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There is nearly universal agreement in the health care community
that there is a shortage of registered nurses (RNs) in the United
States and that this shortage will become more acute in the years
to come. Recent studies indicate that much of the public believes
this as well. Although there is general agreement on the existence
of a nursing shortage, not everyone agrees on the underlying causes
of the shortage or the best way to alleviate it.
The NurseWeek/AONE Survey of Registered Nurses survey was conducted
by Harris Interactive on behalf of NurseWeek and the American Organization
of Nurse Executives' (AONE) Institute for Patient Care Research
and Education to learn more about the nursing shortage and the issues
that surround it from the perspective of nurses themselves. RNs
were surveyed on their perceptions of the shortage and its impact,
their experiences in their work environment, and their future career
plans.
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| Survey Method and Sample |
The survey was conducted from October 24, 2001 through March 13, 2002
among a nationally representative sample of 7,600 registered nurses,
randomly selected from a list of all RNs licensed to practice in the
United States. Respondents were invited by mail to participate in
the survey and given the option of completing the questionnaire either
on paper or via the Internet. The questionnaire averaged 15 minutes
in length.
In an effort to maximize participation, up to seven contacts were
made by mail with each potential respondent. In addition, respondents
were offered 3 hours of free continuing education, and entered into
a drawing to win certificates for free travel as an inducement to
participate. A total of 4108 RNs completed the survey for a response
rate of 55%. (177 out of the 7,600 invited to participate were determined
to be ineligible). Figures for age and region of the country were
weighted to align them with their actual proportions in the nursing
population. |
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| Project Responsibility |
A research advisory team of nationally recognized nursing and workforce
researchers was assembled by NurseWeek and AONE to provide oversight
for the study, and to guide the development of the questionnaire,
the research methodology, and the analysis of the data. This team
consisted of Mary A. Blegen PhD, RN, FAAN; Peter Buerhaus PhD, RN,
FAAN; Karen Donelan, ScD; and Karen Sechrist, PhD, RN, FAAN. The team
also included Karen Haase-Herrick, MN, RN, AONE board member; Carol
Bradley, MSN, RN, Regional Vice President and Editor, NurseWeek California
Edition; and Pamela Thompson, MS, RN, Executive Director of AONE,
representing the sponsoring organizations. Deloras Jones, MS, RN,
served as project leader, providing overall leadership and guidance.
The Harris team responsible for management of the project and analysis
of the results included Peter Risher, Senior Project Director
and Sandra Applebaum, Research Associate.
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| Public Release of Survey Findings |
All Harris Interactive surveys are designed to comply with the code
and standards of the Council of American Survey Research Organizations
(CASRO) and the code of the National Council of Public Polls (NCPP).
Because data from the survey may be released to the public, release
must stipulate that the complete report is also available. |
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