A lack of autonomy in the contemporary nursing student: a comparative study

The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not female nursing students are as autonomous as female students in both traditional female occupations and non-traditional occupations. The population included 1,046 undergraduate, female students enrolled in bachelor's degree programs at a state college. Students who participated in the study were from the schools of nursing, education, business and arts and sciences. The two instruments used to measure the characteristics of autonomy, masculinity, and femininity, were the Krutines Autonomy Scale and a modified Bem Sex-Role Inventory Scale. Students from the schools of nursing and education received the lowest scores on autonomy and masculinity and the highest scores on femininity. Students in the school of nursing scored significantly lower in autonomy and masculinity and significantly higher in femininity than the students from the School of Business and the School of Arts and Sciences. There was no significant difference between the scores of students in the School of Nursing and the School of Education. No significant correlation was found between the variables of parent's occupation. Grade Point Average (GPA), Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores or feminine scores and the autonomy scores. However, there was a strong correlation between masculinity and autonomy scores.