Title: Characteristics of young nurses assertiveness
Abstract:
Objective: This study aimed to identify characteristics of assertiveness of young nurses.
Methods: A self-rating questionnaire survey was conducted with novice nurses of five hospitals where nursing directors expressed cooperation, from September to November of 2019. The questionnaire included the Nurse Assertiveness Scale (NAS), the emotional intelligence scale, and the team collaboration scale.
Results: The mean scores of NAS and emotional intelligence of females and males were different. The participants were 805 female and 72 male nurses: mean age 22.60 ± 3.07; mean NAS 67.4 ± 10.1, and mean intelligence score 11.3 ± 2.2. Female nurses were less assertive than males, with statistically significantly higher total NAS and subscale non-assertive scores than males (p < 0.01). The score of the unresponsive or aggressive attitudes was lower than males, but there was no significant difference in acceptance of improper evaluations. Examining the correlation with other continuous variables by the NAS total score and subscales (acceptance of improper evaluations, non-assertive, unresponsive or aggressive attitudes), the NAS total score was inversely correlated with self-confidence in nursing practice, rapidness of judgment, extroversion, and team cooperation, but correlated with burnout and neuroticism. By subscales, acceptance of improper evaluations was inversely correlated with emotional intelligence, being cut out for being nurses, self-confidence in nursing practice, diligence, and team collaboration, but correlated with burnout and neuroticism. A non-assertive attitude was inversely correlated with self-confidence in nursing practice, rapidness of judgment and extroversion, but correlated with burnout and neuroticism. Unresponsive or aggressive attitude was only correlated with team collaboration.
Discussion: Female nurses were less assertive than male nurses, but there was no difference in the assertiveness of female and male nurses with passive attitudes, such as accepting improper evaluations of others. Nurses who cannot be assertive reported negative characteristics more strongly by lack of self-confidence in nursing practice, slowness of judgment, easy burnout tendencies, neuroticism, and poor team cooperation. Nurses who are likely to accept improper evaluations of others may display low emotional intelligence and poor diligence, and may need special education.
