INFLUENTIAL FACTORS RELATED TO DIFFERENCES BETWEEN REQUIREMENTS FOR PSYCHIATRIC AND GERONTOLOGICAL PREPARATION IN BASIC NURSING EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN THE UNITED STATES: A HISTORICAL STUDY.
Contributors: University of Rochester.
Published: 1985
Number of pages: 145
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Education, Health.
Description: This study was designed to identify those factors which have influenced the development of the requirement for psychiatric nursing as a standard area for inclusion in licensure examinations and to compare that development with that of gerontological nursing which is not yet a generally required component in licensure or accreditation.

There have been many similarities in the development of psychiatric and gerontological nursing. Both are now identifiable specialties within nursing. Each has a practice division as part of the American Nurses' Association. Each has published Standards for Nursing Practice. Each has a national certification process for recognition of excellence in theory and practice. In terms of licensure requirements, mandated curricular offerings, and accreditation practices, however, psychiatric nursing enjoys a "required" status while gerontological nursing is largely an elective field.

An oral history approach was used for this study. Data were collected from a review of the nursing literature and were validated by oral histories gathered from a sample of fourteen nursing leaders. Seven of these individuals were leaders in psychiatric nursing and seven were leaders in gerontological nursing. The oral histories were dictaphone-recorded from the telephone; the resultant transcripts were reviewed and edited by the subjects to ensure accuracy and completeness.

The results of the study indicated that professional nursing leadership, the National Mental Health Act of 1946, the National Mental Health Institute of 1949, the Community Mental Health Centers Act of 1963, and federal funding were influential in facilitating the development of psychiatric nursing as a required element in education and licensure.

Negative public attitudes toward the aged and aging, negative attitudes of nurses, lack of nursing faculty interest, lack of nursing student interest, and lack of strong nursing leadership were influential in inhibiting the development of gerontological nursing as a requirement for the basic nursing curriculum and licensure.

In achieving its current status, psychiatric nursing did have to overcome barriers. Gerontological nursing, too, faces a variety of obstacles, which, to date, have not been overcome to the extent that this nursing specialty is usually required by either regulatory or accrediting agencies for basic nursing programs or licensure.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-11, Section: B, page: 3779.

Thesis (ED.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER, 1985.

School code: 0188.