Factors That Influence Nursing Students ’ Participation in Nursing Organizations By Faith Geho
Despite the many benefits that nursing associations offer , there is a surprising lack of student involvement in these organizations . I consider myself fortunate , as my advisor encouraged me to become involved in my school ’ s student nurse organization before my sophomore year . At first , I was hesitant ; I was not sure if I would have the time and did not know what I would be doing . However , looking back on my college experience over the last few years , I am extremely grateful that I was given the opportunity to become more involved in nursing organizations . As I set out to begin working on my BSN honors project , I found that I was interested in learning more about why there is a lack of student involvement in these associations . Thus , with the assistance of Ursuline ’ s student nurse association ( SNA ) faculty advisor , I chose to research the perceived barriers and benefits of student participation in nursing organizations .
The first step in my project was to perform a literature search specific to my topic . Unfortunately , I could find almost no literature regarding nursing student or RN participation in nursing organizations . However , research has been done on student engagement , which can be defined as “ behavioral , cognitive and emotional aspects of students ’ academic experience in teaching , learning and research through interacting with other students , faculty and community ” ( Kassab , et al , 2022 ). Factors such as effort , environment , interest , empowerment , and relationships all play a significant role in student participation ( Bond & Bedenlier , 2019 ). Additionally , there are four components that directly correlate with levels of student engagement : relevance , autonomy , collaboration , and authenticity ( Taylor , et al ., 2016 ).
Once I completed my literature search , I decided that it would be beneficial to survey nursing students who are involved in nursing organizations , as they would be able to assist me in determining the benefits and barriers of membership in these associations . I believe that there are numerous benefits to exploring nursing students ’ perceptions of their engagement in these organizations , such as promoting membership , developing literature in support of nursing student organizations and their benefits , and supporting future nurses as they continue their education and advance their careers .
When considering the survey population , I had options . I could have focused on my school ’ s population or the state of Ohio ; however , I thought that a national survey would provide the most insight . So , I contacted NSNA , and the association graciously allowed me to send my survey out to members . In January 2023 , the survey , which contained 10 close-ended demographic questions and 4 open-ended questions , was distributed to NSNA members through the association ’ s listserv . The survey was open for two weeks ; a chance at winning a gift card was offered as an incentive to encourage responses . At the time of survey closure , 76 participants had started the survey , but only 22 had fully completed the survey . Survey respondents indicated the state that they were living in at the time of survey completion : Michigan ( 3 ), Washington ( 3 ), Pennsylvania ( 2 ), Florida ( 2 ), Minnesota ( 1 ), New York ( 1 ), Nevada ( 1 ), Ohio ( 1 ), Montana ( 1 ), Texas ( 1 ), Tennessee ( 1 ), Utah ( 1 ), Arkansas ( 1 ), Missouri ( 1 ), California ( 1 ), North Carolina ( 1 ), and Alabama ( 1 ).
Demographic results indicated that 87.5 % of respondents identified as female ; most were between the ages of 31-40 ; 66.6 % identified as Caucasian ; 50 % were enrolled in a traditional , 4-year BSN program ; 50 % were students at a small university ( under 5,000 enrolled students ); the majority were employed part-time ; 58.3 % were commuter students who live with family ; 100 % participated in their school ’ s nursing organization ; and 70.8 % were involved in their state ’ s nursing student organization .
37