Role of the registered nurse as perceived by nurses, physicians, and health care administrators

The'purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions of registered nurses, physicians, and health care administrators regarding the present and desired future role of the registered nurse. Perceptions of Iowa registered nurses, physicians, and health care administrators regarding the present and desired future role of the registered nurse were compared as well as the relationship of those perceptions to type of training, level of education, employment setting, experience, and age. A stratified sampling plan was used to select 2,765 registered nurses, physicians, and health care administrators in Iowa. Data were collected through the use of a two section questionnaire. The first section utilized 22 competency statements, selected from Primm's Model, regarding perceptions of the present and desired future role of the registered nurse, and used a Likert Scale to record responses. The competency statements were divided into three major categories: Direct Care, Communication, and Management Competencies. Section Two included demographic and descriptive information regarding the respondents. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance with significance set at the . 01 level of confidence. Analysis also involved the mean competency category indices, Pearson correlations, and post hoc t: tests. Study results indicated significant differences in perceptions by Iowa registered nurses, physicians, and health care administrators regarding Direct Care and Management Competencies in the present and Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. desired future role and Communication Competencies in the desired future role of the registered nurse. No significant perception differences existed between groups regarding Communication Competencies in the present role of the registered nurse. Perceptions of the total group regarding present and desired future roles of the registered nurse exhibited significant differences and a positive trend. Significant interaction with perceptions of the present and future role of the registered nurse was exhibited relative to type of training, level of education, and employment setting. Differences in perceptions of registered nurses, physicians, and health care administrators regarding the role of the registered nurse indicate a need to provide a method of making these expectations known to each group through communication, discussion, and education. Registered nurses, physicians, and health care administrators should cooperate in identification of registered nurse competencies necessary for the efficient functioning of an institution. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the members of my committee for their individual and collective help in this dissertation: Dr. Robert Krajewski, Chairman, for his unfailing belief and interest in the worth of this study; Dr. Marlene Strathe for her interest and ability to make the statistics meaningful; Dr. Norman McCumsey for his supportive criticism; Dr. Glenn Hansen for his quiet confidence that I would complete the study; and Dr. Steven Corbin for his pertinent questions. Many thanks to Dr. Peggy Primm for time spent in supplying data and sharing her model for this study. My appreciation is extended to the administration and staff of Allen Hospital who assisted with this study and the special friends and my parents who provided continuing support. The greatest thanks is reserved for my husband, Wayne, our children Susan, Mark, and Tote, and our grandchildren for their love, patience, and understanding. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.