The relationship of role organization and role deprivation to nurses' views toward the requirement for entry into professional practice and its related issues

Abstract

A national resolution to alter the educational and practice requirements for nurses by 1985 has been adopted in Oregon. It has been theorized that how nurses organize their multiple roles and the degrees of role deprivation they experience will affect their views toward professional issues. Prior research suggests there be a relationship between certain demographic variables and nurses' role organization and role deprivation. The study sought to establish the relationship of selected demographic variables and the variables of type of role organization and deprivation to nurses' views of four facets of the 1985 Resolution. The intent was to examine the efficacy of a conceptual model of role organization and deprivation in distinguishing and explaining nurses' views toward the resolution. As a further research contribution to nurse role theory development, the effects of nursing education preparation and length of work experience on the variables of role organization type and role deprivation were examined. The data were obtained by mailed questionnaire using 247 nurses randomly selected in Oregon. Instrumentation included a demographics sheet, a role organization tool, and a questionnaire on the resolution. The data were analyzed using Chi-square crosstabulations and Factorial ANOVA. Oregon nurses were found to be equally divided in their views on two levels of nursing practice and a bachelor's requirement for entry into professional practice. The majority supported inclusion of a protective clause in the resolution for currently licensed nurses and development of a nurse career ladder. The relationship of selected demographic variables to nurses' views on the resolution were examined and established. Significant differences were found among nurses when type of .basic nursing education program and level of nursing education achieved were considered. Baccalaureate nurses more frequently supported two levels of practice and a bachelor's requirement than did either associate degree or diploma nurses. They were found to differ significantly from associate degree and diploma nurses in their degree of opposition to a protective clause in the resolution. Significant differences in views on all resolution items were found when advanced nursing education preparation was considered. As the level of nursing preparation beyond the basic program increased, the degree of support for the two levels of practice and bachelor's requirement increased and the greater the opposition expressed to both the protective clause and the career ladder. Subjects differed significantly in their views when type of role organization and role deprivation were examined. Nurses with high bureaucratic-high professional allegiances