The effects of assertiveness training on the nontraditional role assumption of geriatric nurse practitioners

The Nurse Practitioner movement has been an important element in upgrading health care for the elderly, principally by reducing costs and increasing availability. One central concern in this movement is the ability of Nurse Practitioners NPs] to break out of the restricted and repressed role of nurse. The teaching of assertive behavior has been an accepted method of assisting NPs in this role change. This study evaluates the effects of assertiveness training using a measure of role assumption in addition to the typical self-report attitude measures. Three cohorts of NP students (N=59) were evaluated with a pre-post administration of attitude measures of assertiveness and a six-month follow-up to measure role assumption. Although the training did have a significant impact on the attitude measures, the impact on nontraditional role assumption was minimal. Policy implications are discussed.