Using Signal Detection Trials to Determine Remediation Needs: A Secondary Qualitative Analysis

Background and Purpose: Nursing students need to recognize when clinical cues are important or nonessential. By using signal detection theory (SDT) to guide the analysis of nursing student responses, nurse educators can understand and categorize student learning needs to direct remediation. The purpose of this study is to describe and compare the nursing student- and nurse educator-identified needs for remediation after participating in a signal detection trial study for patient deterioration. Methods: A secondary analysis of qualitative data from a mixed-methods study that examined a convenience sample (n = 14) of second-semester senior nursing students from a cohort at a private university was conducted for the identified concept of remediation. The original data were collected using semistructured individual interviews, using a convenience sample. Data were analyzed using content analysis. Results: Two concepts emerged: student-identified remediation and researcher-identified remediation, with subconcepts of knowledge gaps and thinking deficits. Knowledge gaps included when students could not remember relevant information or when the researcher noted incorrect knowledge. Thinking deficits included when data were connected incorrectly or the wrong decision was made. Implications for Practice: Using SDT allowed researchers to identify the errors students were making in order for educators to better categorize errors and plan for effective remediation.