Commencing nursing students' perceptions and anxiety of bioscience.

Area of Science:

• Biosciences education
• Nursing education
• Undergraduate student perceptions

Background:

• Bioscience is often perceived as difficult and anxiety-inducing for undergraduate nursing students.
• However, the perceptions of commencing nursing students regarding bioscience remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the perceptions, knowledge, and learning approaches of incoming Bachelor of Nursing students towards bioscience.
• To identify preconceptions and anxieties related to bioscience among new nursing students.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire was administered to 273 incoming Bachelor of Nursing students before their bioscience course.
• The survey explored student expectations, preconceptions, learning approaches, and the perceived link between bioscience and clinical practice.
• Analysis included ANOVA to examine the effects of prior science education and age.

Main Results:

• Students frequently expressed anxiety, viewing bioscience as more difficult than nursing subjects and requiring more content.
• Prior secondary school science positively influenced perceptions of bioscience's advantage and difficulty.
• Older students perceived exams as more challenging and saw greater relevance to nursing practice.

Conclusions:

• Preconceptions and anxieties about bioscience are present in commencing nursing students, mirroring those in established groups.
• Educational institutions should proactively address these preconceptions.
• Targeted support is crucial to facilitate a smoother transition into bioscience for nursing students.