A Study of Buddhist Characteristics, Psychological Characteristics and Academic Achievement of Student Nurses at Kuakarun College of Nursing

Abstract

A Study of Buddhist Characteristics, Psychological Characteristics and Academic Achievement of Student Nurses at Kuakarun College of Nursing

Raveewan      Sribhen                      MA (Social Development)*

Premwadee    Karuhadej                EdD (Higher Education) **

*Department of Fundamentals Nursing, Kuakarun Nursing College

**Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Nursing, Nursing, Kuakarun College of Nursing

Objective: The purpose of the research was twofold, in the first place it studied the Buddhist characteristics, psychological characteristics, and academic achievement of the student nurses at Kuakarun College of Nursing to find out the relationship among the three; secondly, it was aimed at finding out if the demographic factors (study year level, concordance between the nature of work and the character, monthly income, and number of family members member) contributed to differences in their Buddhist characteristics and psychological characteristics.

Study design: Survey research.

Subjects: The total 268 student nurses at Kuakarun College of Nursing, Department of Health, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration were used as the sample of the study the data were collected from May to June, 2002 (a period of two months.)

Methods: The questionnaires consisted of two parts which were 40 items of Buddhist characteristics and 87 items of psychological characteristics.  The questionnaires had six rating scale.  The obtained data were analyzed by mean and compared the relationship between Buddhist characteristics, their psychological characteristics  and achievement of student nurses.

Main outcome measures: Mean of Buddhist characteristics, their psychological characteristics and academic achievement of the student nurses.

Results: Two important finding were: (1) the Buddhist characteristics had no statistically significant difference relationship with the academic achievement, also the psychological characteristics were not significantly related to their academic achievement, but individual of psychological characteristics were considered, the use of ethical reasoning and belief in self-power were found to have influence on their academic achievement at the p < 0.05 level.  (2)  The study-year level and concordance between the nature of work and the characteristics were found to have a significant relationship with their Buddhist characteristics and their psychological characteristics at the p < 0.001 level.  On the other hand, monthly income and number of family members were not significantly related to their Buddhist characteristics and their psychological characteristics

Conclusion: No significant relationship was found between the buddhist characteristics and the psychological characteristics and the academic achievement.  When the psychological characteristics were analyzed, it was found that the use of ethical reasoning and belief in self -power were related to the student nurses, and the different study -year level were different in terms of Buddhist characteristics and psychological characteristics.

Key word: Buddhist characteristics, psychological characteristics, academic achievement and the student nurses.

Vajira Med J 2003 ; 47 : 85 - 92