FACTORS AFFECTING THE CONTINUATION RATE OF NURSE PRACTITIONER PROGRAMS ONCE FEDERAL FUNDING IS DISCONTINUED.
Contributors: University of Maryland, College Park.
Published: 1990
Number of pages: 207
Subjects: Education, Higher.; Health Sciences, Nursing.; Political Science, Public Administration.; Education, Finance.
Description: The purpose of this research was to examine the organizations that have received Nurse Practitioner Training Grant monies and their internal and external environments in an attempt to discover why certain institutions continue innovative programs and why others discontinue programs once federal seed money is terminated.

Using open systems theory and Levine's Compatibility/Profitability Theory on why innovative programs in education are continued, two phases of research were conducted across the 36 institutions that had previously received NPTG monies. Phase I consisted of in-depth interviews with project directors, deans, and faculty of the nurse practitioner programs at four institutions. Two of the institutions had continued and two had discontinued their nurse practitioner programs. In Phase II, a questionnaire was sent to the 32 remaining project directors. The questionnaire elicited information on factors internal and external to the institution that had influenced the decision to continue the program once federal monies were terminated. Contributions made to the institution by the programs were also rated.

Those factors which had the greatest influence on programs which had been discontinued were: lack of funding, change in the institution's priorities, and change in the school of nursing's priorities. The factors which had the greatest effect on the programs that had been continued were: the American Nurses' Association's decision to require a master's degree and a change in the school of nursing's priorities. Large contributions to the institutions were made in only two areas by those programs that had been discontinued: the health care services provided to the community and recognition for the program and institution within the state. Those programs that had been continued, however, made large contributions in six areas: the two listed above and national recognition, an enhanced image of nursing in the region, improved public relations within the community and direct influence on other aspects of the school.

Findings from this research supported Levine's Compatibility/Profitability Theory. Those innovative programs which are not incompatible with the norms and values of the institution and are profitable to the institution are more likely to be continued after federal seed monies are discontinued.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-02, Section: A, page: 0443.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE PARK, 1990.

School code: 0117.