| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 369090 | Nurse Education Today | 2007 | 7 Pages |
SummaryAimTo determine if the presence of mathematical and computer anxiety in nursing students affects learning of dosage calculations.MethodThe 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).ResultsMathematical 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).ConclusionInstructional strategies need to account for the presence of mathematical and computer anxiety when planning an educational program to develop competency in dosage calculations.
