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Ivory tower or trench? A Q study of legal knowledge and skills for graduate nurses

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Date Issued:
1994
Summary:
The Weidman and Stein (1990) professional socialization conceptual framework provided the organizing structure for a Q-methodological study about the perceptions held by professional nursing program faculty and nursing employers regarding required legal knowledge and skills for graduate nurses. The purpose of this study was to identify common viewpoints from these socializing agents about a nursing program socialization outcome of legal knowledge and skills. "What major patterns of perception, if any, can be identified from nursing faculty and nursing employers regarding legal knowledge and skills?" was the research question guiding the study. An investigator-constructed Q sample of 60 statements was based on a literature review, Model Curriculum of Legal Content in Nursing Education (The American Association of Nurse Attorneys, 1992) document, and pilot study results. The Q-sample statements were administered during 1993 to a total of 60 subjects from four counties in southeastern Florida. The P set consisted of 20 associate degree nursing (A.D.N.) faculty, 20 bachelor of science in nursing (B.S.N.) degree faculty, and 20 hospital-based nursing employers responsible for hiring or supervising graduate nurses. The Q-sample statements were sorted according to a 11-point most-agree/most-disagree distribution continuum. Correlation and factor analysis were performed with SPSS-X version 4.1 (SPSS, 1990) and QMethod (Atkinson, 1992) VAX/VMS statistical packages. The selected factor solution was the two-factor, principal axes factoring with varimax rotation. The ivory tower factor represented an educational view of the graduate nurses' legal knowledge and skills ability by persons involved with the academic side of nursing (nursing faculty). This factor articulated the strong belief, support, and positive regard for graduate nurses' legal knowledge and skills ability. The trench factor signified a performance-based view of the graduate nurses' legal knowledge and skills comprehension from individuals associated with the practice realm of nursing (nursing employers). This factor placed a dismal level of confidence in graduate nurses' legal knowledge and skills ability and detected deficits in nursing curricula. This research corroborates the perceived nursing theory/practice gap. Implications and recommendations were generated for nursing theory, education, and practice.
Title: Ivory tower or trench? A Q study of legal knowledge and skills for graduate nurses.
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Name(s): Frock, Terri L., author
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Urich, Ted R., Thesis advisor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1994
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, FL
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 331 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: The Weidman and Stein (1990) professional socialization conceptual framework provided the organizing structure for a Q-methodological study about the perceptions held by professional nursing program faculty and nursing employers regarding required legal knowledge and skills for graduate nurses. The purpose of this study was to identify common viewpoints from these socializing agents about a nursing program socialization outcome of legal knowledge and skills. "What major patterns of perception, if any, can be identified from nursing faculty and nursing employers regarding legal knowledge and skills?" was the research question guiding the study. An investigator-constructed Q sample of 60 statements was based on a literature review, Model Curriculum of Legal Content in Nursing Education (The American Association of Nurse Attorneys, 1992) document, and pilot study results. The Q-sample statements were administered during 1993 to a total of 60 subjects from four counties in southeastern Florida. The P set consisted of 20 associate degree nursing (A.D.N.) faculty, 20 bachelor of science in nursing (B.S.N.) degree faculty, and 20 hospital-based nursing employers responsible for hiring or supervising graduate nurses. The Q-sample statements were sorted according to a 11-point most-agree/most-disagree distribution continuum. Correlation and factor analysis were performed with SPSS-X version 4.1 (SPSS, 1990) and QMethod (Atkinson, 1992) VAX/VMS statistical packages. The selected factor solution was the two-factor, principal axes factoring with varimax rotation. The ivory tower factor represented an educational view of the graduate nurses' legal knowledge and skills ability by persons involved with the academic side of nursing (nursing faculty). This factor articulated the strong belief, support, and positive regard for graduate nurses' legal knowledge and skills ability. The trench factor signified a performance-based view of the graduate nurses' legal knowledge and skills comprehension from individuals associated with the practice realm of nursing (nursing employers). This factor placed a dismal level of confidence in graduate nurses' legal knowledge and skills ability and detected deficits in nursing curricula. This research corroborates the perceived nursing theory/practice gap. Implications and recommendations were generated for nursing theory, education, and practice.
Identifier: 12367 (digitool), FADT12367 (IID), fau:9268 (fedora)
Degree granted: Thesis (Ed.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1994.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 55-04, Section: B, page: 1377.
College of Education
Subject(s): Nursing--Law and legislation
Nursing schools--Curricula
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12367
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.