Nurses' development of professional self--from being a nursing student in a baccalaureate programme to an experienced nurse.

Aims: To investigate how baccalaureate degree nurses conceive their professional self over time, by following them from being students until some years after graduation.

Background: Competence and professional development in nursing has been studied and discussed in many research studies. However, how baccalaureate degree nurses judge themselves and their own competencies as professionals over time remains a topic for further research.

Is the humanistic view of the nurse role still alive--in spite of an academic education?

Aim: This paper is a report of a study exploring what 'being a good nurse' means by following nursing students during their pre-registration education and for some years after graduation.

Background: There have been few studies focusing on the nurse role in the transition from student to experienced nurse. Studies with a qualitative design, in particular, are limited in number.

Swedish nursing students' attitudes to and awareness of research and development within nursing.

Background: Nurses' attitudes towards research have been illuminated in many studies. However, there is still a need for more knowledge about the attitudes and awareness of undergraduate nursing students.

Aims: To investigate Swedish undergraduate nursing students' attitudes towards and awareness of research and development within nursing, and to illuminate factors that may have an impact on their attitudes and awareness.