title: The presence of mathematics and computer anxiety in nursing students and their effects on medication dosage calculations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if the presence of mathematical and computer anxiety in nursing students affects learning of dosage calculations.
  
  
  METHODS
  The quasi-experimental study compared learning outcomes at differing levels of mathematical and computer anxiety when integrative and computer based learning approaches were used. Participants involved a cohort of second year nursing students (n=97).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mathematical anxiety exists in 20% (n=19) of the student nurse population, and 14% (n=13) experienced mathematical testing anxiety. Those students more anxious about mathematics and the testing of mathematics benefited from integrative learning to develop conditional knowledge (F(4,66)=2.52 at p<.05). Computer anxiety was present in 12% (n=11) of participants, with those reporting medium and high levels of computer anxiety performing less well than those with low levels (F(1,81)=3.98 at p<.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Instructional strategies need to account for the presence of mathematical and computer anxiety when planning an educational program to develop competency in dosage calculations.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Curtin University of Technology, Perth 6845, WA, Australia. k.glaister@curtin.edu.au
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Glaister
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D001315:Australia; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D003197:Computer Literacy; D003200:Computer User Training; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods; D003479:Curriculum; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000451:nursing*; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000379:methods; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008433:Mathematics; D020380:Needs Assessment; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013732:Test Anxiety Scale