The effect of context on nursing student math aptitude

Math proficiency is a prerequisite to the performance of many nursing functions, including medication calculations, but many nursing students have difficulty performing this basic clinical skill. Research has demonstrated that math aptitude alone does not fully explain student outcomes on medication calculation assessments (MCAs), and contextual factors associated with reading and interpreting written medication questions are important for nurse educators to better understand. Reading and English aptitude are proposed as two potential contextual factors that may help explain the nursing student's ability to pass a written MCA. The purpose of this study was to describe the effects of reading and English aptitude on baccalaureate nursing students' ability to pass an MCA taken during the junior year of the nursing curriculum.