The presence of mathematics and computer anxiety in nursing students and their effects on medication dosage calculations.
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.
Glaister
Karen
K
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Curtin University of Technology, Perth 6845, WA, Australia. k.glaister@curtin.edu.au
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