Students’ part-time work: towards an understanding of the implications for nurse education

This paper reports on the subject of nursing students undertaking paid part-time work, an area which has attracted minimal research. A questionnaire survey of 120 diploma students in one university investigated several aspects of part-time work: incidence, nature, motivating factors, and effects on their professional and personal lives. The results provide an insight into the work profile and the students’ perceptions of the positive and negative effects on their personal well being and progression on the course. The findings raise issues which are of interest to both academic and clinical staff, nursing students and employers.