PERCEPTIONS OF NURSING FACULTY OF EXISTING AND NEEDED GERIATRIC CURRICULUM CONTENT AND CLINICAL PRACTICE IN NATIONALLY ACCREDITED NURSE PROGRAMS LOCATED IN THE SOUTHERN REGION OF THE UNITED STATES.
Contributors: University of Mississippi.
Published: 1985
Number of pages: 292
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purposes of this study were to determine the judgments of nurse educators who teach in diploma, associate degree, and baccalaureate programs on the following questions: (1) How important is it to include content related to the health needs of the elderly in nursing curricula? (2) Do existing nursing curricula include adequate content related to the health needs of the elderly? (3) How important is it to include clinical practice related to the health needs of the elderly in nursing curricula? (4) Do existing nursing curricula include adequate clinical practice related to the health needs of the elderly?.

An instrument was developed by the researcher and tested for reliability. Crombach's alpha analysis revealed acceptable reliability figures and no modifications were necessary in the questionnaire.

The entire population of National League for Nursing Accredited Programs in the 14 Southern states was surveyed. Seventy-three percent of the instruments were returned and data were analyzed using the 1980 Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Program X. Demographic data were analyzed and presented using frequencies and percentages. Mean responses were calculated and a one-way analysis of variance was computed to determine if significant differences existed in the faculty's responses among the three types of programs. When a significant difference at the .05 level was found, the Newman-Keuls was calculated to pinpoint which program differed significantly. A paired t test was calculated to answer the research questions and the .05 level of probability was used to determine significance.

Demographic data analysis revealed that the 210 completed and usable instruments were from 33 diploma, 98 associated degree, and 79 baccalaureate degree programs. The results of data analysis or the total faculty responses indicate the 25 health needs identified in this study are: (1) important to include in curriculum content; (2) not adequately included in curriculum content; (3) important to include in clinical practicums; and (4) not adequately included in clinical practicums.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-12, Section: B, page: 4181.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI, 1985.

School code: 0131.