EXPLORATION OF THE PERCEPTION OF MATERNAL INVOLVEMENT, CAREER COMMITMENT, SELF-CONCEPT AND LEVEL OF SELF-ACTUALIZATION OF CAREER WOMEN WHO ARE NURSES.
Contributors: Temple University.
Published: 1987
Number of pages: 146
Subjects: Education, Educational Psychology.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: This study was designed to explore the factors which impact upon women (nurses) as they balance parenting and careers. Factors of particular interest were the levels of self concept and self-actualization. Several authors contend that parenting and a career are mutually exclusive for women. The view of this study was that women are equally committed to both parenting and a career. Furthermore, since guilt is a natural part of a working woman's psychological make-up, these women would be overinvolved with their children to compensate for their abscence from home. In addition to self concept, this study examined 14 other variables to test their relationship to involvement with children and career commitment.

One hundred staff nurses responded to the initial information sheet by returning the postcards provided. Although 89 packets were returned (89%), only 68 (72%) were found suitable for this study. These 68 comprise the sample for the study.

Demographic data were collated by coding the variables identified and by constructing tables representing frequencies and percentages. Research questions were answered using Pearson's Product Moment correlational procedures and one-way analysis of variances as well as multiple regression analyses to determine differences between groups and the predictive properties of the variables.

The results of the study confirm that women (nurses) are equally committed to both parenting and a career as well as that almost 1/2 (47%) of them were overinvolved with their children.

An assumption of the study was that if women reported equal commitment to parenting and career and felt satisfied with their ability to cope with conflict, they would report a high self concept. This assumption was confirmed. Almost 2/3 of the women had moderate to high self concepts.

The study has identified a number of variables which predict career commitment. Included were satisfaction with coping strategies, the number of children, importance of work, family income self concept and self-actualization. For involvement with children, few variables were predictive of this quality in women.

It may be necessary to reassess administrative policies regarding nurses who are working mothers. These women view nursing as a career and as such may be a more permanent source of staffing than is currently expected.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-02, Section: A, page: 0351.

Thesis (PH.D.)--TEMPLE UNIVERSITY, 1987.

School code: 0225.