Nursing students' confidence in medication calculations predicts math exam performance.
The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties, including predictive validity, of the newly-developed nursing self-efficacy for mathematics (NSE-Math). The NSE-Math is a 12 item scale that comprises items related to mathematic and arithmetic concepts underpinning medication calculations. The NSE-Math instrument was administered to second year Bachelor of Nursing students enrolled in a nursing practice subject. Students' academic results for a compulsory medication calculation examination for this subject were collected. One-hundred and twelve students (73%) completed both the NSE-Math instrument and the drug calculation assessment task. The NSE-Math demonstrated two factors 'Confidence in application of mathematic concepts to nursing practice' and 'Confidence in arithmetic concepts' with 63.5% of variance explained. Cronbach alpha for the scale was 0.90. The NSE-Math demonstrated predictive validity with the medication calculation examination results (p=0.009). Psychometric testing suggests the NSE-Math is a valid measure of mathematics self-efficacy of second year nursing students.
Andrew
Sharon
S
School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health and Science, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, Australia. s.andrew@uws.edu.au
Salamonson
Yenna
Y
Halcomb
Elizabeth J
EJ
D000328:Adult; D054796:Drug Dosage Calculations; D004506:Education, Nursing; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D009517:New South Wales; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020377:Self Efficacy