Toward a Qualified Yes: Personal Characteristics of Postbaccalaureate Nursing Students and Implementation of the Clinical Nurse Leader Role

Abstract

Anecdotal and research data suggest that psychological type and explanatory style influence individuals' day-to-day functioning. The assessment of these characteristics among postbaccalaureate students will support faculty in planning for students' educational programs and guide them as they provide support for the expansive role functions of, among others, the graduates of the newly proposed clinical nurse leader program. This article is a report of one study included in a longitudinal project examining the influence of psychological type and explanatory style on students' academic success. The questions addressed in this article are as follows: "How do psychological type and explanatory style differ between entering baccalaureate students and entering postbaccalaureate students?" and "How do experiences of depression and fatigue differ between these two groups of novice nursing students?" Findings suggest that postbaccalaureate students, although similar in psychological type to baccalaureate students, are significantly less depressed, less fatigued, and less positive in explanatory style than traditional baccalaureate students, indicating a potential need for support in addressing the demands of the roles that they will encounter as nurses.