Dissertation
Implicit attitudes of nursing faculty toward individuals with disabilities
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
05/2010
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000006054
Abstract
Students with visible disabilities have been known to be denied admission to nursing education programs on the basis of the disability and treated poorly once admitted. While little is known about the number of individuals affected by these discriminatory behaviors, the American Nurses Association provides clear statements against discrimination in the profession of nursing and in nursing education. Building on the extant knowledge that attitudes affect behavior, many researchers have explored the explicitly stated attitudes of nurse educators toward individuals with disabilities. However, explicit attitudes are subject to social desirability and may not be the best measure of true attitudes. Implicit attitudes, which are unconscious or unspoken, are a better measure of attitude and were measured through the use of the Disability Attitudes Implicit Association Test (DA-IAT) through Project Implicit. This study used a mixed- methods, cross-sectional research design to explore nurse educators' implicit attitudes toward individuals with visible disabilities. A total of 132 nurse educators who teach primarily in baccalaureate programs completed the DA-IAT, a demographic survey, and an open-ended survey. The mean DA-IAT score for the sample was 0.76(SD 0.46) which indicates that this sample of nurse educators holds strong preference for able-bodied individuals. The demographic questions revealed that one variable, more than monthly contact with individuals with disabilities, was a statistically significant finding of difference of implicit attitudes toward disabled individuals, t (128) = -2.184, p=.029. The open-ended questions were completed by 118 participants and evaluated through content analysis. Four main areas of focus were identified: the admissions process, admission criteria, the DA-IAT test, and responses to DA-IAT test results. Participants' narrative comments, along with participants' mean DA-IAT score, represent a unique resource and a step toward a more candid and clear view of issues faced by disabled applicants, students, and faculty in nursing education. This more challenging and more truthful picture of the nursing education is a necessary foundation for the discussions of policies and other work that is required to create a genuinely inclusive environment.
Metrics
3 File views/ downloads
29 Record Views
Details
- Title
- Implicit attitudes of nursing faculty toward individuals with disabilities
- Creators
- Vicki Ann Aaberg
- Contributors
- Anne Hirsch (Chair)Linda Lee Eddy (Committee Member) - Washington State University, College of NursingMELVIN R HABERMAN (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- College of Nursing
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 178
- Identifiers
- 99901055123301842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation