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Published on: June 11, 2012
Innovative Educational Strategies to Improve Dosage Calculation Competency in a Nursing Program
Uloma D Onubogu1, Naquita J Nelson, Lisa Gardner
1Author Affiliations: College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Dartmouth, Massachusetts (Dr. Onubogu); School of Nursing, Salem University, Salem, West Virginia (Dr. Nelson); Florida A&M University, School of Nursing, Tallahassee, Florida (Dr. Gardner); and Academic Affairs, Joyce University, Draper, Utah (Dr. Johnson).
Background:
Medication dosage calculation (MDC) errors remain a persistent concern to patient safety and a barrier to nursing student progression. Programs continue to seek scalable, sustainable instructional strategies to improve MDC competency.
Problem:
Significant declines in pass rates occurred with more than half of students across program levels failing initial MDC assessments.
Approach:
A retrospective program evaluation examined MDC outcomes across 13 semesters (4 pre- and 9 postimplementation) following the implementation of a standardized, experiential MDC initiative integrating instruction, simulation, and assessment. First-attempt pass rates were compared using a t test to assess program-level change over time.
Outcomes:
Mean semester-level MDC pass rates were significantly higher postimplementation, t(3.79) = -4.18, P = .016, with the postimplementation semesters consistently meeting or exceeding the program benchmark.
Conclusions:
A standardized, experiential approach to MDC instruction was associated with sustained improvements in program-level outcomes and provides practical guidance for nurse educators seeking data-driven curricular innovations to support medication safety and student progression.
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