The relationship of personality characteristics to the expressed vocational satisfactions of student nurses : a comparative study of a degree and a diploma program

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to describe and compare the personality characteristics and expressed vocational satisfactions of degree and diploma student nurses. Personality was measured by the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule and vocational satisfactions by means of a prepared questionnaire. Specifically, a comparison was made between two nursing education programs and between classes within each program concerning reasons for choosing nursing as a career, personality traits, and expressions of satisfaction with choice of nursing as a career and choice of nursing education program. In addition, the total group of student nurses were investigated to discover what relationship existed between personality traits and expressed vocational satisfactions. -- Data from 71 university and 223 hospital nursing students were subjected to an analysis of variance or a chi-square statistical test with the null hypotheses rejected at the 0.05 level of confidence. -- Findings indicated greater variation within each nursing education program than between them. There were no great differences observed between degree and diploma student nurses' reasons for choosing nursing as a career, personality traits, or dissatisfactions. The final year students within each school showed the greatest variation on EPPS scores when compared to the other class years. More of the third year hospital students expressed dissatisfaction with choice of nursing as a career and with living place; while, second year hospital students expressed dissatisfaction with nursing education program. On the other hand, it was more of the first year university students who expressed dissatisfaction with choice of nursing as a career. -- The main and most interesting findings of this study was that nursing students who expressed dissatisfaction, regardless of education program, obtained a higher score on the EPPS subscale of Autonomy and a lower score on the subscale of Order. These findings seem to indicate that dissatisfied student nurses were those who had a greater need to be independent and were less concerned with having things planned and organized. If independent thinking and action are accepted as being desirable characteristics for a nurse, then, nursing education and nursing practice need to be structured in such a way so as to account for individual differences in personality and ability. At the same time, greater opportunities should be provided for individual expression and judgments.