Abstract

The Institute of Medicine Reports of the last ten years highlight the increased complexity of health care and the need for new ways for health providers to respond. While other professional programs have adapted to the growing complexity of the healthcare system and implemented increased educational requirements for entry to practice, notably pharmacy and physical therapy, nursing has not, and remains the least educated among health professionals The growing trend towards a two year Associate Degree as the initial nursing education degree is increasing at the same time that patient needs are becoming more complicated and health care is becoming more complex. The changing environment of the healthcare system requires an adaptive response from nursing. There is a need to explore those factors that influence educational mobility towards pursuit of a baccalaureate degree among associate degree nurse graduates, the largest segment of the nursing workforce. This quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional descriptive study explored the relationship among social support, motivation, competence and the pursuit of a baccalaureate degree among associate degree nurse graduates. The Roy Adaptation Model was used to guide the research design and Self-Determination Theory was used in the interpretation. A sample of 267 associate degree nurses who graduated from the City University of New York between 1997 and 2007 participated in a computer assisted telephone survey. Questionnaires included the Medical Outcomes Social Support Survey, adapted versions of the Self-Regulation for Learning and Perceived Competence Questionnaires as well as some selected demographic questions. Significant predictors for pursuit of a baccalaureate in nursing degree among this population included younger age, non-Hispanic Black race, income range of $104K to $145K and autonomous regulation of learning. Significant differences were found in autonomous regulation and perceived competence between those who did and those who did not pursue a BS. Social support was not a predictor, although it correctly classified 87% of those who pursued a baccalaureate degree.

Description

This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 3499317; ProQuest document ID: 936600199. The author still retains copyright.

Author Details

Margaret Joyce Reilly, DNS, APRN, CNE

Sigma Membership

Alpha Phi

Type

Dissertation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Descriptive/Correlational

Research Approach

Quantitative Research

Keywords:

Nurse Education, Patient Care, Nursing Degrees

Advisors

Frederickson, Keville

Degree

Doctoral-Other

Degree Grantor

City University of New York

Degree Year

2012

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Date of Issue

2020-01-17

Full Text of Presentation

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