Status passage into nursing: undertaking nursing care

A status passage is the process of change from one social status to another. In this report, the process of transition from lay person to nurse in respect of undertaking essential elements of patient care is described. The aspects of care included in the study are attending to hygiene needs, incontinence, altered body image, the very ill and dying person; and behavioural problems associated with attention-seeking, confusion, suicidal attempts and aggression. Student nurses mainly were expected to cope with these situations alone. The emotional effects on these students and implications of undertaking care in this manner are noted.