Conference Proceedings - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Trinity ...

School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin: 8 th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education & Technology: 7 th – 9 th November 2007
Conference Proceedings
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Title: An Investigation of Influences on College Choice
Decisions of Student Psychiatric Nurses; A Case Study.
Presenter
Mr. Martin Boyce. M Sc., M St., B Sc., PG Dip HSE., Dip Pr
Studies., Cert. B. T., R.P.N., R.G.N., R.N.T.
Lecturer
Department of Nursing,
School of Health Sciences,
Waterford Institute of Technology.
Waterford.
Phone: 052- 3025542
Email: mboyce@iwt.ie
Background and Context: Nurse training in Ireland has gone
trough a transition from traditional service led and based training to
degree programs (Wells, 1999). In the past, access to the nursing
profession was based on direct entry through training programs
based in individual hospitals approved by An Bord Altranais. The
numbers of training places were effectively determined to meet
local service needs. Today all nurse training is delivered at third
level. Applicants now apply for nurse training trough the central
applications office the same as any other third level course. Entry is
based on the points system. A feature of the new system is that
mature students can apply for nurse training; this was not always
the case. Under the previous system the number of mature
students applying for nursing courses was extremely low
Aim of the Study: The purpose of this study is to explore and
analyse factors that influence college choice within the context of
college choice theory and to analyse the significant influences, which
inform such factors. The study also analyses the significance of
college characteristics in relation to college choice.
Methodology: The subjects of this study included the total
population of first year psychiatric students (N=43) in the Waterford
Institute of Technology. Individual students were asked to
participate and complete a questionnaire based on Chapman’s
(1981) model of college choice; data from the questionnaire was
then used to develop the topic guide for the focus group interviews.
The qualitative element of this study involved the establishment of
three focus groups to discuss the quantitative research findings.
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