World Assumptions, Posttraumatic Growth, and Contributing Factors in a Population of New Nurses

1 online resource (138 pages) : PDF

2013

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

This multi-site study assessed newly licensed, newly hired nurses to determine whether their professional experiences contribute to the development of posttraumatic growth (PTG) and well-being. Also, how world assumptions, coping, social support, and/or nursing specific stress contribute to outcomes of interest. Nurses (N = 49) completed questionnaires within three weeks of their first nursing position and again eight and sixteen weeks later. Findings indicated that nurses reported growth at relatively stable levels over the course of the study and at similar or higher levels to previous cross-sectional studies with similar helping professions. Repeated-measures mixed modeling indicated that greater stress associated with work-specific events (p = .006), challenges to one's core beliefs (p < .001), and less use of the coping style behavioral disengagement (p = .004) were all significantly associated with week sixteen PTG. However, social support (both professional and personal) did not significantly contribute to the model. Analyses also indicated that while challenges to one's core beliefs/world assumptions predicted PTG, the nature of the beliefs (more positive or negative) were not associated with PTG, affirming that it is the examination of one's core beliefs/world assumptions that contributes to growth and not necessarily the content. Directions for future research and potential implications concerning possible strengths-based trainings and interventions for nurses are discussed.

doctoral dissertations

Clinical psychology

Ph.D.

Core Beliefs
Nurses
Posttraumatic Growth
Subjective Well-Being
World Assumptions

Health Psychology

Tedeschi, Richard

Cann, Arnie
Danhauer, Suzanne
Zablotsky, Diane

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2013.

This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). For additional information, see http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/.

Copyright is held by the author unless otherwise indicated.

Jesse_uncc_0694D_10466

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:1641