Student courage: An essential for today's health education.

AIM: The aim of this concept analysis is to propose the new concept of student courage as it operates within the context of healthcare professionals' education.

BACKGROUND: Nurses have a moral obligation that often requires courage. However, nursing students do not have the capacity to act with moral courage until they are close to licensure. Student courage is propositioned as a precursor to moral courage.

DESIGN: The Walker and Avant approach is used to examine the attributes, antecedents, consequences, and empiric referents of student courage. Cases are provided to represent how student courage can be operationalized and to distinguish student courage from moral courage.

RESULTS: The analysis demonstrates that the concept of student courage has four critical attributes: (a) persistence, (b) bravery, (c) overcoming fear, and (d) self-advocacy. Positive and negative consequences are associated with student courage and include: (a) moral distress, (b) criticism, (c) empowerment, and (d) self-knowledge.

CONCLUSIONS: This concept analysis helps fill the gap for nursing students transitioning into a professional role as well as clarifying a nursing student's role in patient care.