A longitudinal study of changing attitudes to work among nursing trainees in two British general hospitals

This paper presents some findings of a longitudinal study of nursing trainees in two British general hospitals concerning changes in attitudes to their work conditions, and compares the results with those of a cross-sectional study of the attitudes of trainees and qualified staff in the same two hospitals. Supporting the findings of previous research, the longitudinal study suggested that trainees become less attracted to work conditions during the course of training, and the cross-sectional study suggested that these changes would probably be reversed if and when trainees were taken on as qualified nurses. Since the widest gaps in attitudes between qualified staff and trainees reflected trainees' more unfavourable attitudes towards their influence over work tasks, opportunities to voice criticisms and to voice opinions, the findings are seen as evidence of a status gap between trainees' expected and achieved work autonomy.