An Exploration of Professional Value Development in Associate Degree Nursing Students

Abstract

Knowledge of professional nursing values must be supported in academia and acquired prior to graduation. Without a basic understanding of professionalism and internalization through socialization to the role of the nurse, new graduate performance and care quality deteriorate as values are abandoned. The American Nurses Association’s (ANA) Code of Ethics defines nursing professional values, but varied educational presentation may affect knowledge. The best method to achieve internalization of professional values remains widely debated. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental study was to measure knowledge of professional nursing values of students in an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program using the Nurses Professional Values Scale-3 (NPVS-3) before and after participation in a leadership course in the final semester. Miller’s Wheel of Professionalism, based on the ANA’s Code of Ethics, provided a foundation for this study. Collected data was analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test and revealed no statistically significant change in knowledge after completing the leadership course. The literature review and findings of this study suggest that continued research is necessary to understand how knowledge of professional values is obtained in pre-licensure ADN students and the best pedagogical method of delivery. Furthermore, this project may have application for healthcare leaders to support continued value development for practicing nurses.