In order to reduce the impact of shortage of nurse manpower, the government in Taiwan started the Accelerated Second Baccalaureate Degree Nursing Programs (ASBDNP) at 2016. This is a 3-year trial and only set up within 4 nursing schools around Taiwan area. In general, the students in BSN program completed their senior high school education and take the University entrance examination, then he/she will get into the nursing program and received 4-year professional training. But for the ASBDNP, students need to complete a BS program ahead of application. After admission, they receive a two and half years or three years professional training in nursing. After graduation from these two programs, he/she get the certification to attend the national board examination for license of professional nurse. Why those who completed their BS training and willing to start to receive this new program for another 3 years? Will they have higher professional commitment and valued the importance of nursing? Therefore, the purpose of this cross-sectional study was to compare the levels of professional commitment and professional value for student nurses under these two programs.
Methods:
After the permission of IRB obtained (ID: 201701656B0), this survey was started. Subjects were recruited by group meeting. One researcher came their class, explained the purpose of this study and invited the students to participate. Once the signed permit was obtained, questionnaires were distributed to them and were turn back at the same meeting if possible. Subjects were recruited from the same school of nursing in order to eliminate the influence of academic setting. .
Group 1 was consisted with 42 students from the first year students in ASBDNP whereas group 2 was 32 students recruited from the second year students of BS program. All of these subjects were under the similar nursing courses works prior and during data collection. Instruments for data collection included: Chinese version of Professional Commitment, Nurses Professional Values Scale-Revised (NPVS_revised), Big-Five Mini-Markers, and personal information. All these data were analyzed by IBM SPSS Statistics 22 and Chi-Square tests and t-tests were performed to identify the expected relationships.
Results:
Subjects in group 1 were characterized as: female (76.7%), unmarried (95.3%), no religion (67.4%), un-employed (76.7%). Their mean age was 26.33(SD=3.76; range: 23-39). For subjects in group 2, their mean age was 20.78(SD=1.24; range: 20-27). They were characterized as: female (90.6%), unmarried (100%), no religion (68.8%), un-employed (90.6%). Results of t tests and Chi-square tests showed that the only significant difference of personal information in these two groups were that subjects in ASBDNP were significantly older than subjects in BSN (t=8.02, p<.001).
In regards to the professional commitment, subjects in ASBDNP reported higher levels of overall professional commitment (t=2.92, p=.005) and the subscales of “Willingness to work hard (t=2.48, p= .015)”, “Positive evaluation towards professional career (t=2.28, p=.026)”, and “Recognition of professional value” subscale (t=2.21, p=.03)”. For professional value, students in ASBDNP also reported great value in the “Activism” subscale of NPVS_revised (t=2.84, p=.006). However, no significant difference existed in the overall scale and subscales of the Big-Five Mini-Markers.
Conclusion:
There are some variation observed at the students of ASBDNP and BSN program within the same school of nursing. Will these strengths last throughout the schooling year? Longitudinal follow-up is strongly suggested.
Financial support: MOST 107-2511-H-182-011 and BMRP134