played a key role in transforming these views. Three main themes and nine subthemes emerged: (1) Physical impact: workload demands, health implications, personal physical safety; (2) Emotional impact: emotional reward, emotional toll, emotional safety at work; (3) Social impact: social disconnection, social connection among nurses, understanding shift work requirements. Conclusion: Clinical exposure and working alongside qualified nurses are pivotal in transforming idealistic perceptions. Recommendations for future curriculum development were identified. Future research should consider international nursing programs.