Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- List of Figures and Tables -- List of Appendices -- Abstract -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- PART I: MODALITY AND MOTIVATION -- 1 Introduction -- Background to the study -- An overview of pertinent nurse socialisation studies -- Comparison of this study with prior studies -- About this book - style and form -- a guide for the reader -- Using the "I" word -- A decision about footnotes -- Identifying 'voices' in the text -- Using poetry -- Parts and chapters -- Summary -- PART II: PHILOSOPHICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS -- 2 Informing Philosophies -- The overarching ontological influence -- Why hermeneutic phenomenology? -- Why Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenology? -- Rejected philosophical options -- 'Care' as central to Heideggerian and nursing philosophies -- Parallels between Heideggerian and nursing philosophies -- Consideration, congruency and integration of Kelly's and Heidegger's philosophies -- Summary -- 3 Methodology - Processes, Praxis and Ponderances -- Ethical considerations -- Embarkation - the starting point -- The student volunteers -- The realisation - one-to-one interviews -- RepGrid - accessing constructions -- Present tense commentary - sharing experiences -- Students' analysis of their own development - reflective practice portfolios -- Severing ties - a few final questions -- This is how it was for me"--Summarising the journey in a letter -- Recordings of my reflections on the processes -- Considerations for hermeneutic analysis -- Formal analysis frameworks -- Informal analysis frameworks -- Issues of credibility, dependability and transferability -- Summary -- PART III: CONTEXTS AND SIGNIFICANT OTHERS -- 4 Perceptions of Tutors and Practitioners -- Focus groups with tutors -- Interviews with practitioners -- Selecting practitioners for the sample