title: Test Anxiety in the Nursing Skills Laboratory: A Concept Analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The concept of test anxiety has been well documented within the health education literature, with much of the literature addressing the clinical environment and simulation laboratories. Minimal exploration of test anxiety has been conducted within the context of a nursing skills laboratory.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This concept analysis of test anxiety will provide clarity to the meaning and use of this concept within the nursing educational setting of a controlled skills laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Walker and Avant's (2005) framework was used to identify the defining attributes, antecedents, and consequences of test anxiety and applied in model, borderline, and contrary cases, and empirical referents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Understanding the concept of test anxiety will enable nurse educators to develop strategies to reduce student anxiety during testing in the skill laboratory. These insights can lead to positive changes within the nursing curricula and may benefit those students who experience testing anxiety.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Student, College of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, and Nursing Instructor, Red River College, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Deborah L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Professor, Associate Dean, Graduate Programs, College of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Jo-Ann V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Sawatzky
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology* / Q000451:nursing; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003210:Concept Formation; D006801:Humans