Nurse Education and Mathematical Competency: Implementation of an Online, Self-Directed, Prerequisite Model

Abstract

Mathematical competency in the profession of nursing has increasingly become a central focus as more nursing students appear to struggle with basic concepts of arithmetic, mental estimation, and critical reasoning. This paper highlights how one School of Nursing in Ontario, Canada implemented a Dosage Calculation Competency Test model which involved an online, self-directed, prerequisite approach to improve student mathematical competency and confidence. The purpose of this research case study was to document, through shared participant perceptions, the creation, implementation, and subsequent modifications to a Dosage Calculation Competency Test model in light of student needs and advances in online learning and assessment. The research design combined a quantitative survey of Year 1–4 nursing students, followed by a series of qualitative, semi-structured interviews with nursing students and program instructors. The study took place within a School of Nursing undergraduate program in Ontario, Canada. Forty-four participants, including students from all four years of the nursing program, completed the survey, followed by individual interviews with nine students and six faculty instructors. Survey (the open-response items) and interview data were analyzed thematically using ATLAS.ti (ATLAS.ti, Berlin, Germany). The authors recount the new DCCT model’s development, implementation, and subsequent modifications and further discuss student/instructor perceptions of learning types, math confidence, and competency. The paper concludes with a series of seven key recommendations for nursing programs.

Strategies to prevent medical errors by nursing interns: a qualitative content analysis

“…Since prescribing medications is one of the primary responsibilities of nursing, it is necessary to learn mathematical skills to master medication dosage calculations such as fractions, ratios, and unit conversions. Many students have difficulties with the basic concepts of calculations, mental estimation, and critical reasoning in the competence of drug dosage calculations skills [ 51 ]. The electrocardiogram (ECG) is considered an important assessment tool, and accurate clinical judgment is directly related to the correct interpretation of the ECG [ 52 ].…”

Adaptive Web-Based Technology Aiming at Improving Learning of Medication Calculation Skills for Nursing Students

“…Web-based learning that only is based on a network of static hypertext pages provides students with passive and inadequate learning experiences [33]. However, in the recent years of web-based development, several web-based learning developers have implemented different kinds of interactive web-based learning interventions, providing students with opportunities to make their own choices from the various options available based on their understanding of a task or situation [17,32]. In this lens, students are given a hands-on approach to web-based learning, working with questions or quizzes and assessment activities when learning a task.…”

“…Improving the medication calculation skills of nursing students has been an ongoing challenge for nursing educators [9,15,17]. The issue lies in designing pedagogical, monitoring, and tutoring scenarios to support students to learn medication calculation skills appropriately [13,17]. Currently, there are several global educational initiatives to enhance learning and thereby prevent medication calculation errors.…”