The New Mexico Nurse - January 2019

January, February, March 2019 The New Mexico Nurse • Page 5
1) Age and FTP total scores were inversely related (r = -.342);
2) Likelihood to return to school and FTP scores (r = .441);
3) Likelihood to return to school and years of experience were inversely related
(r = -.237); and
4) Likelihood to return to school and years of BSN experience were inversely
related (r = -.488).
Findings: This study supported the findings of (Zimbardo & Boyd, 1999) that current
decision-making comes from expectations of future rewards or consequences,
weighed against realistic assessments of obstacles and subsequent consequences.
Indeed, the balance to switch flexibly among time perspectives depending on the
task features, the situation, and personal resources, can optimize life choices to
more fully realize life/career potentials.
Limitations: Use of the FTP Scale resulted in a solid basis for understanding time
perspective related to educational/career aspirations. However, study recruitment
efforts were not initially successful. A secondary study site arrangement through the
Albuquerque VA improved recruitment, but limited the scope of participants which
may not be truly representative of all New Mexico nurses.
Implications: There are several reasons why understanding FTP is important to the
nursing profession. FTP has been found to have a direct occupational influence on
career variables (Zacher & Frese 2009). Workers scoring higher on FTP were linked to
seeing the importance of future goals and working harder to develop skills needed
to reach their goals, thus positively affecting turnover intention due to career
commitment (Park, 2015). These career findings were underscored by findings in
this study. Also, time perspective can also be used to guide marketing appeals to
targeted consumers such as “life is short, so act now…” versus “take the time to
achieve success….” Sarver, Cichra, and Kline’s survey (2015) found that 76% of US
nurses were not enrolled in an educational program; of those who were enrolled,
87% chose online programs. This appears to indicate that there is a continuing
demand for on-line education opportunities for nurses returning to education
programs. Better understanding of how nurses view their future educational
opportunities and their options for obtaining this education is critical to improving
overall health care delivery in New Mexico.
References:
Carstensen, L. L. (1996). Future Time Perspective Scale.
Harber, K. D., Zimbardo, P. G., & Boyd, J. N. (2003). Participant self-selection biases
as a function of individual differences in time perspective. Basic and Applied Social
Psychology, 25(3), 255-264.
Kuppelweiser, V, G. K., & Sarstedt, M. (2014). Applying the future time perspective
scale to advertising research. International Journal of Advertising, 33(1), 113-136.
doi:10.2501/IJA-33-1-113-136.
Park, I-J., & Jung, H. (2015). Relationships among future time perspective, career and
organizational commitment, occupational self-efficacy, and turnover intention. Social
Behavior and Personality, 43(9), 1547-1562. doi:10.2224.sbp.2015.43.9.1547
Sarver, W., Cichra, N., & Kline, M. (2015). Perceived benefits, motivators, and barriers to
advancing nurse education: Removing barriers to improve success. Nursing Education
Perspectives (National League for Nursing), 36(3), 153-156. doi:5480/14-1407
Tabachnick, S. E., Miller, R. B., & Relyea, G. E. (2008). The relationships among students’
future-oriented goals and subgoals, perceived task instrumentality, and task-oriented
self-regulation strategies in an academic environment. Journal of Educational
Psychology, 100(3), 629-642. doi: 10.1037/0022-0663.100.3.629
Walker, T. L., & Tracey, T. J. G. (2012). The role of future time perspective in career
decision-making. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 81, 150-158. doi:10.1016/j.
jvb.2012.06.002
Zacher, H., & Frese, M. (2009). Remaining time and opportunities at work: Relationships
between age, work characteristics, and occupational future time perspective.
Psychology and Aging, 24(2), 487-493.
Zimbardo, P. G., & Boyd, J. M. (1999). Putting time in perspective: A valid, reliable
individual-differences metric. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(6),
1271-1288.
This research was funded by an Eastern New Mexico University internal faculty
grant and was approved by both ENMU and Veteran Affairs Institutional Review
Boards. Dr. S. Bassett, K. Cooper, J. Piepkorn, are all nursing instructors , Instructors
in the Nursing Program, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Eastern New Mexico
University and Dr. C. Nuttall, is the Chief Nurse, Academic Affairs, Professional
Practice and Research New Mexico VA Healthcare System. For questions and
comments please contact : Col (Ret) Susan E. Bassett, PhD, RN, Instructor: Tel: 575-
562-2279 E-mail: Susan.bassett@enmu.edu
Table 1.
Gender:
Demographics Compared to Future Time Perspective (FTP) Total Scores
FTP Mean
(Avg Score)
FTP Median
(Middle Score)
FTP Mode
(Most freq.)
Range
Females (N=116) [78%] 50.20 52 49 19-70
Males (N=33) [22%] 50.63 49 49 31-70
Age:
20-29 (N=14) [9%] 55.14 54 49 45-68
30-39 (N=46) [31%] 54.35 57 60 32-70
40-49 (N=28) [19%] 53.71 54 70 25-70
50-59 (N=43) [29%] 46.02 49 49 15-67
60-69 (N=18) [12%] 42.67 46 46 19-68
Ethnicity:
African American (N=7) [5%] 52.14 57 54 32-70
Asian (N=6) [4%] 49.17 49 49 38-58
White, Non-Hispanic (N=75)
[50%]
50.29 49 49 19-70
Hispanic (N=49) [33%] 52.51 55 70 26-70
Native American (N=6) [4%] 36.83 35 N/A 15-62
Other (N=6) [4%] 49.50 49 N/A 37-60
Years of Experience as a BSN:
0-4.9 (N=77) [52%] 54.42 49 49 24-70
5-9.9 (N=24) [16%] 45.83 45 46 20-70
10-14.9 (N=14) [9%] 44.57 48 N/A 25-61
15-19.9 (N=10) [7%] 50.50 52 49 19-67
20-24.9 (N=8) [5%] 42.00 45 N/A 15-58
25-29.9 (N=2) [1%] 34.50 N/A N/A 26-43
30+ (N=14) [9%] 49.93 51 52 30-68
Years of Experience:
0-4.9 (=39) [26] 56.46 56 49 35-70
5-9.9 (N=41) [28%] 51.12 52 59 31-70
10-14.9 (N=14) [9%] 49.00 49 47 25-70
15-19.9 (N=11) [7%] 48.55 49 38 30-64
20-24.9 (N=14) [9%] 45.00 46 46 15-65
25-29.9 (N=10) [7%] 49.30 52 N/A 26-67
30+ Years (N=20) [13%] 44.10 46 49 19-68
Likelihood of returning for
MSN:
Within next 5 years (N=54)
[36%]
Within next 10 years (N=10)
[7%]
Yes, time not decided (N=22)
[15%]
55.65 55 70 24-70
52.60 52 65 36-67
47.41 54 46 36-67
Perhaps, someday (N=23) [15%] 53.22 49 49 31-60
Unlikely (N=20) [13%] 46.70 49 49 15-68
Almost no chance (N=20) [13%] 39.55 40 43 19-67