Jane Aroian
Associate Professor and Coordinator of Nursing Administration
School of Nursing – Bouve College of Health Sciences
Northeastern University
207 Robinson Hall
j.aroian@neu.edu
617-373-3128

Graduate Nursing Administration Students’ Perceptions of Nurse Administrators’ Behaviors Related to the Revised Nursing Administration Standards of Practice and Professional Performance

I will be examining how nursing administrators use the nursing administration standards of practice and professional performance as they precept graduate nursing administration students (GSNA) during their practicum experiences. The purpose of this research is to identify and describe how nurse administrators behaviors conform to the Revised Nursing Administration Standards of Practice and Professional Performance (NASPPP, ANA 2004) as documented by Graduate Students in Nursing Administration (GSNA) during their practicum experience.

The NASPPP 2004 as well as clinical practice guidelines in the curriculum for GSNA provide a basis for instrumentation. The NASPPP consist of twelve criteria: Assessment, Problem Identification, Diagnosis, Identification of Outcomes, Planning Implementation and Evaluation, Quality of Care and Administrative Practice, Performance Appraisal, Professional Knowledge, Professional Environment, Ethics, Research and Resource Utilization. Each standard has specific measurement criteria that are written in measurable terms. The clinical practice guidelines are based on the seven course objectives of the practicum.

In this proposed study, nineteen graduate students will be participant observers of their preceptors during their practicum experience and will complete thirty-eight logs over two semesters using the NASPPP, ANA 2004. A retrospective design will be used for the study. A qualitative component will consist of conducting a content analysis. The researchers will use an investigator-designed survey adapted from each standard’s specific measurement criteria as an additional assessment. Each standard’s specific measurement will be analyzed. Demographic data will be gathered from the investigator-designed demographic tool.

The research is expected to have some potential benefit for graduate education and nursing administration curricula because its outcomes are expected add to the growing body of research that aims to discover the knowledge embedded in nursing practice.