MORAL DEVELOPMENT IN LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES ENROLLED IN AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE PROGRAM IN NURSING.
Contributors: Boston University.
Published: 1990
Number of pages: 244
Subjects: Education, Adult and Continuing.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The question for research was: Are licensed practical nurses beginning an associate degree program in nursing different in their moral development from licensed practical nurses who are graduating from the associate degree program?.

The researcher addressed the following issues: (1) The differences between incoming and graduating associate degree nursing students on a moral development scale. (2) The relationship between experience as a licensed practical nurse and use of convenience as a rationale for action in a moral dilemma. (3) The relationship between time spent in the associate degree program and scores on a moral development scale.

The moral development scale used in this study was the Nursing Dilemmas Test. It is based on Rest's Defining Issues Test, but presents dilemmas specific to nursing.

The subjects were licensed practical nurses who were students in an associate degree program in nursing. Two groups were studied. Nurses who had just begun the program were compared to graduating nurses.

Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U and the Pearson R.

Results were as follows: (1) Incoming students were not significantly different from graduating students in Nursing Principled behavior. (2) Nurses who had extensive experience as LPNs did not choose behaviors based on convenience any more than other nurses. (3) Nurses completing the associate degree in an accelerated program did not differ in moral development from nurses completing the associate degree in a traditional program.

Data was also gathered by interview. A small sample of graduating students was interviewed.

The anecdotal data showed that graduating nurses felt they had achieved significant personal growth in both moral development and self-confidence. They felt more responsible for patient outcome.

Employing hospitals had encouraged these nurses to attend the associate degree program and had paid their tuition. The hospitals spent wisely. Although the nurses showed no measurable growth in moral development, they did expand their nursing practice and grow in accountability.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-03, Section: A, page: 0715.

Thesis (ED.D.)--BOSTON UNIVERSITY, 1990.

School code: 0017.