Purpose: A descriptive survey was done to determine why nursing students do and do not participate in research and what researchers might do to promote participation.
Methods: After institutional review board approval, prelicensure nursing students in two midwestern baccalaureate programs were surveyed about their participation or lack of participation in recent nursing education research opportunities in their schools. Senior-level students in school A had been invited to participate in a study of stress associated with mandatory exit exam testing that required 2.5 hours of time to collect saliva for measurement of cortisol and alpha amylase. Participants were compensated $30. Junior-level students in school B had been invited to participate in research about stress associated with a voluntary simulation learning activity that required 1 hour of time to collect saliva and hair for measurement of cortisol. Participants received a $25 department store gift card. In both studies, students also completed self-report instruments about stress and related factors (e.g., sleep, anxiety, coping, etc.). Two online surveys were administered, one for study participants (n = 72) and one for nonparticipants (n = 292). The surveys contained forced choice and open-ended items and took less than 5 minutes to complete. Participants received a $6 gift card to a local sandwich or coffee shop.
Results: Most (>90%) of the 364 eligible students were white and female. There were 179 students (59%) who did the survey (63 participants, 114 nonparticipants). Common reasons for participating in the stress study included the desire to help the researcher and monetary compensation. Common reasons for not participating included added time demands and apprehension about hair sampling. Compared to nonparticipants (41%), significantly more participants (94%) would have participated in the stress study again if given the opportunity (χ2 46.419 (1), p <.001). Compared to participants (3%), significantly more nonparticipants (25%) would not have participated if given the chance (χ2 13.185(1), p < .001). Of the 114 nonparticipant survey respondents, 41 (36%) reported they would have participated had the compensation been higher. Significantly more students in school A (47%) participated in the stress study than in school B (25%), χ2 9.293 (1), p =.003. Stress study participants rated the amount of stress added to their lives by the study on a scale of 0 (none) to 100 (considerable). School B's average participation stress was significantly higher than school A's (31.57±18.451 vs. 10.35±18.621; t(58) -4.305, p < .001, 95% CI -31.077, -11.351).
Conclusion: Money motivates nursing students to participate in research; time and participation requirements are recruitment barriers. Further analysis of narrative responses is planned to illuminate and classify barriers and facilitators of participation in nursing education research.