RELATIONSHIP OF KNOWLEDGE OF NURSING CONTENT AND EXPERIENCE IN CLINICAL NURSING PRACTICE TO THE CLINICAL PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITY OF PROFESSIONAL NURSES.
Contributors: University of Texas at Austin.
Published: 1987
Number of pages: 251
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: This study concerned the relationships among knowledge of nursing content, experience in clinical nursing practice, and clinical problem solving ability of professional nurses. The dependent variable of clinical problem solving ability was measured using the nursing behaviors subscore of the Diagnostic Assessment Program for the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX-Dx). Prior to use in the study, a multitrait-multimethod matrix was employed to assess construct validity of the NCLEX-Dx for the construct of problem solving, since this instrument had not previously been used in research. The independent variable of knowledge of nursing content was measured using an investigator made multiple choice test. The independent variable of experience in clinical nursing practice was measured with a self report by the subjects regarding the number of years of clinical nursing practice the subject had within the past ten years. Nurses were classified as having high, medium or low knowledge of nursing content based on scores on the multiple choice knowledge test. They were classified as having high, medium or low experience in clinical practice based on the number of years of practice that was reported. The study used an ex post facto design in which all of the study variables were measured at the same point in time.

Ninety-five subjects participated in the study. Sixty-two subjects were nurses employed in hospitals. Thirty-three subjects were students about to complete programs to study leading to a baccalaureate or associate degree in nursing.

Analysis of variance of the data indicated that knowledge of nursing content does significantly influence clinical problem solving ability of professional nurses, but experience does not have a significant influence on problem solving ability.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-05, Section: B, page: 1302.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, 1987.

School code: 0227.