LPN PREFERENCE FOR BSN OR ADN AND CRITERIA UTILIZED BY FACULTY AS PREDICTORS OF SUCCESS (NURSING EDUCATION).
Contributors: Kansas State University.
Published: 1992
Number of pages: 125
Subjects: Education, Health.; Health Sciences, Education.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: As the nursing shortage, especially those nurses prepared at the BSN level, was predicted to continue well into the 21st century, LPNs became a targeted group for recruitment into specially designed LPN-BSN programs. With researched information on LPNs insufficient, the purpose of this study was to determine: the number of practical nursing students interested in pursuing an advanced nursing degree; the obstacles to attainment; the criteria practical nursing educators would utilize in determining a student's ability to matriculate into either a BSN or ADN program; and the obstacles educators would identify as possibly impeding the student.

Survey questionnaires were mailed to 358 practical nursing students enrolled in area vocational technical schools in Kansas, and 51 nursing educators employed in those schools. Ninety-three percent of the students responded and 73% of the nursing educators.

The majority of the students were white, married, female, 24-35 years of age, high school graduates, and lived in communities with populations over 15,000. In addition, the majority of nurse educators were initially prepared at the diploma level, taught over ten years, female, and had masters degrees in areas other than nursing.

Seven null hypotheses were tested utilizing the Likelihood Ratio Chi Square. Three of the null hypotheses were supported and revealed that regardless of the type of degree chosen by the student the obstacles were the same; childcare, availability of classes, and time away from family. And the nurse educators did not distinguish between the two types of programs, ADN or BSN, when selecting criteria for progression.

The remaining four null hypotheses were rejected, and indicated practical nursing students selected the ADN almost two to one. The level of formal education acquired previously by the student related to the choice of advanced degree. And in addition, the nurse educators selected family and economic related obstacles as impeding the student. Lastly, analysis revealed that students and nurse educators selected obstacles to an advanced degree independently, as there was not a relationship between the two groups and their choice of obstacles.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-03, Section: A, page: 0726.

Thesis (PH.D.)--KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY, 1992.

School code: 0100.