Numeracy Teaching for Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Professional Training
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Numeracy skills are crucial for patient safety in nursing.
• Undergraduate nurses and Registered Nurses (RNs) demonstrate low calculation accuracy rates.
• Diverse educational approaches are employed to teach numeracy to nursing students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and synthesize the diverse approaches used in teaching numeracy to undergraduate nursing students.
• To identify gaps in the literature regarding effective numeracy teaching strategies.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted, yielding 1,180 articles published between 1994 and 2022.
• Scoping review methodology, utilizing the PRIMSA extension, was employed for study assessment.
• Thirty-nine relevant articles were included in the final analysis.

Main Results:

• A wide array of teaching methods were identified, encompassing learning theory, calculation techniques, learning environments, and examination aids.
• The review highlighted the variety of pedagogical strategies implemented in numeracy education for nurses.
• Limited international studies focused on the efficacy of specific teaching approaches.

Conclusions:

• There is a significant need for evidence-based frameworks to guide the teaching of numeracy to undergraduate nurses.
• Developing a robust, evidence-based numeracy framework is essential for improving calculation skills and patient safety.
• Further research is needed to determine the most effective teaching strategies for nursing numeracy.