NURSES REPRESENTATIONS OF THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE FEATURES OF NURSING

Nurses' representations of their work are defined as their cognitive ' work spaces', a theoretical concept derived from Newell & Simon's (197 7) problem-solving model and Lewin's (1935) concept of interacting pos itive and negative valences, Using a structural equation modelling tec hnique, a network of positive and negative features in nurses' work sp aces is described in patterns of response to a questionnaire eliciting nurses' ratings of their professional opportunities and difficulties, The modelling technique revealed the dominance of positive over negat ive features, and the overall significance of social recognition for e ncouraging nurses to remain in nursing, Comparative analyses revealed that dominant features of work space representations did not differ fo r nurses from four city and country hospitals, nor in relation to posi tions in the nursing hierarchy, The importance of understanding the pe rceptions of nurses is discussed in relation to changes and developmen t in nursing as a profession.