TOLERANCE OF AMBIGUITY AND PERSONALITY TRAITS IN REGISTERED NURSES ACROSS SPECIALTY PRACTICE.
Contributors: Columbia University. Teachers College.
Published: 1994
Number of pages: 214
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Psychology, Personality.
Description: The purpose of this study was to describe relationships among personality traits and tolerance/intolerance of ambiguity in equal numbers of registered nurses from intensive care, medical, surgical, and psychiatric clinical practice settings (N = 208). Instruments included the NEO-Five Factor Personality Inventory (NEO-FFI) (McCrae & Costa, 1992), the Measurement of Ambiguity Tolerance Scale (Norton, 1975) and an investigator designed demographic data sheet.

Statistical analyses of demographic variables indicated that nurses in different specialty groups differed with respect to religion, regular work shift, age, and experience (years as registered nurse, years at hospital, and position on clinical ladder). Mean scores of specialty groups on the NEO-FFI did not differ significantly from normative means of women in general. Mean scores for sample registered nurses indicated they were somewhat less tolerant of ambiguity when compared to a theoretical mean.

Separate analysis of personality domains indicated that tolerance of ambiguity was significantly inversely correlated with Openness $(p<.005)$ and significantly positively correlated with Neuroticism $(p<.05).$.

Nursing care specialty did not affect relationships between tolerance of ambiguity and personality domain scores. Analyses revealed that nurses differ in personality traits from specialty to specialty, but the only significant difference was between psychiatric nurses and surgical nurses in Openness $(p<.01).$ Psychiatric nurses differed significantly in that they were more tolerant of ambiguity than either medical or surgical nurses $(p<.05).$ For psychiatric nurses, Openness was significantly inversely correlated with tolerance of ambiguity $(p<.005).$.

Demographic variables of significance when examined with personality domain scores were religion, age, hours worked, and experience. Only years on unit was found to be related to Tolerance of ambiguity. Combined examination of study variables indicated that Openness, Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, being a fulltime worker, and years on the unit, accounted for 31.5% of the variance in Tolerance of Ambiguity.

Recommendations for further research include replication studies with larger samples, inclusion of other specialty practice settings, and longitudinal studies to examine possible individual-environment interactions.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 55-09, Section: B, page: 3824.

Thesis (ED.D.)--COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY TEACHERS COLLEGE, 1994.

School code: 0055.