Date of Award

1991

Degree Name

EdD Doctor of Education

Dissertation Committee

William P. Foster, EdD, Director; Edward Kujawa Jr., PhD; Wallace Cohen, EdD

Keywords

correlational study, critical thinking, Leadership studies, nursing, personal control, political efficacy, political participation, Registered Nurses, self-esteem

Abstract

This study analyzes and provides a base line description of the political participation of nurses practicing in hospitals. The study explores the relationships between political participation and the variables: self-esteem, personal control, political efficacy and critical thinking. The theoretical framework for designing the questionnaire was based on the Political Participation Model (Verba and Nie, 1972) and the Political Process Participation Questionnaire (Archer, 1983). Design of the Political Efficacy Scale was based on the Subjective Political Competence Scale (Almond and Verba, 1963) and the Political Efficacy Scale (Campbell, Gurin and Miller, 1954). Self-esteem was measured by the Self-Esteem Inventory (Coopersmith, 1967). Personal Control was Measured by the Internal, Powerful Others, and Chance Locus of Control Scale, (Levenson and Miller, 1976). Critical thinking ability was measured by the Critical Thinking Appraisal (Watson and Glaser, 1980). The research study group consisted of 56 registered nurses who were practicing for five or more years in hospitals in San Diego County, California. Correlation procedures and analysis of variance were employed to test for significance and to determine whether relationships exist between political participation and the variables. A significant relationship exists between political participation and critical thinking, self-esteem and political efficacy. Nurses agreed to some extent with participation in politics, but reported a low level of participation in the political process within the last year.

Document Type

Dissertation: Open Access

Department

Education

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