THE ROLE OF THE NURSE AS HEALTH EDUCATOR IN SELECTED PENNSYLVANIA HOSPITALS.
Contributors: Temple University.
Published: 1988
Number of pages: 128
Subjects: Education, Health.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: In an effort to determine the role of registered nurses in health education, 458 nurses in three acute care hospitals in Pennsylvania were surveyed by questionnaire. Five areas of nursing practice were represented, namely, medical-surgical, pediatric, obstetrical, critical care, and emergency room nursing. Following collection of the questionnaires and analysis of data, interviews were conducted with nurses in each of the areas of practice to determine specific differences in teaching roles. These interviews were reported in anecdotal form.

The mean percentage of time devoted to teaching ranged from 27.9% for critical care nurses to 52.6% for obstetrical nurses. A total of 282 nurses reported the use of an informal as compared with 57 who used a formal approach in presenting health teaching to clients. Also, only 13 of 345 nurses reported the use of an educational model when teaching. Cross tabulation appeared to indicate an association between nurses' attitudes regarding health teaching and the frequency with which nurses perform teaching activities. In determining the initiative of the teaching role based on level of education, an ANOVA between the percentage of time nurses from each of three levels of education, diploma, associate, and baccalaureate did not indicate any significant differences. A cross tabulation between perceived administrative support and its effects on nurses' attitudes regarding health teaching appeared to indicate no association between these variables. In comparing nurses in the five areas of nursing practice and the percentage of time they engaged in health teaching, an ANOVA followed by a Scheffe post hoc test indicated that emergency room nurses taught more than critical care nurses while obstetrical nurses taught more than both medical-surgical and critical care nurses.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-05, Section: A, page: 1069.

Thesis (ED.D.)--TEMPLE UNIVERSITY, 1988.

School code: 0225.