Student questionnaire design

The student questionnaire was based on the previously validated Nursing Attitude Questionnaire as used by Toth et al. (1998), and Bolan and Grainger (2009). Toth et al. (1998) sought to investigate if there were any differences in the attitudes towards nursing of traditional nursing students (typically aged between 17 and 22 who often entered the nursing programme immediately after high school) and graduates earning a second degree in nursing at three different universities across the United States of America. Prior to the study they had noted an increase in the number of graduates pursuing a second degree in nursing. During a review of the literature to identify instruments used to measure attitude towards nursing, the researchers identified a ‘nursing views questionnaire’ developed by L.M. Hoskins in 1983. The Hoskins questionnaire was a twenty item, five-point Likert scale instrument. Toth et al. (1998) adapted some items and added an additional ten, developing the 30 item Nursing Attitude Questionnaire. Content validity was supported by a panel of experts and Cronbach alpha was 0.80 on the whole questionnaire. Bolan and Grainger (2009) used the Nursing Attitude Questionnaire as part of their study, based in Canada investigating whether the perception of nursing students changed over the course of their programme.

Although the questionnaires were designed for a North American context, and the original questionnaire was designed nearly twenty years prior to the current study, key areas, such as nursing roles, values, responsibilities, characteristics, professionalism and the view of society towards nursing, were appropriate to the current study and time. For the current study, the Nursing Attitude Questionnaire was adapted, by ‘anglicising’ the content and removing one statement (number 27) that was considered to be inappropriate to the current study and climate.

73 Table 4.1: Adaptations made to Nursing Attitude Questionnaire devised by Toth et al. (1998) and Bolan and Grainger (2009)

The details of the original questions and how these were adapted is shown in Table 4.1 below. See appendix 2 for the questionnaire used for this study.

Statement Original Revised

1 Nurses are patient’s advocates Nurses are advocates for the patients/clients 2 Nurses protect patients in the health care

system

Nurses protect patients/clients in the health care system

3 Nurses participate in the development of health care policies

Nurses participate in the development of health care policies

4 Nurses should wear a white uniform in order to be identified

Nurses should wear a uniform in order to be identified

5 Nurses act as resource persons for individuals with health problems

Nurses act as resource persons for individuals with health problems

6 Nurses in general are kind, compassionate human beings

Nurses in general are kind, compassionate human beings

7 It takes intelligence to be a nurse It takes intelligence to be a nurse 8 The service given by nurses is as important as

that given by physicians

The service given by nurses is as important as that given by doctors.

9 Everyone would benefit if nurses spent less time in school and more time caring for patients

Everyone would benefit if nurses spent less time in school and more time caring for patients 10 Nurses integrate health teaching into their

practice

Nurses integrate health teaching into their practice

11 Research is vital to nursing as a profession Research is vital to nursing as a profession 12 Nurses are politically active Nurses should be politically active

13 Nurses are capable of independent practice Nurses are capable of independent practice 14 Nurses speak out against inadequate working

conditions

Nurses speak out against inadequate working conditions

15 Nurses are compensated sufficiently for their work by the knowledge that they are helping people

Nurses are compensated sufficiently for their work by the knowledge that they are helping people 16 Nurses should have a right to strike Nurses should have a right to strike

17 Nurses follow the physician’s orders without questions

Nurses follow the doctor’s orders without questions

18 Men make good nurses Men make good nurses 19 Many nurses who seek advanced degrees in

nursing would really rather be physicians

Many nurses who seek higher degrees in nursing would really rather be doctors

20 Nursing is exciting Nursing is exciting 21 Nurses incorporate research findings into their

clinical practice

Nurses incorporate research findings into their clinical practice

22 The major goal of nursing research is to improve patient care

The major goal of nursing research is to improve patient care

23 Nurses are adequately paid for the work they do

Nurses are adequately paid for the work they do 24 Nurses value time at the bedside caring for

patients

Nurses value time at the bedside caring for patients

25 Nurses should have a baccalaureate degree for entrance into practice

Nurses should have a degree for entrance into practice

26 Nurses with advanced degrees make important contributions to patient care

Nurses with higher degrees make important contributions to patient care

27 One advantage to being a nurse is to marry a physician

Statement removed

28 Nursing is a respected profession Nursing is a respected profession 29 Nurses consistently update their practice in

relation to current health trends

Nurses consistently update their practice in relation to current health trends

74 4.2.7 Ethical considerations

This study was designed and undertaken in accordance with the British Educational Research Association’s (BERA) ethical guidelines for educational research (BERA, 2011). Participants were assured that all data would be protected and stored securely (BERA, 2011, paragraphs 25 – 28). All data files stored electronically were password protected. Paper based data were stored in a locked cabinet in my office. Only I had access to the raw data. The study was approved by the School Research and Ethics Panel (SREP) of the School of Human and Health Sciences where the study was based. This approval permitted access to the relevant students and members of academic staff. Following SREP approval, permission to access the students and academic staff was granted by the Head of Undergraduate Nursing and Head of Department respectively.