EFFECT OF DIRECT PSYCHIATRIC EXPERIENCE ON NURSING STUDENTS' ATTITUDES TOWARD MENTAL ILLNESS.
Contributors: Rutgers University.
Published: 1990
Number of pages: 125
Subjects: Psychology, General.; Psychology, Clinical.; Psychology, Personality.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: Changes in nursing students' conceptions and attitudes towards mental illness and the mentally ill were investigated. The Opinions About Mental Illness Scale (O.M.I.; Cohen & Struening, 1962) and Dogmatism Scale (Rokeach, 1960) were administered to two student nurse groups before, immediately after, and several weeks after a psychiatric or medical-surgical rotation. A post-rotation questionnaire was administered to the psychiatric affiliation group immediately following their rotation. The medical-surgical (N = 36) and psychiatric (N = 25) nurses were matched for experience working with the mentally ill. No significant differences between groups were found on the attitudinal dimensions of the O.M.I. A significant difference was found between the groups on the Dogmatism Scale, with the medical surgical group appearing more dogmatic. Following the affiliation, both student nurse groups attitudes' about mental illness changed significantly in a favorable direction on the following dimensions of the O.M.I.: Authoritarianism, Mental Hygiene Ideology, and Social Restrictiveness. Both groups also became significantly less dogmatic. Both groups maintained positive attitudes toward the mentally ill for some time after their rotations. It appears that the medical-surgical group became sensitized to issues relating to illness and this sensitivity was generalized to mental illness as well. The results of a post-rotation questionnaire given to the psychiatric rotation students showed that the students themselves sensed their attitude changes and attributed these changes primarily to their field experiences. All of the students in the psychiatric rotation thought their attitudes had improved in a positive direction, especially in becoming less anxious and fearful concerning the mentally ill.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-04, Section: B, page: 2044.

Thesis (ED.D.)--RUTGERS THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY - NEW BRUNSWICK, 1990.

School code: 0190.