Probable future managerial response by nursing education administrators to trends in health care : a Delphi application

• Main Author: Hill, Barbara Ann
• Other Authors: Riegle, Jack D.
• Format: Others
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Nursing > Study and teaching.; Nursing services > Administration.
• Online Access: http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/handle/handle/176780; http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/386510

One purpose of the study was to report forecasts made by a sample of nursing education administrators regarding future developments in health care, nursing practice and nursing education. The study was also designed to identify predicted new dimensions, if any, required for managing future nursing education programs.Forty-three baccalaureate nursing education administrators representing nine midwestern states were identified. Thirty-one individuals completed the total three round Delphi study.The following questions were investigated: (1) What events will most probably occur in health care by 1992?; (2) What events will most probably occur in nursing practice by 1992?; (3) What events will most probably occur in nursing education by 1992?; and (4) What specific, new managerial skills, if any, should be included in the nursing education. administration role by 1992?Reiterative judgments concerning the probable future of health care, nursing practice, nursing education and nursing education administration were systematically secured by utilizing the Delphi process. Individual responses were tabulated according to median and interquartile percents of probability. A median percent of probability over fifty was considered to be an indication of the probable occurrence of an event by 1992.The following summary of findings was developed from analysis of the data: Increased emphasis and integration of health maintenance into the health care delivery system; growth in competitive incentive programs by all health care agencies for clients; use of computers by staff nurses for autonomous decision-making concerning patient care; utilization of "technical" and "professional" nurses according to uniform job descriptions for each level; increase of faculty-student ratio to 1:15 in clinical education; utilization of computers for construction and analysis of nursing education programs; implementation of retrenchment and cost-effective budgeting systems; exercise of political astuteness by nursing education administrators; and innovative utilization of faculty members. Managerial skills considered to be both new and essential by 1992 were identified by the respondents. Skills included: computer usage skills; computer language; information systems knowledge; program analysis via computer; marketing; trend analysis; and coping with organizational complexity.