FACTORS RELATED TO REGISTERED NURSES' ATTITUDES TOWARD THEIR BASIC NURSING EDUCATION.
Contributors: University of Idaho.
Published: 1986
Number of pages: 162
Subjects: Education, General.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: This investigation explored nurses' attitudes toward their basic nursing program. To identify and describe these attitudes, 500 nurses were surveyed by a questionnaire examining a number of parameters of the nursing experience and the expressed attitude of the individual toward the basic nursing education preparation.

A three-part questionnaire included (1) current work information; (2) basic nursing program information including school name and location, type of nursing program, year graduated, age at graduation, years of nursing practice, grade point average, and reasons for becoming a nurse; and (3) attitude questions regarding: (a) the quality of instruction in nursing course work; (b) ratings of the program, faculty, and students; (c) ratings of opinions regarding instructors' characteristics, the program and personal views, and (d) ratings on the semantic differential scale.

Although Spearman rho correlations and Kruskal-Wallis rankings of the data (N = 381) were not high, the overall findings suggested that individuals who reported a more positive attitude toward their basic program: (1) had a higher reported grade point average, (2) agreed with the statement that "nursing school reflects what the 'real' world of nursing is", (3) perceived fewer interpersonal conflicts during the basic program, (4) were graduates of a diploma nursing program, (5) graduated before 1970, and (6) had worked as volunteers prior to entering the nursing program.

Responses to open-ended questions requesting both positive and negative aspects of the nursing program fell under four major categories: (1) clinical experiences, (2) the overall program, (3) faculty, staff and administration, and (4) personal gains or negative effects of the program. The need for more and better clinical experience had the greatest frequencies among both the negative and positive aspects.

Results for the open-ended question on what the respondent would do if Dean of a nursing program yielded similar results. Over 200 individuals wanted to increase the amount of clinical experience students receive. Other areas frequently mentioned were: (1) obtain better qualified instructors, (2) teach attitudes, morals, work ethics and other industrial relations topics and (3) teach to the "real" world of nursing. Overall, many individuals expressed concern (a) over the lack of progress that nursing is making as a profession and (b) the increasing number of new graduates who are not prepared to practice nursing on completion of nursing school.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-07, Section: A, page: 2378.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO, 1986.

School code: 0089.