THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICES OF ACADEMIC NURSE CENTERS IN NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR NURSING ACCREDITED SCHOOLS OF NURSING.

Description

Seventeen research questions were designed to collect specific data regarding the current administrative practices in academic nursing centers from all baccalaureate and higher degree granting National League for Nursing-accredited schools of nursing. In order to answer the research questions proposed by this investigation, a questionnaire was developed, validated, and distributed to every school of nursing accredited by the National League for Nursing as of June, 1987. Items in this questionnaire were drawn from an analysis of the history and development of the academic nursing center movement and provided respondents an opportunity to indicate their perceptions of selected aspects of current academic center administration. The data were collected during the Fall of 1987. Of the 592 questionnaires distributed, 427 were returned providing a response rate of 71 percent. The data from respondents who provided clear evidence of having academic nursing center activities in their schools were employed to address the majority of the research questions of this investigation. The following conclusions are limited to the aspects of academic nursing centers addressed in this investigation and are representative of those academic nursing centers employed in the sample. (1) The academic nursing center movement is in a very formative state of development. Both the literature related to academic nursing centers and these findings reveal that the academic nursing center movement is about fifteen years old. (2) In general, current administrative practices do enable academic nursing centers to provide a variety of opportunities for faculty and students to engage in educational experiences, research activities, and community service. The types of clinical services provided in each academic nursing center vary with the specific populations served by the clinic and the type of faculty expertise available. (3) Academic nursing centers provide a significant amount of clinical service in their communities. (4) Most academic nursing centers have very limited resources to support their operation. Administrative practices need to take into consideration methods of faculty compensation that can take the form of salary enhancement and released time, or less expensive forms of recognition for community service.

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