The Intention to Pursue Graduate Studies in Nursing: A Look at BScN Students' Self-Efficacy and Value Influences

Abstract

The shortage of graduate-level prepared nurses is reaching critical levels. Combined with an anticipated wave of faculty retirements, a relatively older graduate student body, and an insufficient number of graduates at the Masters' and doctoral levels, the recruitment of more and younger students into graduate programs in nursing has become a priority for the profession. Current understanding of why undergraduate nursing students choose to pursue graduate studies in nursing remains vague. A non-experimental descriptive correlational study was designed and 87 useable surveys were collected from fourth-year baccalaureate nursing students at a large South-Western Ontario University (response rate = 67%). The influence of student valuation of graduate studies and self-efficacy (SE) for graduate studies on student intention to pursue graduate studies in nursing was clearly demonstrated with this study (R(2) = .52). Implications for nursing education include working towards undergraduate curricula that enhance students' valuation of and SE for graduate studies in nursing.

Exploring registered nurses’ attitudes to postgraduate education for specialty practice in Australia

“…This finding is consistent with that of other major studies (Altmann, 2011;Duffy, Friesen, Speroni, & Swengros, 2014;Plunkett et al, 2010). H. Aiken et al, 2010;Institute of Medicine, 2011;Queensland Health, 2013).…”

“…Many of the participants in this study who do persist in their studies usually struggle financially and find it difficult to balance their studies with their jobs. These findings are consistent with those of previous studies (Altmann, 2011;Bahn, 2007b;Kovner et al, 2012;Plunkett et al, 2010). Cohen (2011) suggests that the provision of financial assistance in the form of a scholarship, employer assistance and/or educational leave of absence for pursuit of postgraduate education to counter the need to reduce working hours would encourage more nurses to pursue postgraduate education.…”

“…They tend to attribute failure to insufficient effort or deficiencies in knowledge and skills. The responses from the participants in this study support prior research in indicating that having good support from a spouse, partner, employer and/or peers, in the form of finance, time and moral support can greatly increase the likelihood of completing their postgraduate studies (Altmann, 2012;Carpenter & Hudacek, 1996;Hassouneh-Phillips & Beckett, 2003;Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994;Plunkett et al, 2010).…”

“…However, the body of evidence suggests that only those nurses who pursue postgraduate education gain the research and advanced skills required to take on higher-level positions in the nursing domains of research, leadership, clinical skills and education (Pelletier, Donoghue, Duffield, Adams, & Brown, 1998;Penz et al, 2007;Plunkett, Iwasiw, & Kerr, 2010;Porter & Porter, 1991;Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2013;Spence, 2004b). This conclusion is supported by the earlier findings of Aitken et al (2012), DimitriadouPanteka et al (2014);and Duff, Gardner, and Osborne (2012), who showed that clinicians with postgraduate qualifications are well prepared to meet the demands placed on today's nurse and can contribute to the advancement of patient care.…”

“…However, despite the strong evidence, there is a shortage of advanced qualified nurses (Plunkett et al, 2010), which may help to explain why higher-level nursing positions in administration and leadership are difficult to fill (Pittman, Horton, Keeton, & Herrera, 2012). As a consequence, nurses may be required to assume these roles when they do not hold the most appropriate educational preparation (Plunkett et al, 2010;Stanley et al, 2008).…”