| Learning Objective #1: Identify commonalities and differences in the driving factors and drawbacks to practice for this group of U.S. and Guatemalan nurses | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Identify factors in each of the health care systems that affect nurse satisfaction |
Objective: An analysis of factors that drive nurses forward in practice despite drawbacks was conducted in response to an assignment to investigate an area of the health care system in Guatemala and compare it to that in the U.S. Three nursing students selected the problem and conducted the research with a faculty mentor. Design: A qualitative, inductive design was selected for exploration of the phenomena. Population, Sample, Setting, Years: A purposive selection of ten nurses participants were interviewed in May of 200, five in the U. S. and five in Guatemala. Although all the U.S. nurses were registered nurses, the Guatemalan sample included both registered and auxiliary nurses. Concept: The phenomenon of interest is those unknown factors that drive nurses to continue in their profession and those factors that serve as drawbacks. Methods: An interview guide was developed to elicit the views of the nurses. Data obtained were analyzed using qualitative content analysis; participants were re-interviewed for clarifications as needed. Findings: Guatemalan and U.S. nurses reported the same factors for choosing nursing and also reported similar driving forces and drawbacks. However, the difference in health care systems led to unique solutions to the identified drawbacks. Conclusions: Although the U.S. and Guatemalan nurses worked in different systems with different solutions, the rewards, challenges, and goals of nursing were very similar between these two seemingly disparate groups. The differences did not change the effect of the driving forces and helped to build a feeling of sisterhood between the students and their colleagues in Guatemala. Implications: Increasing, there will be opportunities to work with nurses from and in other nations. Explorations such as this one help students and practicing nurses to celebrate the sisterhood of nursing while learning from the unique problem solving of nurses in divergent areas of the world.
Back to Global Education
Back to 14th International Nursing Research Congress
Sigma Theta Tau International
10-12 July 2003