PERCEIVED STRESS AND HARDINESS IN FEMALE DEANS OF SCHOOLS OF NURSING.
Contributors: University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Published: 1994
Number of pages: 98
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Psychology, Personality.; Education, Administration.
Description: The study addressed the personality characteristic hardiness and perceived stress in female deans of schools of nursing (SON). The conceptual framework incorporated the variables, perceived stress and hardiness. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used, including t-tests, chi square, and correlations. The research questions were: "What is the demographic profile of deans of baccalaureate and higher degree schools responding to this study?", "What are the perceived stress and hardiness levels of female SON deans?", "Is there a relationship between perceived stress and hardiness in female SON deans?", "Is there a relationship between demographic variables and the female SON deans' length of stay?", "Is there a relationship between hardiness and the female SON deans' length of stay?", and "Is there a relationship between perceived stress and the female SON deans' length of stay?".

The population included 574 deans from NLN-accredited SONs offering a baccalaureate degree or higher in the United States, Virgin Islands, or Puerto Rico. A Dean's Demographic Survey, the Administrative Stress Index, and the Personal Values Survey were sent to each dean. Male deans were instructed to return the packet unanswered. A total of 336 female deans were the sample for this study.

Strong relationships between perceived stress levels and job satisfaction with the hardiness subcomponents, commitment, control, and challenge were identified. Significant relationships were identified with the hardiness scale and its subcomponents with perceived coping levels and the number of nursing faculty. The number of years in the deanship position significantly correlated with perceived stress levels and with perceived coping levels. The age of the dean, the number of years as a dean, and educational level showed no correlation to hardiness or the subcontinents of hardiness. Age showed a significant relationship with perceived stress and coping levels.

Recommendations include further research involving interviews with female SON deans to allow the dean to identify decanal stressors. Another recommendation is to implement a longitudinal study to identify decanal coping skills and to conduct a similar study such as this for deanships of other professional schools. Lastly, to offer hardiness concepts into a curriculum and then study the graduates to identify if teaching hardiness will strengthen hardiness in the person.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 55-05, Section: B, page: 1810.

Thesis (D.S.N.)--UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM, 1994.

School code: 0005.