Personality Traits that Nursing Faculty Believe are Necessary for Their Graduates

Abstract

The problem. The purpose of this study was to investigate personality traits that faculty members of different registered nursing education programs believe are necessary for their graduates. Procedure: One hundred twenty three nursing faculty members of diploma, associate degree, and baccalaureate nursing education programs in the state of Iowa ranked 20 personality traits by completing the Desirability of Personality Traits of Registered Nurses Questionnaire. The subjects also completed a demographic data questionnaire designed by the researcher. Findings: All faculty members ranked understanding as number one, abasement number 19, and aggression number 20. Significant differences existed between baccalaureate faculty members who ranked change higher than associate degree faculty members, associate degree faculty members who ranked cognitive structure and order higher than baccalaureate faculty members, and diploma faculty members who ranked endurance higher than baccalaureate faculty members, Significant differences also existed for change when faculty members were categorized by age groupings; for cognitive structure and impulsivity when faculty members were categorized by highest level of nursing education; and for endurance, harmavoidance, nurturance, order, and aggression when faculty members were categorized by part-time or full-time status. Conclusions. Faculty members of the three types of nursing education programs rank the importance of personality traits differently for their graduates. Recommendations: Examples of recommendation for further research include: a replication of this study including male subjects and an investigation correlating how students rank the personality traits as compared to how faculty members rank them.