THE PERCEPTIONS OF REGISTERED NURSES AND KEY ADMINISTRATORS REGARDING SUPPORT FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A BACCALAUREATE DEGREE PROGRAM IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO.
Contributors: Wayne State University.
Published: 1995
Number of pages: 151
Subjects: Education, Higher.; Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Education.
Description: Nursing, increased requirements for professionalism, and need for advanced education challenges nursing education in Trinidad and Tobago. Nurses in the Twin Island Republic are similar to nurses in other developing and developed countries who seek to expand their theoretical knowledge in nursing that can be transferred to their practice, thus providing improved health outcomes to their patients.

The study compared perceptions of registered nurses and key administrators employed in the public and private sector on Trinidad and Tobago, regarding support for development of a baccalaureate (BSN) degree in nursing. Registered nurses (N = 328) and key administrators (N = 17) participated in the study. The nurses and key administrators completed separate demographic surveys that provided data on their personal and professional characteristics.

The nurses in the study had completed either a diploma in nursing or an associate's degree, with the key administrators representing several administrative areas with the exception of the Ministry of Finance which declined to participate in the study.

The major findings of the study were that key administrators' perceptions of BSN programs were negative, and they were not willing to provide resources to registered nurses to obtain these degrees. Findings regarding the nurses indicated no significant differences among the nurses in their perceptions of administrative support for nursing education, need for BSN programs, administrators perceptions of nurses and level of care provided based on whether they were working in the public or private sector, or assigned in the city or the country. The nurses in the study differed by age and length of experience, with younger, less experienced nurses having more positive perceptions regarding the need for BSN training in their professions.

The conclusions from the findings indicated that a BSN program should be available to interested nurses and the key administrators should reconsider their allocation of resources to support this type of program if they were to meet the goals for the Twin Island Republic in meeting the health care needs of their citizens in the 21 st Century.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 57-01, Section: A, page: 0124.

Thesis (PH.D.)--WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY, 1995.

School code: 0254.