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Article Excerpt
ABSTRACT Given the significant and widespread changes in the health care system, generational diversity and the resulting differences in values present a challenge for the nursing profession. A three-group comparative design was used to compare the professional nursing values held by nursing students, new graduates, and seasoned practitioners, utilizing the Nursing Professional Values Scale (Weis & Schank, 2000) developed from the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics. Findings revealed greater similarities than differences across the three groups; the notion that experience is necessary to develop professional values was not supported. Significant differences were seen across groups related to their knowledge regarding the code of ethics and its relevance to practice. Strategies to bridge the gap in value orientation between education and practice are offered as a means to strengthen professional commitment and maintain the viability of the profession.
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Values that are likely to influence behavior are a legitimate concern of those who educate and employ nurses. As a result of new technologies, scientific advances, and changes in the health care environment, today's nurses are confronted with uncertainty, unknown boundaries, and new practice questions. Despite our best intentions, we take new graduates, who are full of hope and excitement, and throw them into often-impossible situations. It is imperative that nursing students clearly understand their own values and those of their chosen profession so that they may realize the rewards of nursing as a caring profession (Thorpe & Loo, 2003).
Today's workforce is made up of individuals from different generational cohorts. Zemke, Raines, and Filipczak tell us that "there is a problem in the workplace ... not derived from downsizing, rightsizing, or change. It is a problem of values, views, mindsets, demographics, and generations in conflict" (2000, p. 9). The challenge for both nursing education and practice is to view these differences as potential strengths and maximize the contributions of all nurses. It takes time to understand the differences between the generations.
The successful leader will try various strategies to bridge the generational gap and use the expertise of each group to facilitate patient care. For example, the energy, techno-literacy, and commitment of Generation X and Millennials will complement the wisdom and nursing experience of the Baby Boom generation. Recognizing differences and appreciating the expertise that each nurse brings to the workplace will create an environment that embraces generational diversity (Gibson, 2009).
In discussions with colleagues, we often find ourselves comparing today's students with ourselves, when we were students and new graduates. We hear comments such as: "Students/new graduates have no sense of professional values or professional behavior." "Students/new graduates are not aware of nursing traditions, nursing culture, or what it means to be a nurse. Have they not been taught the Code of Ethics?" "New graduates are not committed to the organization but are working to pay for their next vacation." The authors of this article contend that generational gaps are not new or insurmountable and that recognizing shared values in the workplace is essential to establish commitment to the nursing profession (Laschinger, Finegan, Shamian, & Casier, 2003; Swearingen & Lieberman, 2004).
Translating generational differences into workplace initiatives requires research into what each group sees as important, but little research has been done on whether professional values differ by age, experience, or generation. This research examined the value orientation of students, new graduates, and seasoned practitioners with regard to the fundamental values of professional nursing as delineated in the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics (2001). This code is a succinct statement of the ethical obligations and duties of every individual who enters the profession. It serves as an expression of rules, goals, and nonnegotiable ethical standards. Moreover, the code is an expression of nursing's understanding of its commitment to society. The values...
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