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Comparative effects of baccalaureate degree and associate degree nursing education on senior students' level of professional autonomy
Abstract
Nursings' lack of full professional status based on the criteria of autonomy coupled with the need for a more independent practitioner in today's complex health care system was the basis for this study. A comparison of senior nursing students from different educational programs was undertaken to determine if type of educational preparation was a predictor of professional autonomy. Schutzenhofer's (1988) Nursing Activity Scale (NAS) was used to measure and compare the level of professional autonomy of 306 senior nursing students who were within four weeks of graduation from nine nursing programs across Massachusetts. Further comparisons of students' professed autonomy as a function of demographic variables and students' perceptions of their level of participation in learning were compared. Thirty-six senior level nursing faculty were surveyed for identification of possible relationships between student and faculty scores on these variables. The majority of students surveyed (85%) scored in the high range of the autonomy scale, and the level of nursing education was not a predictor of the students' autonomy level. Variables that correlated with student autonomy levels were marriage, plans for earning an advanced nursing degree and perceived level of participation in learning. However, significant differences were found in student reported autonomy between schools at the associate degree level. Schools at the baccalaureate degree level did not differ significantly from each other. No clear relationship was found between student and faculty scores. More baccalaureate degree students reported their programs as having a more theoretical than practical focus, while the associate degree students perceived a more practical focus to their programs. Seventy-five percent of students from both programs planned to earn advanced nursing degrees. These findings have implications for nursing education. Increased opportunities for students to participate more fully in their educational process may facilitate the internalization of professional autonomy in nursing students. Such opportunities may ultimately provide the health care system with practitioners who possess the professional characteristics necessary for a more autonomous, successful practice.
Subject Area
Higher education|Nursing|Health education
Recommended Citation
Hallsworth, Sylvia Grace, "Comparative effects of baccalaureate degree and associate degree nursing education on senior students' level of professional autonomy" (1993). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9329617.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9329617