title: Goals and potential career advancement of licensed practical nurses in Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of personal and professional variables on career advancement intentions of working Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  In Japan, two levels of professional nursing licensures, the LPN and the registered nurse (RN), are likely to be integrated in the future. Therefore, it is important to know the career advancement intentions of LPNs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaires were sent to a sample of 356 LPNs. Analysis of variance (anova) and discriminative analysis were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that those who had a positive image of LPNs along with a positive image of RNs were identified as showing interest in career advancement. The results of anova showed that age had a negative effect; however, discriminative analysis suggested that age is not as significant compared with other variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that the 'image of RNs', and 'role-acceptance factors' have an effect on career advancement intentions of LPNs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that Nursing Managers should create a supportive working environment where the LPN would feel encouraged to carry out the nursing role, thereby creating a positive image of nursing in general which would lead to career motivation and pursuing RN status.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Family Nursing, Division of Health Sciences & Nursing, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. maritake-tky@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Katsuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Kiyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamibeppu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002321:Career Choice; D002322:Career Mobility; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D004518:Education, Professional, Retraining; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D007564:Japan; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008008:Licensure, Nursing; D008875:Middle Aged; D009718:Nurse Administrators / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*; D009743:Nursing, Practical / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D015279:Organizational Culture; D012938:Social Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires