Aim

To explore how adult, child, mental health nursing and midwifery students describe their “values journey” after completing their second year following exposure to the clinical practice environment.

Background

Where student nurses and midwives are selected using multiple mini interviews, in a values‐based recruitment process, the conservancy and or development of their personal values remains unclear.

Design

A hermeneutic, cross‐professional longitudinal study was commenced at one university in England in 2016 with data collection points at the end of years one (DC1), two (DC2) and three (DC3). From the 42 participants recruited in year one, 28 went on to participate in data collection at DC2 (3 adult, 6 child, 3 mental health nurses and 16 midwifery students).

Methods

Four semi‐structured focus groups were conducted. Data analysis incorporated inductive and deductive approaches in a hybrid synthesis.

Findings

Participants did not feel their values had changed fundamentally since year one. However, the prioritization of their values and how they were “put into practice” had changed. Key themes identified were: “changed sense of self as a healthcare practitioner”; “influences on values in practice” and “reflection on values.”

Conclusion

Reframing of personal values is an integral part of learning across clinical and academic settings. Critical reflective practice should be integrated into pre‐registration health education programmes to support student nurses and midwives sustain their learning around values; to maintain “good” values in the face of observed “bad” values.