Off-campus UNL users: To download campus access dissertations, please use the following link to log into our proxy server with your NU ID and password. When you are done browsing please remember to return to this page and log out.

Non-UNL users: Please talk to your librarian about requesting this dissertation through interlibrary loan.

A study of the cultural beliefs of advanced practice nurses

Donna Lee Mays Polk, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Abstract

The researcher's purpose in conducting the study was to examine the interrelationships between attitudes of advanced practice nurses about cultural competence and the effectiveness of nursing care for a culturally diverse patient population, additionally, the variables of age, gender, race, socioeconomic background, personal experience with ethnic diversity/diverse racial groups, significance of religion/spirituality, formal courses in cultural diversity, and location of course work. The dependent variable was their beliefs about their cultural competence. The population surveyed included advanced practice nurses licensed to work in a Midwestern state. The survey employed four measures, including a Demographic Data Sheet. The other measures used were the Cultural Preparedness Scale, the Personal Beliefs Scale and the Professional Beliefs Scale. The respondents were offered an incentive to encourage them to return the completed surveys within a limited timeframe. The incentive consisted of free registration to a conference on cultural diversity for nurses to be offered at a later date. Data were analyzed for the 102 respondents using an analysis of variance (ANOVA). The researcher used this technique to measure the correlation among dependent and independent variables and determine differences between or among groups. The level of significance chosen was p < .05. The majority of the respondents were white females with a mean age of 42.9 years and strong religious/spiritual beliefs. More than half of the nurses felt they had very limited, but positive experience with diverse groups. However, 51 % reported being very culturally competent. Educational preparation did not prove to be a predictor of cultural competency in this study. A significant number (35%) felt their prior experience and education had not prepared them to work with a culturally diverse population. There was a positive correlation between cultural competence and beliefs.

Subject Area

Bilingual education|Nursing|Health education

Recommended Citation

Polk, Donna Lee Mays, "A study of the cultural beliefs of advanced practice nurses" (1999). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9942145.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9942145

Share

COinS