FACTORS AFFECTING THE NURSES' PREFERENCE FOR CARING.
Contributors: Kansas State University.
Published: 1988
Number of pages: 108
Subjects: Education, Adult and Continuing.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: Four questions guided this study about the factors which influence the nurses preference for person-oriented caring. The first was to determine if the nurses preference for person-oriented caring changed over time. Second was to see if there were differences between nurse managers and bedside nurses preference for caring. Third was to determine if years of experience in nursing practice made a difference. The last was to evaluate the influence of age and postsecondary education on the nurses preference for caring.

A quasi-experimental repeated measures 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design, utilizing the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (EPPS) nurturance scale as the dependent variable, was implemented with a stratified random sample of 46 practicing nurses who graduated from five classes of a Midwestern diploma nursing school. The independent between-subjects factors were job (managers or bedside) and experience ($<$5 or $\geq$5 years). The repeated measures factor was the testing occasion (completion of nursing program and present). Age and postsecondary education were covariates. Subjects completed the EPPS and a demographic data page. Scores were assigned to cells resulting in 16 bedside nurses with $<$5 years experience, 8 managers with $<$5 years experience, 10 bedside nurses with $\geq$5 years experience and 12 managers with $\geq$5 years experience.

Four hypotheses were tested by analysis of the data with a 3-way repeated measures ANCOVA performed on the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS$\sp\□rm x)□$. Statistically, there were no significant changes in the nurses preference for caring from time of completion of the nursing program to the present, and no differences between nurse managers and bedside nurses or between those nurses with varying years of experience. Bedside nurses with $<$5 years experience had a mean of 19.0 and managers with $<$5 years experience had a mean of 15.6 on the present results of the EPPS nurturance scale. Age had no correlation with the nurturance score nor did education.

It was reassuring to learn that nurses have a preference for person-oriented caring. While significant effects were not found in this study, the topic is important enough that factors that influence the utilization of a person-oriented caring approach need to be studied.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-10, Section: A, page: 2893.

Thesis (PH.D.)--KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY, 1988.

School code: 0100.