ROLE CONFLICT AND ROLE AMBIGUITY AMONG ACUTE CARE HOSPITAL HEAD NURSES.
Contributors: University of California, San Francisco.
Published: 1985
Number of pages: 222
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purpose of this study was twofold: to explore factors suggested by role theory which may be associated with role conflict and role ambiguity in acute care hospital head nurses, and to describe head nurses' perceptions of their current role problems. Six hospitals in California representing community, county, private, district, religious affiliated, and teaching facilities were utilized. The sample included responses of 72 head nurses from all clinical areas in the six hospitals.

The design was exploratory and descriptive, producing both quantitative and qualitative data. Head nurses in this sample reported significantly higher levels of role conflict than role ambiguity. Quantitative findings revealed no significant correlations between the number of groups in the head nurse role set, number of power dependent positions, diversity of role set, and role conflict or ambiguity. However, there were slightly positive correlations (p = .08) between span of control and role conflict; moderately positive correlations between education outside of nursing and role conflict (p = .05) and role ambiguity (p = .08); and a strong negative correlation between tenure as a head nurse and role conflict (p = .003). Qualitative data supported and elaborated these findings. Six categories emerged as role concerns of the head nurses: (a) administrative/clinical role conflict which was a uniformly intense experience for all head nurses interviewed, (b) management role philosophy demonstrating two types of managerial attitudes towards staff, a maternalistic and a developmental style, (c) role ambiguity associated primarily with the head nurses relationship with her boss, (d) work conditions which reflect typical concerns and problems of middle managers, (e) interpersonal relationships concerning primarily physicians and staff nurses, and (f) intrapersonal expectations which were related to problems of unrealistic self-expectations and low self-esteem. Limitations of the study are presented, and implications for practice, education and research are discussed.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-08, Section: B, page: 2619.

Thesis (D.N.S.)--UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, 1985.

School code: 0034.