NURSING EDUCATION ADMINISTRATORS: LEVEL OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND MENTORING.
Contributors: University Of Illinois At Chicago, Health Sciences Center.
Published: 1989
Number of pages: 236
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Education.; Education, Administration.
Description: The influence of mentoring and other variables on the level of career development of nursing education administrators has significance for future leadership development in nursing. The major focus of this study was to analyze the influence of career stage, early life influences, academic preparation, mentoring relationships, supporting factors, and constraining factors on the level of career development of nursing education administrators.

Variables relevant to career development were gleaned from the literature and relationships that were examined were depicted in a conceptual model of academic administrative career development. Survey research methods were used in this correlational, retrospective study. A questionnaire was developed by the investigator to elicit information on career development, career aspirations, mentoring experiences, and demographic data. Questionnaires were mailed to a randomly selected sample of 600 nursing education administrators in NLN accredited baccalaureate and higher degree programs throughout the U.S. A response rate of 71% yielded 427 completed questionnaires. Multiple regression techniques were utilized to examine the relationships between dependent variables and independent variables in the conceptual model.

Results indicated that although mentoring did contribute significantly to the prediction of level of career development of nursing education administrators, it explained less of the variance in level of career development than highest degree earned, number of years since completion of the highest degree, number of years as an academic administrator, the scholarly difficulty index, and the work commitment index. Together, nine variables explained 59% of the variance in level of career development scores.

The findings suggest that mentoring is an important factor in the career development of nursing education administrators. Although mentoring was less important than the appropriate educational background and experiential base, there may be some interaction between obtaining the doctorate and having a mentor. The findings have implications for those seeking for and serving as mentors as well as for institutions fostering such relationships.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-05, Section: B, page: 1857.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO, HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER, 1989.

School code: 0806.