EXAMINATION OF THE FACTORS INFLUENCING THE DECLINING ENROLLMENT IN NURSING EDUCATION.
Contributors: University of California, Los Angeles.
Published: 1988
Number of pages: 237
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The most recent trend contributing to the nursing shortage--declining enrollment in nursing education--has been established, but the causes for this declining enrollment have not been documented by research. The focus of this research was the declining enrollment issue. The literature review focused on the dissatisfaction of nurses within the profession and discussed reasons these nurses are leaving their career. A questionnaire was developed to ascertain basic demographic data on students from three types of institutions as well as to determine their career choice, who was influential in their career choice, and their perceptions of various careers.

Nursing was not a popular career choice--only 2% of this sample chose nursing. Students in this sample were both altruistic and materialistic, and nursing may only be appealing to the altruistic side of individuals. Influence was a very important factor in the career choices students made. It was discovered that nursing is an absent or a negative reference group for young students. Also discovered in this research was that perceptions students have of nursing, when compared to other more popular career choices, were very low.

Student nurses were asked why they chose nursing, and the most important reasons given were: to have time to be with patients and to be able to become independent practitioners in an expanded role capacity.

In order to gain information not obtained from the questionnaires and for further clarification of the data obtained, interviews were conducted.

Recommendations to improve the image and status of nursing were made to leaders in nursing education as well as to hospital administrators.

Evaluation research was suggested to develop a model to promote the ideas suggested from this research to enhance the professional image of nursing.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-05, Section: B, page: 1621.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES, 1988.

School code: 0031.