This federally-funded questionnaire based study was designed to examine the perceptions of, and attitudes about, the nursing profession held by nurses in suburban southwestern Pennsylvania. The study consisted of mailing a 33-question survey and a postage paid return envelope to 6,500 nurses in the five counties immediately adjacent to Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The survey consisted of basic demographic questions, Likert scale measurement of attitudes, and several open-ended questions. The insight gained as a result of this study provided the client with the information necessary to address strategic issues regarding the promotion of their nursing training programs. Additionally, increasing enrollment in the nursing program would not only benefit the client, but help achieve the overall goal of the federal initiative; addressing the critical shortage of trained and qualified nurses not only in Pittsburgh, but nationwide. In addition to examining demographic information and its impact on nurses’ attitudes about the nursing profession, this study explored continuing education in the nursing field and its perceived impact on opportunities for career advancement.
Research Benefits
- The insight gained as a result of the research provided the client with the information necessary to address strategic issues regarding the promotion of their nurse training programs
- Increasing enrollment in the nursing program not only benefited the sponsoring university, but helped to achieve the overall goal of the federal initiative, addressing the critical shortage of trained and qualified nurses
- Today, the sponsoring university’s nursing program is regionally and nationally recognized