STUDENT SELF-ACTUALIZATION AND LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL IN THREE TYPES OF NURSING PROGRAMS (ADN, BN, RN-BSN).
Contributors: University of Florida.
Published: 1984
Number of pages: 178
Subjects: Education, Higher.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: Controversy exists over whether associate degree nursing (ADN) program graduates can be educated in generic baccalaureate (BN) programs modified for (RN-BSN) nurses and develop characteristics of professional nurses.

This study was designed to identify differences between students beginning and graduating from ADN, BN, and RN-BSN programs on nonacademic criteria. Criteria were self-actualization, measured by the Time Competence (TC) and Inner-Directed (ID) scales of the Personal Orientation Inventory, and leadership, measured by the Consideration (C) and Structure (S) scales of the Leadership Opinion Questionnaire. Also, data were collected on confounding variables. The study had an ex post facto cross-sectional design.

Baccalaureate programs in Florida universities participated. ADN programs were located near participating baccalaureate programs. Subjects were volunteers beginning or graduating from a program from April to December, 1983. The N was 329.

Regression analysis was used to determine differences between means by regressing each of the dependent variables (the TC, ID, C, and S scales) on (a) type of program, (b) beginning or graduating, and (c) control variables.

No significant differences existed between the adjusted mean scores on the TC, ID, and C scales for students beginning and graduating from ADN, BN, and RN-BSN programs. A difference did exist on S; the beginning ADN group scored significantly higher than both the graduating ADN group and the beginning RN-BSN group. All graduating groups were similar on S. The ranges of the scores were: TC 17 and 18, ID 84 to 88, C 53 to 55, and S 44 to 51. No relation existed between scores on TC, ID and scores on C. A significant negative relation existed between scores on TC, ID and S.

Students beginning and graduating from ADN, BN, and RN-BSN programs were similar on self-actualization. They were at or near normal-adult levels on the TC and ID scales. Students graduating from these programs were similar on leadership. They had relatively high C and low S scores. Differences hypothesized to exist between students in different types of nursing programs did not appear in this study.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-07, Section: A, page: 2005.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, 1984.

School code: 0070.