Date of Graduation

1989

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

The problem undergirding this study is the lack of scholarly productivity among nursing faculty. This problem was addressed in this study by investigating the relationship between mentoring for academic role and scholarly productivity among nursing faculty. An ex post facto descriptive correlation procedure was used to examine the study variables. The study population consisted of 305 doctorally prepared women nursing faculty employed fulltime at schools of nursing, accredited by the National League for Nursing, which offered graduate degree programs in nursing. The minimal academic rank held by all study participants was assistant professor. The study population completed an instrument designed to quantify scholarly productivity, and gather data on mentorship experiences. Gathered data were used to describe the nature of mentoring for academic role. The relationship of mentorships and scholarly productivity was explored. In addition, salient characteristics of mentorships were examined for significance or relationship to scholarly productivity. The study found that mentorships for academic role occurred in 55.7% of the study participants. There were many similarities in the mentoring experiences described by participants in this study and the experiences reported by other researchers who have explored the mentoring concept. Mentorships for academic role were identified as significant to scholarly productivity, especially if the mentorships included a focus on the research component of academic role. The three characteristics of a mentorship experience which influenced scholarly productivity were length of the mentorship, when the mentorship occurred, and types of support provided by the mentor. Scholarly productivity scores were higher among study participants if the mentorships for academic role lasted more than two years, took place during doctoral programs or cut across two or more periods of career development, and if the mentorship provided a variety of supportive functions. Types of supportive functions that appeared especially useful to scholarly productivity were sponsoring of protege ideas or cosponsoring projects with the protege. The study identified that scholarly productivity was not assured among doctorally prepared nursing faculty who have been mentored for academic role. The timing and nature of mentorships, interests of the mentor, and other factors influence development of scholarly role. Mentorships that enhanced scholarly productivity among nursing faculty tended to occur when proteges sensed an intense relationship, friendship, and philosophical similarity with their mentors.

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