Nursing students rank high in autonomy at the exit level

Professional status based on the criterion of autonomy continues to elude nursing. It is important to determine if this condition is due to the denial of professional status by employing organizations or to the lack of individual autonomy possessed by nurses. Female nursing school students were compared to women students from the schools of education, business, technology, and arts and sciences just prior to graduation. Nursing students scored as high on autonomy and masculinity as other female students, and higher on autonomy-related attitudes and behaviors specific to women. These findings conflict with earlier studies and with the position that nursing's denial of professional status is due to a lack of individual autonomy in nurses.