Date of Award

Spring 1992

Document Type

Thesis - Restricted

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Brown, Ardene J.

Second Advisor

Schoneman, Doris

Third Advisor

Stempe, Susan

Abstract

This study explores what adolescents, who choose nursing as a career, believe influenced them in that choice. The study also explores the influence of the high school health nurse as a role model on an adolescent's choice of nursing as a career. Sixteen female senior high school students from three high schools in Southeastern Wisconsin were interviewed about influences on their choice of nursing as a career. The high school health nurses from the three sample schools were interviewed and observed regarding their roles, responsibilities, and student interaction in the schools. The findings of this study indicate that there were common influences that affected these students' choice of nursing as a career. Some of these strong influences included; a health care experience, babysitting, an influential person, altruism, thoughts of other careers, economic concerns, and an interest in medicine. The high school nurses who were active and visible within the school community appeared to influence two of the students in their choice of nursing as a career. The findings suggest that tactics to recruit adolescents into nursing may need to involve allowing these students experiences in a health care setting to be successful. The findings also suggest that the actively involved high school health nurse may be in a position to recruit students into the profession of nursing.

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