SEX-ROLE CLASSIFICATION AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO SCORES ON THE TEXAS STATE BOARD TEST POOL EXAMINATION FOR REGISTERED NURSES (ANDROGYNY).
Contributors: University of Houston.
Published: 1985
Number of pages: 132
Subjects: Education, Health.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: This investigation was conceptualized to determine if success on the nurses state board exam (SBE) would be correlated to new nursing graduates' sex-role identities and if sex-role identity could be used as a predictor for one's level of success on the SBE. Based on the literature review, it was hypothesized that more effective behaviors would be associated with the androgynous sex-role orientation, and thus they would demonstrate greater success on the SBE.

One hypothesis and two research questions were tested. The hypothesis was: There will be a positive relationship between nurses' sex-role identity as measured by the Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ) and their professional success as measured by the State Board Examination (SBE).

The two research questions were: (1) What is the relationship between the demographic variables of sex, age, marital status, religious preference, ethnic background, program preparation, and state board examination scores? (2) What is the relationship between the demographic variables of sex, age, marital status, religious preference, ethnic background, program preparation, and sex-role identity?.

To obtain the necessary data, 314 new nursing graduates were randomly selected from all candidates who were sitting for the first time for the July, 1984, SBE for the state of Texas. These nurses were mailed a questionnaire package and 190 responded. The questionnaire package consisted of an instrument for determining sex-role orientation (Personal Attributes Questionnaire) and a demographic data sheet which also asked for a self-reported SBE score. Multiple regression was applied to these data to determine the nature of the differences. From the analysis, the hypothesis was rejected and no relationships were found between the demographic variables, SBE and sex-role identity. Since subjects classified as androgynous failed to achieve significantly better scores on the SBE, it was concluded that androgyny was not associated with measures of more effective behavior in this sample. Nor can sex-role identity be used as a predictive tool for success on the SBE.

This nursing sample was significantly different from that of college students and student nurses of a decade ago; this sample was 10% more androgynous and 16% less undifferentiated than the past samples. The evidence suggests that the stereotype of nursing may be changing in that the subjects did not assume the feminine sex-role stereotype. Seven recommendations were made for further study.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-02, Section: A, page: 0427.

Thesis (ED.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, 1985.

School code: 0087.