INNOVATIVENESS AND INDIANA NURSES (SOCIO ECONOMIC STATUS).
Contributors: Indiana University.
Published: 1984
Number of pages: 159
Subjects: Education, Adult and Continuing.
Description: This study focuses on one type of dissemination research, that of innovativeness. It examines the characteristics, both socio-economic and environmental, which are indicative of highly innovative nurses. By examining a single, well defined and sex segregated, occupational population, the study explores the association of educational, marital, age and income-related variables to levels of innovativeness evidenced by a two part innovativeness index. Additionally, the study investigates the environmental variables which might influence the innovativeness of a nurse-respondent. Specifically, the study selects employment status, hours of work per week, technological sophistication of the workplace, number of patients and number of co-workers as significant determinants of environmental conduciveness of innovativeness.

Data were examined by a cross-tabs computation, multiple classification analysis and discriminant analysis. These multiple analysis of the data permitted the researcher to manipulate the data into a variety of configurations and examine them from a number of aspects.

Findings reveal that innovative nurses received their first nursing education predominantly from Baccalaureate Degree programs. Additional nursing degrees enhanced innovativeness scores. Single nurses, and nurses in their thirties were more innovative than their counterparts and while innovators spanned all income levels, they never reached the higher levels of socioeconomic status as measured by Hollingshead's Two Factor Index.

Work environment did appear to be related to the level of innovativeness the nurses possessed. Technological sophistication proved relatively unimportant. Innovators tended to work full time and frequently (41.7%) more than forty hours per week. A supervisory role and a work group of sufficient size so as to stimulate and challenge it proved, can enhance innovativeness.

Implications for future research were evident as soon as this study was completed. Longitudinal follow-up study as well as a more qualitative investigation of the quantitative data would provide additional insight. Innovative nurses are identifiable in the population. The questions that remain to be answered focus on the "how-to's" of finding and cultivating that innovative spirit in nursing.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-01, Section: A, page: 0047.

Thesis (PH.D.)--INDIANA UNIVERSITY, 1984.

School code: 0093.