The purpose of this study was to examine some of the
interrelationships between innovation in nursing education,
professional attitudes and wastage from nursing. Five groups of
students who participated in innovative nurse education courses in
A.C.T. hospitals in the 1970's were surveyed by a self
administered questionnaire which gathered biographical data as
well as attitudinal information. Their responses were compared
with those of students who had undertaken a traditional nursing
course at an A.C.T. hospital in the same period.
The findings of this study suggested that the instrument used may
provide a better measure of satisfaction with nursing than of
professional attitudes. One of the unexpected findings from the
survey which suggested the need for further study was that many of
those who had undertaken further nursing study indicating apparent
commitment to continuing education in a chosen career would not
encourage others to enter nursing. Another was that those who
indicated greater career choice commitment may in fact be those
who felt unable to obtain alternative employment.
It was found that innovation in hospital based nurse education
courses attracted different people and produced graduates with
different attitudes to professional issues,who followed
different career pathways compared to graduates of traditional
nurse education courses. Innovative courses appear to have
attracted older and better qualified entrants and to have
increased the likelihood of graduates being promoted. Respondents
from the innovative courses showed increased interest in
continuing education and Professional Association activity than
their control group colleagues. They were more frustated with the
traditional role of the nurse as the selfless, dedicated worker
and were less commited to their career choice, overall these
findings perhaps indicated a level of dissatisfaction with nursing
higher in the innovative course graduates than in the control
group. These findings may support Brief's contention (1976) that
expectations raised during the educational process, if not
fulfilled, will lead to wastage.
wastage from nursing was intimately linked with dissatisfaction
with work conditions in nursing. Those who had permanently left
nursing had more frequently left for work related reasons and
undertaken non-nursing study than those who had left and returned
or who had never left. Those who left for work related reasons
were less likley to return and less likely to choose nursing again
if given the chance than those who left for other reasons.
Findings about the institutionalisation of innovation in nursing
education were difficult to identify with certainty, since time
lapse alone could explain many of the findings. Attitudes to the
Professional Association were more favourabe in respondents from
the later intakes into the innovative courses than from the
earlier. Given the recent increases in industrial activity in
nursing, this finding is consistent with time lapse. Later intakes
also demonstrated greater commitment to continuing education than
earlier. This too can probably be explained by the greater
availability of such facilities in more recent times.
In a period of shortages of nurses prepared to work in the health
care facilities of Australia, and of changes in the educational
preparation of nurses, the findings of this study relating to
attitudes and wastage should be used as the basis for future
workforce planning.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/218941 |
| Date | January 1987 |
| Creators | Fox, Stephanie, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. Education |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright Stephanie Fox |
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