Relationship of Sex Role Identity to Occupational Image of Female Nursing Students

Abstract

In this study to determine whether a relationship exists between sex role identity and image of nursing, sex role identity was measured by the Mf scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the image of nursing was measured by Frank's (1969) Image of Nursing Questionnaire (INQ). In the spring of 1973, the MMPI Mf scale and the INQ were administered to 430 female senior nursing students in two baccalaureate, five associate degree, and five diploma programs in northern Illinois. A secondary purpose of the study was to determine whether identifiable groups, i.e., students who differed in age, type of nursing program, and education and occupation of parents, differed in their image of nursing. Sex role identity had a significant (p less than .001) positive relationship to image of nursing. The student's image of nursing was more in harmony with the image advanced by the profession when the student's sex role identity was more masculine. However, analysis of variance indicated that students with a highly feminine sex role identity had significantly lower total INQ scores and were, therefore, in disharmony with the professional image of nursing. Graduates of associate degree and baccalaureate programs had an image of nursing more in harmony with that advanced by the profession than students who graduated from diploma prgorams. Underlying causes for these findings and implications for nursing were explored.