A follow-up of the graduates of the Cardiff Bachelor of Nursing degree course.

This paper considers the career patterns of the graduates of the University of Wales College of Medicine Bachelor of Nursing course. The 4-year course commenced in 1972 and has now seen 11 years of graduates. A longitudinal questionnaire survey has been administered annually to graduates of the course to ascertain information relating to the posts held and qualifications gained by graduates, which is the focus of this paper. The questionnaire also elicits graduates' perceptions of the value of aspects of the degree course to posts held, and the reaction of colleagues to the fact that they are nurse graduates. The results of the follow-up are presented to show the posts held by graduates at four time intervals; 6 months, 2 years and 5 years following graduation, and all graduates at the 1986 follow-up. The numbers of those who have obtained various post-registration qualifications are also presented. The findings support those of other follow-up studies of nurse graduates and diplomats. The graduates largely entered nursing or related posts, with the majority remaining in clinical-based posts as opposed to teaching and administration. The findings lead to further questions regarding the role and function of the nursing graduate. Further study is currently in progress to compare various elements of the practice style of Bachelor of Nursing graduates with non-graduate nurses.