ROLE CONCEPTS AND ROLE DISCREPANCIES OF SENIOR BACCALAUREATE NURSING STUDENTS FOLLOWING SELECTED SUMMER WORK EXPERIENCES.
Contributors: Columbia University. Teachers College.
Published: 1988
Number of pages: 148
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: Role conceptions and role discrepancies were the focus of work by Corwin and Kramer. Kramer and others identified a phenomenon in newly graduated baccalaureate nurses, called reality shock, which described significant changes in role concept and role discrepancy scores in the months following graduation, which were found to be predictors of flight from hospital nursing. The purposes of this study were to determine if, as a result of selected summer work experiences, baccalaureate nursing students experienced significant changes (a) within each category of summer work experience, and (b) across categories, in relation to role conception and role discrepancy scores.

Nonprobability convenience sampling was used to obtain a sample of 96 female generic baccalaureate nursing students. A nonequivalent comparison group pretest-posttest design was utilized. Four categories were studied; Group 1 students did not work, Group 2 students worked outside the health care system, Group 3 students worked as nursing assistants, and those in Group 4 worked in elective, credit-bearing summer internship programs.

A demographic data sheet and the Pieta About Nursing questionnaire were utilized to collect data.

Within group data analysis indicated no significant changes for those in Group 2, while Group 1 showed significant increase in ideal bureaucratic role conception (IBRC) scores, Group 3 a significant decline in ideal service role conception (ISRC), and Group 4 a significant decline in IBRC.

Differences across groups, determined via ANCOVA and Scheffe tests, indicated Group 4's IBRC was significantly less than that of either Group 1 or Group 3.

No significant differences were found within or across groups for total role discrepancy scores, implying minimal signs of reality shock as a result of summer work experiences. However, pretest and posttest service and professional role discrepancy scores remained significant in each group, despite summer work experience. Further investigation is warranted to determine when these scores became significant, how these scores change as students progess towards employed status as graduate nurses, and if these scores are indicative of the reality shock phenomenon Kramer identified.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-09, Section: B, page: 3676.

Thesis (ED.D.)--COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY TEACHERS COLLEGE, 1988.

School code: 0055.