Date of Award

Spring 2020

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

School

Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice

Committee Chair

Dr. Patsy Anderson

Committee Chair School

Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice

Committee Member 2

Dr. Karen Rich

Committee Member 2 School

Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice

Committee Member 3

Dr. Hwanseok Choi

Committee Member 3 School

Health Professions

Committee Member 4

Dr. Elizabeth Tinnon

Committee Member 4 School

Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice

Committee Member 5

Dr. Kevin Freeman

Abstract

Impulsive personality traits have been linked to pathological decision making in individuals who possess the trait. Impulsive pathological decision making may include acts of aggression, divergence, risky behavior, lack of self-care, etc. The purpose of this study was to examine impulsive personality traits among nursing students. Traditional students are defined by the following characteristics: earns a high school diploma, enrolls full time immediately after finishing high school, are financially dependent on parents, and either do not work during the school year or works part-time (the exception to the rule) (Choy, 2002). A non-traditional nursing student is defined as students who possess one or more of the following characteristics: delayed enrollment (does not enter post-secondary education in the same year that he or she finished high school), part-time enrollment for at least part of the academic year, financial independence (for financial aid), full-time employment while enrolled (at least 35 hours per week), has dependents (other than a spouse), single parents (either not married or married but separated), general education development (GED) recipient or certificate of completion (Choy, 2002; USDE, 2018). Depending on the number of characteristics they possess, the current study used a non-traditional student characteristics questionnaire to further breakdown the baccalaureate nursing students into the following groups traditional, minimally nontraditional, moderately/highly nontraditional. The purpose of this study was to examine impulsive personality traits among nursing students.

The results suggested that nursing students with impulsive personality traits are at risk for providing unsafe patient care which indicates a need for cognitive interventions. The setting of the research took place in a large multi-campus university in Mississippi. Traditional and non-traditional baccalaureate nursing students were used for the sample. A sample total of 109 nursing students were divided into two-three groups of 25-53 participants. An independent t-test was used for data analysis to distinguish among traditional and non-traditional nursing students. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical procedure was utilized to examine the differences between the three groups of nursing students. The Kirby Monetary Choice Questionnaire (MCQ) was utilized to obtain participants impulsivity scores.

The results of the study suggest a significant difference (0.05 level) between traditional and non-traditional nursing students. A positive correlation was found between impulsivity scores and participants working full time. No significant difference was found among traditional, moderately/highly non-traditional, and minimally non-traditional nursing students. The results of this study determined a need for cognitive interventions for non-traditional nursing students (especially those who work full time) so that they may better manage their impulsive behavioral tendencies.

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