Nursing students' pharmacological knowledge and calculation skills: Ready for practice?

SummaryObjectivesTo evaluate graduating students' pharmacological knowledge and calculation skills and describe their self-rated readiness to safe medication care in practice on two nurse educational levels. Additionally, the study describes some characteristics of pharmacology in nurse education in Flanders, Belgium.MethodsThirty-eight nursing schools (bachelor's degree in nursing [N = 18] and diploma in nursing [N = 20]) were asked to provide details on their pharmacology curriculum and to let their graduating students participate in a cross-sectional survey using the Medication Knowledge and Calculation test in February/March 2009.ResultsThe 29 participating schools showed a large diversity in pharmacology curricula. Mean scores on the pharmacology section and calculation section were 55% and 66%, respectively, for bachelor's degree and 52% and 53% for diploma students. On a scale of 1–10, 27% had a self-rated readiness perception ≤ 5. Results differed significantly between schools.ConclusionsJust before graduation, nursing students' pharmacological knowledge and calculation skills are limited. Apart from the test results, students did not perceive themselves able to deliver safe medication care in practice. Schools need to address the shortcomings. In practice, awareness is needed regarding possible limitations of the newly graduated.