| The purpose of this study was to ascertain the knowledge level of Advanced Practice Nurses in Florida regarding selected business concepts and the extent to which these concepts were used in practice. The study sought to examine differences in knowledge and use of the business concepts by demographic characteristics, e.g., race, age, gender.; After an extensive literature review, a 32-item survey was constructed to sample a population of Advanced Practice Nurses in Florida to determine their knowledge and use of selected business concepts in their practices. The survey consisted of two sections. Section I consisted of 10 items designed to collect data such as age, gender, years of practice, and current practice setting. Section II of the survey consisted of 22 items related to business concepts identified in an earlier study by Sportsman, Hawley, Pollock, & Vernell (2001).; A sample of 1000 Advanced Practice Nurses in Florida was randomly selected to receive the survey. A total of 378 (37.8%) nurses responded to the survey. Frequency tabulations, percentages, t-tests, and analysis of variance were used to analyze the data.; The data indicated that 64% of the respondents to the survey had either very little or no knowledge of the 22 concepts and skills listed. The data analysis found that most of the APNs in the study had not taken a business course. Among those that had taken one or more business courses, the most commonly reported course was leadership. Those nurses who had taken a business course in accounting, finance, or even marketing accounted for 15% or less of the sample.; The findings of this study indicate that the expectations for nursing practice in the present and future will call for more knowledge and use of business concepts and skills by Advanced Practice Nurses. The contemporary nurse is a hybrid, a blend of nurse and businessperson. The type, nature, and quality of educational preparation will determine the effectiveness of the Advanced Practice Nurse. On the basis of this research core curricular content should include: finance, accounting, marketing and health policy courses. |
