Math anxiety, self-efficacy, and ability in British undergraduate nursing students
Miriam McMullan1, Ray Jones, Susan Lea
1Faculty of Health, Education and Society, University of Plymouth, Peninsula Allied Health Centre, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK.
Research in Nursing & Health
|January 21, 2012
Summary
Nursing students
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Medical Calculations
Background:
- Competent drug calculation is essential for safe nursing practice.
- Factors influencing nursing students' drug calculation skills require investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the impact of mathematics anxiety, self-efficacy, and numerical ability on drug calculation competence.
- To identify key predictors of drug calculation skills among nursing students.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 229 second-year British nursing students.
- Assessment of mathematics anxiety, self-efficacy, numerical ability, and drug calculation skills.
- Statistical analysis to determine relationships and predictive factors.
Main Results:
- Significant correlations were found between anxiety, self-efficacy, and drug calculation ability (p < .001).
- Students failing tests exhibited higher anxiety (p < .001) and lower confidence (p ≤ .002).
- Numerical ability (beta = 0.50, p < .001) and drug calculation self-efficacy (beta = 0.16, p = .04) were significant predictors.
Conclusions:
- Numerical ability is the strongest predictor of drug calculation competence.
- Interventions should address mathematics anxiety and enhance self-efficacy.
- Early assessment and reinforcement of basic numerical skills are recommended for nursing students.
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