RELATIONSHIP OF NURSING STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF COLLEGE ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE AND THEIR ACHIEVEMENT ON THE LICENSING EXAMINATION FOR REGISTERED NURSES (LEARNING ENVIRONMENT).
Contributors: West Virginia University.
Published: 1985
Number of pages: 112
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate nursing students' perceptions of college climate in relation to their performance on the state board examination for licensure as a registered professional nurse. The study sample was composed of nurses who completed the associate in nursing degree as the Class of 1985 in eleven West Virginia colleges and universities and who took the state board examination in West Virginia in July 1985.

Two instruments were used to collect the data for this study: the Organizational Climate Index (OCI) and the National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). The OCI was administered to volunteers in the final semester of their respective nursing programs, approximately one month prior to graduation. An overall 65 percent response rate was attained. The sample was composed of 330 associate degree graduates who had completed the OCI and for whom NCLEX-RN scores were available.

Eight null hypotheses were used to test the relationship of NCLEX-RN scores to eight environmental dimension factors as measured by the OCI. Two hypotheses were rejected. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed impulse control and control press environmental factors were significant at the >.05 probability level. Those environmental factors not significantly related to NCLEX-RN scores included: achievement standards, intellectual climate, practicalness, supportiveness, orderliness, and development press.

The central thesis of this study was that a significant relationship existed between perceived college climate and achievement. The statistical analysis did reveal that such a relationship existed in two climate areas, impulse control and control press. While the results indicated college climates which nursing students perceived as being constraining and restrictive or orderly and restrictive of personal expression demonstrated a significant positive correlation with NCLEX-RN scores, it only accounted for 2 percent of the variance in NCLEX-RN scores. This study suggests that a constraining, restrictive and orderly environment may be conducive to achievement on NCLEX-RN; however, certain non-environmental factors may be found to be more predictive of level of performance on the NCLEX-RN. Implications for future studies are suggested on the basis of the findings.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-03, Section: B, page: 0993.

Thesis (ED.D.)--WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY, 1985.

School code: 0256.