The Development of a Master's Degree Program Based on Perceived Future Practice Needs

Abstract

The need for an accessible master's degree program was determined through informal communication between practicing nurses and nursing educators. The purpose of the descriptive study was to project a master's degree program based on perceived future nursing practice needs. Forty-seven nurse administrators and staff nurses responded to a mailed survey (61.8%). The respondents were asked to make predictions regarding the probability of occurrence of 18 previously Delphi-generated events by the year 2000. Respondents also provided judgments regarding the degree of agreement/disagreement that various content items would be critical to survival in practice and best learned in a master's degree program. Most respondents agreed that general education content items were both critical to survival and best learned by master's education. Less strong agreement that nursing content items were critical to survival and best learned in a master's degree program was an unexpected finding. A multidisciplinary master's program for all health-care professionals was proposed.