Effect of curriculum change on student anxiety and diagnostic reasoning

Curriculum revision was undertaken to address student anxiety and diagnostic reasoning ability. A quasi-experimental study was conducted with the revised curriculum as the intervention. Subjects were convenience samples of senior baccalaureate students (N = 38) the year before and after the intervention. Spielberger's State/Trait Anxiety Inventory revealed significantly less state anxiety in the intervention group, with no difference in trait anxiety. Gordon's Diagnostic Reasoning Test indicated no significant difference in knowledge of nursing diagnosis language or concepts, but a difference in the inferential ability of the intervention group on one vignette. After the curriculum change, students were less anxious and somewhat improved in their ability to infer nursing diagnoses.