SELECTED CORRELATES OF PERCEPTIONS OF GOAL ATTAINMENT OF THE REGISTERED NURSE.
Contributors: University of Connecticut.
Published: 1985
Number of pages: 170
Subjects: Education, Higher.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of goals and correlates of perceptions of goal attainment of registered nurses enrolled in baccalaureate generic programs.

This was a survey research project with an ex post facto design. The population was comprised of registered nurse students enrolled in National League of Nursing accredited programs at both public and private institutions in two New England states. The "Continuing Student Self-Report," a modification of "The Continuing Student Questionnaire," was used to collect the data.

The most important findings of the study involved changes in goals of students who were in transition to or in the upper division of their baccalaureate programs. Significant increases in goal scores were revealed for attending graduate school, increasing knowledge in general education studies, satisfying the A.N.A. entry into practice proposal and assuming new roles in health promotion. Also, increased interest in cultural and social events and the desire to meet new people were more pronounced as goals than when these students entered the program. These findings suggest rather profound effects of education and exposure on these students.

Multiple regression exercises were used to examine the efficacy of selected socio-demographic and education variables as predictors of perceptions of actual goal attainment. Variance accounted for did not exceed nine percent for any one variable. It was thus concluded that the findings could be reasonably regarded as universal across boundaries of demographic and education backgrounds.

Suggestions for further study include replication of the research with registered nurse students in generic and non-generic programs in all of the New England states as well as in other areas of the country. Likewise, further study of factors such as life change events as predictors of perceived goal attainment was recommended. Also recommended were studies of the impact on goals of experimental curricula and approaches to education and studies of goal impact of services provided by institutions for the adult learner, in this instance, the registered nurse.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-09, Section: A, page: 2587.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT, 1985.

School code: 0056.