| Do registered nurse (RN) students experience negative feelings during baccalaureate nursing education and if they do, what are the factors that influence these negative feelings as they seek to earn a BSN degree? In an attempt to answer these questions, two questionnaires were developed to gather data about the feelings RNs, who are beginning courses in the nursing major, and RNs, who are seniors, have toward a variety of experiences they have during the educational process. Data were collected in person from four Northern Ohio universities with baccalaureate nursing programs. A total of 225 RN students participated in the study.;Data were collected for the following dependent variables: negative emotions during the liberal arts components, liberal arts courses, liberal arts faculty, job and personal life during the liberal arts component of baccalaureate education, expectations about the nursing program, nursing faculty, nursing courses, job and personal life during the nursing component of baccalaureate education, negative emotions during the nursing component, perceptions of the nursing program now that senior status had been achieved and an overall total negative feeling about baccalaureate nursing education. There were three independent variables that were studied for their relationship to each of the dependent variables: the type of nursing program attended (i.e., generic versus upper division), status in school (i.e., part-time versus full-time), and the level in school (i.e., beginning versus senior).;Results of the study show that RN students in generic programs have more negative feelings during baccalaureate education than RN students in upper division programs. These RN students indicated that liberal arts faculty, liberal arts courses, nursing courses, job and personal life during both the liberal arts and nursing components, and the perceptions they currently hold about the nursing program they are attending contribute to their negative feelings/behaviors during baccalaureate education. Status and level in school had no significant relationship to any of the dependent variables. |
