A FIRST YEAR NURSING AND ALLIED HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONS COURSE: THE TRANSITION FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO UNIVERSITY

Objectives
The transition from school to university plays an important role in academic performance. In the view of some researchers, the first year has been identified as the moment in which the greatest amount of academic failure and attrition from study occurs. Although the transition is influenced by a complex array of factors, it is feasible to identify the major variables in this process over which the university has influence. Research has shown that students who are intrinsically motivated are more likely to persist when experiencing an academic challenge and exhibit higher academic performance. The transition marks a distinct point in a student’s academic career, because it determines a switch from dependent to independent learner, from studying in a carefully monitored environment, with a highly regulated timetable, to a new phase of life where students learn to manage their own time and make decisions in a more adult and responsible manner. Research indicates that students need to make successful in the transition phase are: adapting to change; becoming familiar with new ways of teaching and learning; accepting differing classroom norms; managing time and integrating socially.
This study is part of a research programme at the University of Genoa aimed at reducing nursing and allied health care professions student difficulties in transition from school to university. The goal of this paper is to identify students’ motivations to in this professional choice and their perception of the job, types of pre-orientation received regarding university programs, attitude and role of the family and friends in the choise, expectations of the course, difficulties during the transition from school to university, impact on university life.

Sample
814 first year students and 20 training tutors

Methods
The methodological framework of the study is quali-quantitative. The first phase involves semi-structured interviews for training tutors to obtain their point of view about the transition process. In the second phase student completed a quality-quantitative questionnaire.

Results
The results of these initial studies would suggest that also the problems faced by our students seem to be related with the transition from school to university. Particularly, lack of basic skills; inadequate learning method; wrong choice of degree course; low intrinsic motivation; difficulties to create group of study with other students. These difficulties highlight the need to consider strategies for promoting an early academic orientation programs, specifically designed to capture mismatches between course expectations and course experiences/aims.

Discussion
Ours results have allowed to identify specific strategies to reduce the difficulties in transition, like create an effective liaison and a coordination service between schools and universities, including structures for collaboration between school and university teachers, especially in the ongoing identification of skill and learning orientation outcomes for the completed secondary education. The University of Genoa began a specific programme of workshops, “Faculty stage”, mentoring programmes which aim to increase the awareness of and aspirations to become healthcare professionals.