[Expectations of the nursing profession at the beginning of nursing education and their realization at the end of the 2 year (longitudinal study)].

When young people start a career in nursing, they have certain expectations about the profession. The intrinsic motivation of wanting to help plays the most important role. Does the nursing profession actually fulfill these expectations or will the everyday-routine of the profession soon disappoint the students? In the study presented, 166 nursing students were tested twice, once at the beginning of their education (Veit, 1996) and after having completed their second year of training. The comparison of the results of both surveys enables us to determine to which extent the expectations connected with the choice of a career were actually fulfilled. On the whole, the students participating in the survey were satisfied with their career choice. The degree to which their expectations were fulfilled, however, vary according to the different groups of students.