The question of how a nurse becomes socialised into the nursing profession remains of critical importance. An exploration of the literature relating to professional socialisation reveals a shift from the notion that it is a reactive process, to proactive. Our research explores this issue from a personal constructivist perspective using the repertory grid technique. Our findings show that the professional socialisation process is complex and diverse. During their educational preparation community nursing students make a radical reappraisal of their role perceptions. In their transition to becoming a graduate practitioner they gain a greater understanding of their specialist role whilst becoming less rigid in their thinking. We conclude that the impact nurse education has on professional socialisation will depend on the students' past experiences, the reflective nature of the process and the beliefs and values promoted in the course.