Membership Responses to National Health Occupations Education Program Standards

This article reports data collected from the membership of the Health Occupations Education Division of the American Vocational Association regarding program standards, Fourteen standards were submitted to 50% of the Division’s members (N.847). The standards were based on previous studies conducted by the North Carolina Department of Education and East Carolina University. During developmental stages, the potential standards were reviewed by the policy committees of the Division and the National Association of Supervisors and Administrators of Health Occupations Education (NASAHOE). The study data are based on 144 completed questionnaires. This provides a 17% return rate and represents S.5% of the Division’s membership. Since the standards were based upon previous studies, reviewed by HOE Policy Boards, and since the respondents evidenced a high percentage of agreement with the proposed standards, the authors recommend adoption by the Health Occupations Education Policy Board

Persistence in Community College Allied Health Programs

The purpose of this study was to identify early indicators of persistence using preenrollment variables derived from the ASSET assessment developed by the American College Testing Program. The sample studied consisted of 187 community college allied health students enrolled in one- and two-year programs. The length of program persistence, in calendar days, was regressed on preenrollment ASSET variables and the first quarter grade point average. Separate prediction equations were developed for students enrolled in one-year and two-year programs respectively. The adjusted R square for the stepwise regression applied to one-year programs was .67 when first quarter grade point average (GPA) was included and .24 when GPA was deleted. For two-year programs, the adjusted R square was .44 when first quarter GPA was included and .25 when GPA was deleted. The noncognitive, self-reported information from the ASSET planning form, appeared to be more useful than the cognitive measures of academic ability when explaining variance in persistence. However, explained variance increased with knowledge of first quarter grade point average and there was a moderate relationship between cognitive measures and grade point average

The Relationship of Selected Academic and Achievement Variables with the Consistency of a Health Careers Choice

The purpose of this study was to investigate the consistency of career decision making and its relationship with selected achievement and academic variables. The study analyzed data which were obtained from students who took both the American College Testing Assessment and the American College Testing Plan. It included students who chose a health career and, for the most part, were interested in a traditional four year college education. In addition to selected achievement test scores, the study analyzed (a) sureness of career choice; (b) high school course patterns in mathematics and natural science; (c) high school academic achievement; and (d) gender, race and ethnicity, and states which participants represented

Current and Future Use of the Multiskilled Health Worker

Changes in health care delivery are affecting the manpower needs of the health care industry. The two research questions in this study examined one aspect of the manpower changes: the current use and future need for multiskilled manpower. The study sample represents 40 percent of all licensed acute care hospitals in Iowa under 100 beds for a total of 38 hospitals. Frequency tables and percentages were used to portray the number of small hospitals that were currently assigning manpower to multiple skills. All hospitals were found to be currently using some personnel as multiskilled workers. Registered nurses were most frequently given multiskilled assignments and respiratory therapy was the most frequent skill assigned interdepartsnentally. Seventy-nine percent of the respondents indicated they would use more multiskilled manpower if available. Further research is recommended to determine if this trend is occurring in larger hospitals and other aspects of the health care delivery system

Aspiration and Preparation of African and Caucasian American High School Students Interested in Health Careers for the Years 1975, 1985 and 1995

This study investigated changes in selected measures of educational aspiration, preparation, and achievement of African and Caucasian American high school students for the years 1975, 1985, and 1995. A 5% sample of all ACT test takers for each of the years comprised the initial sample from which those high school students indicating a commitment for a health careers collegiate major were selected. Crosstabulation was used to present the data. In view of the large sample size statistical tests of inference were not considered necessary. In general, when comparing the three time periods, we found increased interest in health careers, higher levels of educational aspiration, greater interest in college preparatory programs, more science completed, and higher levels of achievement as measured by high school grade point average and the ACT composite score. Women showed a greater increase than men for all variables. While there were some decIines between 1975 and 1985, the 1995 period was most favorable with the exception of Caucasian male ACT scores. We recommend continued vigilance in high school programming to avoid gender and minority stereotyping, concern for the nonbaccalaureate bound student and gratefully acknowledge the accomplishments of minorities and women