ACTION STRATEGIES AND OBSTACLES TO IMPROVING THE IMAGE OF NURSING AS IDENTIFIED BY NURSE EXECUTIVES (EXECUTIVE NURSES).
Contributors: University of Texas at Austin.
Published: 1991
Number of pages: 310
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Education.; Anthropology, Cultural.
Description: A three round Delphi survey was conducted with a national panel of top level nurse executives for the purpose of identifying prioritized action strategies and the obstacles to the implementation of action strategies to improve the image of nursing. Two hundred and fifty seven top level nurse executives chose to respond in the study with 231 (89.9%) completing Round II and 215 (93%) completing all three rounds.

The Image of Nursing Questionnaire asked three questions. From these data, 37 action strategies and 18 obstacles were identified. The panel rated the action strategies according to how much they had been implemented in their particular facility and how important they believed they were to improving the image of nursing in settings such as theirs. They rated the obstacles on how much of an obstacle the item was in implementing action strategies in settings such as theirs to improve the image of nursing. Means and standard deviations were calculated, and the items prioritized. Qualitative data concerning the strategies and obstacles were also collected in the three rounds and incorporated into the study.

The first ten ranked action strategies under the Implementation variable were: provide in-house education, implement tuition reimbursement, position nurses on key committees, implement paid continuing education leaves, decentralize decision-making, arrange flexible schedules, improve nursing's relationships, increase staffing alternatives, provide loans and scholarships for upward mobility, and establish ties with nursing education.

The first ten ranked action strategies under the Importance variable were: provide in-house education, restructure the role of the nurse, redefine the role of the nurse, decentralize decision-making, offer management training, improve nursing's relationships, position the top nurse executive on the board of directors, position nurses on key committees, implement tuition reimbursement, and establish ties with nursing education.

The first ten ranked Obstacles were: the nurses' "blue collar mentality" and inability to accept responsibility, resistance of the nurse to change, financial constraints, lack of self-image, preponderance of nurses who lack leadership and problem solving skills, resistance of non-nursing departments, time constraints, managers who do not foster autonomy, the nurses' lack of commitment to nursing, and resistance from the medical staff.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-04, Section: B, page: 1960.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, 1991.

School code: 0227.