ALIENATION AND RESILIENCE AMONG ASSOCIATE DEGREE NURSING STUDENTS (STRESS, FLEXIBILITY, ANXIETY).
Contributors: University of Missouri--Columbia.
Published: 1986
Number of pages: 123
Subjects: Education, Health.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: Purpose. The purpose of this study was to assess changes in alienation and resilience among students enrolled in each of four semesters of associate degree nursing education and determine if changes were related to selected demographic factors. Alienation was measured using the Health Agency Alienation Scale (Meagher, 1982). Hunter's (1983) Resilience Inventory (RI) was used to measure resilience.

Procedure. The research sample consisted of 203 students enrolled in each of four semesters of associate degree nursing education in three public higher education institutions in the state of Missouri. Under the supervision of the researcher, participants completed the research instruments at their respective institutions.

Data were analyzed using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS), a computerized statistical program. Analysis of variance with the least significant difference test, Pearson Correlations, and step-wise multiple regression were employed in statistical analysis. Three of 14 hypotheses were rejected.

Findings. (1) Significant change in alienation occurred between the third and fourth semesters. (2) With regard to the internal interaction areas, significant changes in alienation occurred between the second and third semesters and between the third and fourth semesters. (3) Alienation was not related to age, GPA, or family income. (4) Resilience was related to GPA and emerged as the only predictor variable for academic achievement.

Although no relationship was hypothesized between eustress and alienation, strong negative correlations were identified between eustress and each measure of alienation.

Conclusions. Some factor or factors which intervene during the fourth semester of associate degree nursing education have a significant impact on the student's level of alienation. (2) Students are more likely to experience changes in the level of alienation with regard to faculty and curriculum rather than clinical agencies. (3) In addition to being related to GPA, resilience was the single predictor variable for academic achievement.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-09, Section: A, page: 3321.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI - COLUMBIA, 1986.

School code: 0133.