INFERENTIAL SET ADOPTION BY NURSING STUDENTS (PERSON PERCEPTION).
Contributors: University of North Texas.
Published: 1986
Number of pages: 73
Subjects: Education, Adult and Continuing.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: This study examines nursing students' adoption of inferential sets in a clinical situation. The investigation determines (1) the particular inferential set(s) nursing students adopt toward a patient in a clinical situation; (2) the particular inferential set(s) adopted by sophomore and senior nursing students in a clinical situation; and (3) whether or not inferential sets adopted by the sophomore and senior nursing students differ. Sophomore and senior nursing students at a woman's university in Texas were asked to complete a research tool designed to determine inferential set adoption.

Statistical findings generated by this study are as follows. A Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine whether senior and sophomore nursing students significantly differed in their adoption of an inferential set. It was determined that the two levels of nursing students do not significantly differ in the adoption of an inferential set.

The Kolmogorov-Smirnov Goodness of Fit test was used to determine whether senior and sophomore nursing students as a class had an equal preference for each of the three inferential sets. It was found that the two levels of nursing students predominantly adopted the causal-genetic set.

Additional findings using a Cochran's C test for homogeneity of variance suggested that sophomore nursing students are more heterogeneous in their scoring in the causal-genetic and situation-matching sets than are the seniors.

A Pearson's r was calculated to determine if a relationship existed between age and score for each inferential set. No significant relationship was found.

Based on the findings, it is concluded that the nursing profession attracts individuals who have a causal-genetic inferential set characteristic. The purpose of a nursing education program is to mold these causal-genetic individuals into a more refined causal-genetic individual who fits the ideals and values of the nursing profession.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-08, Section: A, page: 2849.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS, 1986.

School code: 0158.