Nursing education and job effectiveness

The purpose of this multiple regression study was to determine whether nurses with different educational preparation differ in job effectiveness. The dependent variable job effectiveness was ascertained by asking head nurses to rate their staff nurses on job effectiveness by comparing them to each other and to ideal best and worst possible nurses. Job effectiveness was not defined; rather, a profile of the effective nurse was constructed from the study data. Questionnaire data were analyzed for 299 staff nurses (75 percent return): 53 practical nurses, 63 associate degree nurses, 134 diploma nurses and 49 baccalaureate nurses. The sample was obtained from 52 units located in 12 Chicago area hospitals chosen randomly from a stratified list.