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

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.

The effect of drug dosage calculation training program on math anxiety and nursing students’ skills: A non-randomized trial study

Background & Aim: Drug dosage calculation is one of the main skills in the drug administration process that requires sufficient knowledge about mathematical calculations and drug dosage; besides, lack of math anxiety is required for drug dosage calculation. This study aimed to determine the effect of mathematical calculation and drug dosage training programs on math anxiety and nursing students’ drug dosage calculation skills. Background & Aim: Drug dosage calculation is one of the main skills in the drug administration process that requires sufficient knowledge about mathematical calculations and drug dosage; besides, lack of math anxiety is required for drug dosage calculation. This study aimed to determine the effect of mathematical calculation and drug dosage training programs on math anxiety and nursing students’ drug dosage calculation skills. Results: The two groups were homogeneous in terms of demographic variables, math anxiety, and drug calculation scores in the baseline. Two-way analysis of variance with repeated measures indicated the significant effect of the group on math anxiety (P=0.024). Given the interaction between group effect and time for the drug dosage calculations, comparing the differences between the second- and third-time scores of the baseline scores showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of drug dosage calculations (P <0.001). Conclusion: Implementation of a drug dosage calculation training program for nursing students can lead to the reduction of math anxiety and improvement of the drug dosage calculations; this can ultimately help improve patient safety.

Retention of mathematics and drug dosage calculation knowledge among undergraduate nursing students of a private school of nursing in Pakistan

This study aims to assess retention of drug dose calculation knowledge of undergraduate nursing students studying at a private school of nursing. This is a pre and post comparison design conducted at Aga Khan University, Pakistan from August, 2017 to September, 2019. All students enrolled in Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) - Class of 2019 were enrolled. Mean test scores of 141 fourth year BScN students were compared with their own performance in second year. Mean scores on mathematics and drug dosage calculation test decreased significantly from 21 in 2nd year of studies to 17.97 in final year of studies. Modifications in assessments as well as curriculum are suggested to improve retention of dose calculation skills among undergraduate nursing students. Keywords: Nursing Education, Drug Calculation, Continuous...

A new method to calculate the maximum dose of local anesthetics

The purpose of this correspondence is to present a suggestion of a simple and practical formula to calculate the maximum recommended dose of local anesthetics. We believe that using the proposed formula, it will be easier to calculate the maximum recommended dose.Descriptors: : Local Anesthetics; Drug Dosage Calculation; Clinical Practice Pattern.ReferencesMalamed SF. Handbook of local anesthesia. 6th ed. St Louis: Mosby 2013.

Need Assessment and Development of a Mobile-based Medication Dosage Calculation Application for ICU nurses

Background Medication dosage calculation errors are among the most common errors of nurses in intensive care unit (ICU). Information technologies, particularly mobile devices, can advance drug dosage calculation processes. The objective of this study was to develop a medication dosage calculation application for nurses in intensive care units. Methods This study was performed in the ICUs of teaching hospitals in Kerman University of Medical Sciences in 2018. First, a need assessment survey of nurses was conducted to determine the required features of the application. As well two specialists were interviewed to determine the medications used in the ICUs. Second, a medication dosage calculation application was developed using formative usability testing. Results Overall, 80% of the participants (n=120) answered the need assessment questionnaire. Of 29 features determined in the needs assessment, 19 were selected to develop the application. Moreover, 25 medications were selected by specialists and participants for the development of the application and its prototype. The usability test of the prototype found 15 problems. After fixing these problems 2 problems were identified, which were fixed in the final version. Conclusion According to the participants, development of the medication dosage calculation application increases the accuracy of drug dosage and reduces the errors. The user-identified features were developed in-app. User-centered usability testing in this study improved development based on needs of users. The method used in this study can be used by developers of health applications to develop applications which are consistent with user needs.