FIRST-LINE NURSE MANAGERS' PERCEPTIONS OF THE ADEQUACY OF THEIR EDUCATIONAL PREPARATION FOR THEIR POSITION.
Contributors: University of Pittsburgh.
Published: 1990
Number of pages: 152
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Health Care Management.
Description: This descriptive study examines the perceptions of first-line nurse managers (head nurses) with regard to the adequacy of their educational preparation for their position.

A researcher-modified questionnaire which lists 55 expected management activities was administered to 188 first-line nurse managers working in several adult, acute care hospitals. The management activities served as the basis for examining adequacy of educational preparation. Data were analyzed regarding the ten research questions using mean, standard deviation, rank, and one way analysis of variance.

The findings of the study indicate that 72% or more of the respondents were expected to perform all but one of the listed 55 management activities. However, respondents report being educationally prepared in management content for only half of the management activities they were expected to perform. Respondents report various levels of nursing education (3.7% associate degree, 39.4% diploma, 40.4% Bachelor of Science, and 16.5% Master of Science). They also report that they are expected to perform the same management activities regardless of their level of nursing education. Respondents perceive no relationship between nursing educational levels and the adequacy of their overall educational preparation in management content. In spite of these finding, the respondents indicate their belief that schools of nursing should be the institutions primarily responsible for the management content in the education of nurse managers. In addition, two-thirds of the respondents indicate that the bachelor's degree should be the minimum educational requirement for the position of all first-line nurse managers.

Recommendations are made regarding the need to assess minimal educational credentials of nurse managers, on-going assessment of the work and education of nurse managers, integration of concepts and theories from nursing and management, collaboration between nursing educators and administrator to strengthen graduate nursing programs, evaluation of hospital sponsored management programs, and methods to identify and educate potential first-line nurse managers.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-02, Section: B, page: 0750.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH, 1990.

School code: 0178.