PROFESSIONAL SOCIALIZATION AND THE VALUES OF NURSES.
Contributors: University of Maryland, College Park.
Published: 1983
Number of pages: 134
Subjects: Education, Sociology of.
Description: The purpose of this study was to expand knowledge and understanding of professional socialization--specifically, values of nurses that are internalized during professional training and practice. Values of 161 beginning nursing students were compared with those of 252 graduating nursing students and values of 222 experienced practitioners of nursing. Values of graduating nursing students were compared with those of experienced practitioners of nursing and values of experienced practitioners of nursing were compared with those of 63 nursing faculty. Gordon's Survey of Interpersonal Values (SIV) and the Rokeach Value Survey (RVS) were used to ascertain values of the respondents.

Analysis of variance used to analyze SIV scores showed significant differences between beginning students and experienced practitioners, beginning students and graduating students, and graduating students and experienced practitioners on values of independence and benevolence. Significant differences were also shown between faculty members and experienced practitioners on values of support, conformity, and recognition. On leadership, none of the groups were significantly different. Spearman Rho used to analyze the RVS rankings found all groups significantly correlated on both terminal and instrumental values.

Conclusions of the study are that interpersonal values change as nurses progress through training and as they gain experience as practitioners. Specifically, the value of benevolence decreases and the value of independence increases with training and experience. However, the hierarchy of terminal and instrumental values is similar as nurses progress through training and experience.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-10, Section: A, page: 3109.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE PARK, 1983.

School code: 0117.