Levels of political participation and political expectations among nurses in New York State.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of area of practice, educational level, and membership in a professional organization to political participation and political expectations among a group of 108 registered nurses. "The Political Expectations and Participation Questionnaire" (PEPQ) (Daffin, 1988) was used to identify the nine political roles of voter, campaigner, player, monitor, networker, spokesperson, negotiator, leader, and lobbyist. It was found that nurses with master's or doctoral degrees had significantly higher levels of political participation than did nurses with baccalaureates, associate degrees, or diplomas. Nurse educators were found to have significantly higher levels of political participation than nurses in clinical practice. Members of professional organizations had significantly higher levels of political participation with respect to campaigner, player, and leader roles. No significant differences in levels of political expectation were found with respect to area of practice or membership in a professional organization.