THE RELATIONSHIP OF EGO DEVELOPMENT AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION TO THE VALUING OF NURSING ACTIVITIES (SOCIAL STRUCTURE, PERSONALITY).
Contributors: Adelphi University.
Published: 1986
Number of pages: 284
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Psychology, Developmental.; Women's Studies.
Description: This study explored the relationship of professional education and level of ego development to the valuing of nursing activities in 133 female subjects enrolled in one of five levels of education within a single institution. These levels ranged from the sophomore year of the generic baccalaureate program to the doctoral program. Level of ego development was measured by the Total Protocol Rating on the Washington University Sentence Completion Test.

The Nursing Activities Q-sort was developed to measure valuing of selected nursing activities. The categories incorporated into the Q-sort were Nurse Dominant (activities performed for the client), Client Dominant (activities to promote client independence) and Profession Dominant (activities extending beyond direct client care). A pilot study with 70 ADN students yielded an overall median reliability coefficient of .8053; and category reliability coefficients of .8802, .7007 and .9200. Evidence of construct validity was provided by ANOVA techniques and by factor analysis.

Two by five analyses of covariance were performed for each category score, using ego and education as independent variables, and age as the covariate. Mean contrasts were used to test for statistical significance of specific comparisons related to educational levels. While differences associated with ego level were in the hypothesized directions, only the difference in the Nurse Dominant category score was statistically significant (p < .05). Education was a statistically significant main effect in the ANCOVA of each of the category scores. Of the 27 hypothesized contrasts, 25 were in the direction hypothesized; 14 were statistically significant. Age was significantly related to the Nurse and Profession Dominant category scores, and to each of the independent variables.

It was concluded that individual and professional maturation, as defined by ego and educational levels, are associated with increased valuing of client autonomy and broad professional concerns, and with decreased valuing of activities in which the nurse directly controls the client. It was also demonstrated that the Nursing Activities Q-sort represents a theoretically and empirically sound tool which has a wide range of potential applications.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-04, Section: B, page: 1488.

Thesis (PH.D.)--ADELPHI UNIVERSITY, 1986.

School code: 0001.