Date of Award

1987

Degree Name

EdD Doctor of Education

Dissertation Committee

Wallace Cohen, EdD, Director; Joan Flagg, PhD; Edward Kujawa Jr., PhD

Keywords

faculty-role stressors, Leadership studies, nursing education, synthesis strategies, teaching-learning process

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to provide a synthesis of dissertation research on faculty-role stressors in nursing education. Work related stress, influenced by causative factors termed stressors, affects not only faculty but also the teaching-learning process. Thus, this study is of importance and interest to educational leadership as well as nursing. The research design was a non-experimental, investigative exploration of seven research questions, using integrative review and synthesis strategies. Forty-six dissertations, from 1965 through 1985, were found to meet study criteria. The synthesis revealed faculty-role stressors unique to the multiple-functions of nurse educators: role expectations that include being professional nurse, classroom as well as clinical teacher, and being vulnerable to the stresses of each of those functions. The synthesis also revealed role stressors similar to those described by non-nursing faculty: researcher/author of scholarly publications, and contributing faculty member of the academic institution. Nursing faculty stressors, individually perceived as being positive or negative, included the necessity of maintaining professional competencies relevant to academic and clinical assignments, meeting patient health care as well as student learning needs, and meeting professional licensure as well as academic advancement requirements. Based on these findings, implications for the nursing profession and the field of educational leadership were emphasized. It was recommended that synthesis be more widely utilized as a means of systematically reviewing research studies to provide insight, new knowledge, and useful conceptualizations.

Document Type

Dissertation: Open Access

Department

Education

Share

COinS