A COMPARISON OF LPN AND NON-LPN ENTRANTS TO ASSOCIATE DEGREE NURSING: DIFFERENCES IN SOCIALIZATION AND CONTINUED EDUCATION.
Contributors: State University of New York at Albany.
Published: 1993
Number of pages: 112
Subjects: Education, Higher.; Education, Community College.; Education, Adult and Continuing.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: This study examined the effect of prior work experience on socialization and continued education of graduates of an associate degree nursing (ADN) program. Prior work experience was determined by whether the entrant had been licensed and had worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) prior to beginning study to become a registered nurse. The study was a secondary analysis of survey data collected in 1989. The original research was designed as a cross-sectional, stratified random sampling of associate degree graduates of Regents College between 1976-1988. Three subsamples of 100 each were randomly selected from the primary survey respondents (N = 1410). The Non-LPN RN subsample was selected from those who answered "No" to prior licensure and work experience as an LPN (N = 166). From the remaining LPN RN graduate respondents (N = 1244) two random samples (N = 100 each) were independently drawn. The purpose of the second sample was to validate the findings. The American Nurses Association (ANA) Standards of Professional Performance (1991) and the ANA Code for Nurses (1985) guided the selection of dependent variables. Using these standards, socialization was conceived of as "Participation in Socialization Activities" and "Professional Performance." Continued Education was conceived of as "Pursuit of Academic Degree(s)" and "Pursuit of Professional Certification.".

Results of this study indicated that ADN graduates who differed on prior work experience, as defined as LPN experience: (1) did not differ on involvement in socialization activities; (2) did not differ on professional performance; (3) did not differ on pursuit of professional certification; (4) did differ on pursuit of academic degrees. The Non-LPN RN entrants pursued academic degrees more frequently than the LPN RN group.

Recommendations for associate degree nursing education include: (1) applicants whose prior work experience in health care is other than as a licensed practical nurse should be considered for admission, (2) follow-up studies of career pathway choices of ADN graduates should be conducted, (3) follow-up studies of ADN graduates' attitudes toward continued education should be included in future studies; (4) further studies of adult entrant retention are necessary for the development of enrollment management strategies.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-04, Section: A, page: 1253.

Thesis (ED.D.)--STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT ALBANY, 1993.

School code: 0668.