Tracking the development of professional values in undergraduate nursing students

In the current nursing shortage, nurses are frequently making significant patient care decisions concerning value-laden clinical issues. A program evaluation study was conducted to track professional values over time from entry into a baccalaureate program to graduation. Nursing students completed a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Journal of nursing education Vol. 45; no. 12; pp. 504 - 511
Main Authors Leners, Debra Woodard, Roehrs, Carol, Piccone, Adam Vincent
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States SLACK INCORPORATED 01.12.2006
Subjects
Accreditation
Behavior
Clinical medicine
Codes of Ethics
Comparative analysis
Confidentiality
Core curriculum
Course Content
Critical thinking
Decision making
Discipline
Education
Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate
Educational Measurement
Ethics
Ethics, Nursing - education
Female
Hospitals
Humans
Law firms
Learning Processes
Male
Nurses
Nursing
Nursing education
Professional practice
Program Evaluation
Social justice
Socialization
Teaching Methods
Technological change
United States
United States
United States > US
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Summary:In the current nursing shortage, nurses are frequently making significant patient care decisions concerning value-laden clinical issues. A program evaluation study was conducted to track professional values over time from entry into a baccalaureate program to graduation. Nursing students completed a survey measuring professional values upon entry into and exit from the program. Comparative analysis of pretest and posttest group means demonstrated statistically significant increases in total scores. The highest pretest value items were also the highest on the posttest, with the addition of patient advocacy. Patient advocacy jumped 16 places from pretest to posttest to become the highest-ranked statement upon exit from the program. All of the values rated as least valued at pretest remained least valued at posttest; however, the means of all but two (participating in nursing research and providing consumer education about products/services) increased significantly. The value statements with mean scores that increased significantly centered on aspects of nursing practice less visible to the lay public and involving interaction with other health care providers.
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ISSN:0148-4834
1938-2421
DOI:10.3928/01484834-20061201-06