Socio-Economic Status and the Nursing Candidate

What are the educational, occupational and economic backgrounds of girls who enter the nursing profession? What differences are found between family backgrounds of those who elect the 4 year coil. program leading to a BA and those who take only the 3 year course for registered nurse? To investigate this, 2 groups of students entering nursing education in 1951 were studied via Lj. The 1st contained 290 students enrolled in the nurse's training course at Cath. schools in a midwestern city; the 2nd group consisted of 70 students in the coll. nursing program leading to a degree at 3 midwestern Cath. U's. It is concluded that more parents of girls enrolling for BA degrees had attended coll., than parents of girls taking the non-coll. program. About 60% of fathers of the non-coll. students were in semi-skilled and skilled labor forces, while only 31% of fathers of the coll. program girls fell into this category. 50% of families sending girls into the coll. program have an average income of $4,000 or more, while less than 25% of families sending girls into non-coll. program have this income. If scholarships were provided for students electing the non-coll. program, the majority would not elect it. J. Kane.