Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Karen Bowser
Committee Member
Delores Smiley
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
career counseling, career choice, career counseling sessions, collaboration, evaluation, evaluation plan, guidance counselors, health care organizations, high school guidance counselors, implementation, nursing, nursing careers, nursing profession, nursing shortage, professional careers, program development, program implementation, research questions, students, workforce shortage
Abstract
This applied research proposal was related to a problem health care organizations are experiencing, a nursing shortage. The purpose of this applied research proposal was to develop and implement a program for high school guidance counselors with current and pertinent information about careers in nursing. Furthermore, the information was intended to be used in career counseling sessions to encourage students to consider nursing as a professional career choice. A plan for evaluation was also developed.
The following six research questions were posed and answered for this project:
1. What are the characteristics of the current nursing shortage as outlined in the literature?
2. What knowledge do high school guidance counselors need in order to encourage and prepare students to pursue nursing careers?
3. What are the criteria for an effective program for high school guidance counselors that will encourage and assist them in counseling students interested in nursing careers?
4. What specific content should be included in the program for high school guidance counselors that will encourage and prepare students to pursue nursing careers?
5. What elements (criteria and components) should be included in the implementation of a program for high school guidance counselors to assist them in counseling students interested in nursing careers?
6. What elements (criteria and components) should be included in the plan for evaluation of a program for high school guidance counselors to assist them in counseling students interested in pursuing nursing careers?
The development and evaluation problem solving methodologies were utilized to address the research questions in this project. The procedures included (a) a thorough review of the literature; (b) the establishment of a formative and summative committee; (c) questionnaire development, distribution, and analysis; (d) program development and implementation, and (e) an evaluation plan. As a result of the implementation of the program, high school guidance counselors were expected to have an enhanced knowledge related to nursing careers that could be shared with high school students interested in the nursing profession.