A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF DIFFERENCES IN CARING ABILITY AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT IN ASSOCIATE DEGREE NURSING AND DENTAL HYGIENE STUDENTS.
Contributors: Columbia University. Teachers College.
Published: 1996
Number of pages: 168
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Education.
Description: The purpose of this cross-sectional, quantitative research was to evaluate if differences exist in level of caring ability and the role of social support in associate degree students in nursing and dental hygiene at preestablished points in time during their educational process. A gap in the nursing literature related to level of caring ability in the associate degree nursing student supported the need for this study. Three hypotheses guided this research: (1) the amount of time spent in associate degree programs by students in nursing and dental hygiene will have no effect on level of caring ability; (2) students of nursing will demonstrate greater levels of caring ability than students of dental hygiene as measured by the Caring Ability Inventory (CAI) (Nkongho, 1990); and (3) students with higher levels of social support as measured by the Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviors (ISSB) (Barrera, Sandler, & Ramsey, 1981) will demonstrate greater levels of caring ability than students with lower levels of social support. Conceptual framework for the investigation included elements of: (a) the theory of person-centered learning (Rogers, 1961, 1969, 1980), (b) nursing as the philosophy and science of caring (Watson, 1985, 1988), and (c) social support as defined by psychology and nursing.

Results indicated that for this population: (1) time spent by associate degree students in nursing or dental hygiene programs had no effect on level of caring ability, (2) nursing students demonstrated greater levels of caring ability than students of dental hygiene as measured by the Caring Ability Inventory, and (3) students with higher levels of social support as measured by the Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviors, demonstrated greater levels of caring ability than students with lower levels of social support. The groups differed on the demographic variables of: (a) gender, (b) family members in the helping profession, (c) interval between graduation from high school and entry into the nursing or dental hygiene program, (d) job while attending school, and (e) marital status. Educational implications for study included: a collaborative effort between participating faculties to share information and ideas on developing and maintaining caring ability in their students.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 57-07, Section: B, page: 4292.

Thesis (ED.D.)--COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY TEACHERS COLLEGE, 1996.

School code: 0055.