A description of the personal social and scholastic background of new students first admitted to the Department of Nursing Science at Medunsa in 1986, and their expectations regarding this university.

Introduction In the past few years the comprehensive biographical questionnaire completed by all students newly admitted to M EDUNSA at the beginning of the academic year, provided valuable information regarding students of the Department of Nursing Science. The main purpose of this study is to obtain a profile of nursing students, enrolling at Medunsa for the first time, regarding — their demographic data — the sociological, economical and educational tendencies in their homes — their school achievement and — their expectations of Medunsa. This information may in future serve to • compare students’ expectations of Medunsa with actual experiences • compare nursing students with students in medicine and supplementary health services • provide a base-line for monitoring professional growth. The questionnaire samples details about the newcomers’ personal, social, and scholastic backgrounds and achievements. In addition, the students’ expectations of university life in general, and of this university in particular, are gauged. Presently the survey serves to provide the university authorities and lecturers of the Department of Nursing Science with information about the persons who presented themselves as new students for that year; their background and expectations. The survey also provides nursing students with a channel for communicating their expectations to the Department of Nursing Science and university authorities. The present Report is subdivided into four parts: In Part A an image is given of the personal backgrounds of the students who presented themselves for the first time at Medunsa in 1986. In part B, background information about the schools from which these students came is provided, as well as inform ation about their subjects and performances at school. Part C covers the newcomers’ expectations of life at this University in respect of lecturers, fellow-students and student life in general. Part D contains a summary of all the findings of this investigation. Throughout all four parts of the report, the findings are juxtaposed to those obtained from a corresponding survey done on all students during 1985.