A synthesis of dissertation research on faculty role stressors in

University of San Diego Digital USD Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 1987 A Synthesis of Dissertation Research on Faculty-Role Stressors in Nursing Education Lynette A. Patton EdD, RN University of San Diego Follow this and additional works at: https://digital.edu/dissertations Part of the Leadership Studies Commons Digital USD Citation Patton, Lynette A. EdD, RN, "A Synthesis of Dissertation Research on Faculty-Role Stressors in Nursing Education" (1987).edu/dissertations/504 This Dissertation: Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Digital USD. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital USD.

For more information, please contact digital@sandiego. A SYNTHESIS OF DISSERTATION RESEARCH ON FACULTY-ROLE STRESSORS IN NURSING EDUCATION by Lynette A. Patton A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education University of San Diego 1987 Dissertation Committee Wallace Cohen, Ed., Director Joan Flagg, Ph. Edward Kujawa, Ph.

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. A SYNTHESIS OF DISSERTATION RESEARCH ON FACULTY-ROLE STRESSORS IN NURSING EDUCATION Copyright @ 1987 by Patton, Lynette A. All Rights Reserved Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner.

Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Abstract A SYNTHESIS OF DISSERTATION RESEARCH ON FACULTY-ROLE STRESSORS IN NURSING EDUCATION Lynette A. University of San Diego, 1987 The purpose of this study was to provide a synthesis of dissertation research on faculty-role stressors in nu~sing education. Work related stress, influenced by causative factors termed stressors, affects not only faculty but also the teaching-lear ning process.

Thus, this study is of importance and interest to educational leadership as well as nursing. The research design was a non-experime ntal, investigative exploration of seven research questions, using integrative review and synthesis strategies. Forty-six dissertations , from 1965 through 1985, were found to meet study criteria. The synthesis revealed faculty-role stressors unique to the multiple-func tions of nurse educators: role expectations that include being professional nurse, classroom as well as clinical teacher, and being vulnerable to the stresses of each of those functions.

The synthesis also revealed role stressors similar to those described Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. by non-nurs ing faculty: research er/autho r of scholarl y publicat ions, and contribu ting faculty member of the academic institut ion. Nursing faculty stressor s, individu ally perceive d as being positive or negative , included the necessit y of maintain ing professi onal competen cies relevant to academic and clinical assignme nts, meeting patient health care as well as student learning needs, and meeting professi onal licensur e as well as academic advancem ent requirem ents.

Based on these findings , implicat ions for the nursing professi on and the field of educatio nal leadersh ip were emphasiz ed. It was recommen ded that synthesi s be more widely utilized as a means of systema tically reviewin g research studies to provide insight, new knowledg e, and useful conceptu alization s. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES iv LIST OF FIGURES V LIST OF APPENDICES vi Chapter I. STATEMENT OF THE ISSUE • • 1 Background • • • • • 1 Significan ce of the Study. 4 Research Questions 6 Limitation s 7 Assumption s •••••••••• 8 Definition of Terms 9 Summary • • • • • •. LITERATURE REVIEW AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 13 Review of the Literature •• 13 The General Role of Stress •• 14 Occupation al Stress in Higher Education 19 Faculty-Ro le Stress in Nursing Education.

25 Summary of the Literature Review. 32 Conceptual Framework • • • 33 Synthesis as Research • • • • • • • • 34 Multi-Conc eptual Approach • • • • • • • • 38 ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Summary of the Conceptual Framework.

39 Chapter Summary •••••••• 39 III. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY ••• 41 Investigat ive Procedures • • • • 41 Summary • • • • • • • • • 49 IV. RESEARCH FINDINGS ••• 51 Sample Overview 51 Analysis and Integratio n. DISCUSSION 93 Meaning of Synthesis to Research Questions.

93 Conclusion s • • • • • • • • 107 Implicatio ns for Nursing Education • 110 Suggestion s for Future Research 112 Summary ••• 114 BIBLIOGRAPHY • ■ • 115 iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1 Dissertati on Research by Year of Completion • • • • 52 2 Length of Dissertati on • • 54 3 Dissertati on Research by Degree-Gra nting Institutio n. • 57 4 Distributi on of Dissertati ons by Research Theme •• 62 5 Educationa l Settings for Dissertati on Research •• 65 6 Identifica tion of Stressors within the Faculty- Role of Nurse Educators.

• 68 7 Integratio n Grid by Research Theme/Cate gory 74 8 Variables/ Factors Related to Faculty-Ro le Stress • 77 9 Integrativ e Framework for Research Findings by Research Theme. • • • • • • • • • • • • • 78 10 Chronolog ical Integratio n of Implicatio ns for Educationa l Leadership • • 85 11 Types of Research • 90 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1 Flow Chart of Synthesis Methodology • • • • • so 2 Research Question - Brief Response Reference 108 V Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner.

Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix Page A Listing of Dissertations Utilized for the Study. 170 B Purposes of Dissertation Research • 178 C Educational Settings of Dissertation Research • • 187 D Variables/Fac tors Related to Faculty-Role Stress • • •. • • • 194 E How Faculty-Role Stressors Affect Nursing Education • • • • 203 F Findings/Conc lusions of Dissertation Research • • 211 G Implications for Educational Leadership in Nursing • • •.

• 224 H Dissertation Research Design and Methodology • • 234 vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Chapter I STATEMENT OF THE ISSUE The purpose of this study is to provide a synthesis of dissertati on research on faculty-ro le stressors in nursing education. Work-relat ed stress, influenced by causative factors termed stressors, affects not only faculty but also the teaching-l earning process.

Stressors perceived as positive or negative, and associated with the duties of nurse educators, will be the focus of this study. The approach of synthesis represents a recent and necessary trend in educationa l inquiry: that of research integratio n as a basis of insight and new knowledge. Thus, this study is of importance and will be of interest to nursing and its educationa l leadership. The introducto ry chapter clarifies the study problem and its significan ce to profession al nursing and the field of educationa l leadership.

The relationsh ip between this study and previous research is shown, and possible limitation s are acknowledg ed. The study objectives are stated in the form of seven research questions. Assumption s and definition of terms are drawn from relevant literature. Background Stress research has been a prominent concern within the social sciences.

Stress and the effects of stress 1 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 2 have received increasing attention during the last two decades. Researchers in the fields of educational leadership and nursing education have expressed concern and studied stress as it affects faculty, staff, students, administrators, the academic organization, and the health care delivery system as a whole.

As most educators and nurses do not engage in research for publication after they complete the doctoral dissertation (Borg & Gall, 1983), the body of literature comprised of doctoral level research is of crucial professional importance. Therefore, the emphasis of this study was upon dissertation research of the past two decades; that is, from 1965 through 1985. Dissertation research specifically related to faculty-role stressors in nursing education was the focus of this study, utilizing integrative or synthesis methodology. There has not previously been a systematic effort to review or integrate these dissertation studies.

Historically, it has been noted that fragmented research or single studies seldom have impact (Hammond & Pillemer, 1982). It has further been noted that synthesis of research provides integration and professional insight as a basis of new knowledge (Best, 1981). As research methodology, synthesis is considered to be a form of non-statistical meta-analysis; strategies include an in-depth literature review with concise and accurate summarization, description, and integration of studies Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

3 to reveal a useful and coherent conceptualiza tion of research efforts (Smith & Naftel, 1984; Sokal & Rohlf, 1981; stock & Okun, 1982). Conceptualiza tion of stressful aspects within the role of nursing faculty may initiate positive leadership interventions for problem solving and stressor reduction. Implications for educational leadership are addressed throughout the synthesis process of this study. To verify the need for this study, an initial review of the relevant literature --specificall y, previous studies done in the areas of nursing education and leadership, occupational stress, and synthesis methodology-- provided an overview and revealed an apparent dearth of data dealing with the issue of faculty-role stress from an empirical perspective.

Stress in nursing students and in the hospital-role of nurses has been more extensively studied than stress within the nurse educator role. For example, Freeman (1984) used a "Nursing Stress Scale" and other instruments for predicting stress in nurses working in intensive care units; Garland and Bush (1982) researched coping behaviors of nurses in general, associating responses with gender/female specific "problems"; Kaufmann and Beehr (1982) found social support to be a moderator between job stresses and strains for nurses; and Kushnir (1986) documented the presence of a nursing instructor as a stressor for students. Although non-dissertat ion research relating to faculty-role issues in nursing education has been reviewed Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

4 by others in the past (Holzemer, 1983), there has been no analytical review nor synthesis of dissertation research, related to the topic of this study, attempted previously. The significance of the study is further clarified in the following section. Significance of the Study To date, there has been no published synthesis of the research on faculty-role stressors in nursing education. The integration of research findings may contribute to altering educational work settings in ways that can reduce faculty-role stress and thereby enhance the teaching- learning processes.

Therefore, to maximize the efforts and value of past as well as future research, the need to integrate significant issues and findings was evident. A research basis can be built through synthesis of studies: If medicine were like education, some doctors would still be bleeding people with leeches. In the field of educational research, there has been a tendency not to accumulate findings, not to synthesize research. (Ravitc~, 1985) In addition to facilitating research, synthesis is relevant to practicing and future nursing faculty and leaders; synthesis of specific dissertation literature provides evidence salient for educational leadership (Cooper, 1984) because the results may contribute to effecting positive Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner.

Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 5 changes in the academic and clinical work settings unique to nursing education. From the initial review of relevant literature , research findings made clear that stress can be useful when it awakens creativity and demands personal or collective excellence ; or, stress can be harmful if demands are more than is perceived can be given. Stress is an accepted fact of life and cannot healthily be avoided.

The research challenge is to find productive ways in which routine stressors can be helpful rather than harmful.