IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i24p13106-d700676.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Nurse Education and Mathematical Competency: Implementation of an Online, Self-Directed, Prerequisite Model

Author

Listed:
  • Daniel H. Jarvis

    (Schulich School of Education, Nipissing University, North Bay, ON P1B 8L7, Canada)

  • Karey D. McCullough

    (School of Nursing, Nipissing University, North Bay, ON P1B 8L7, Canada)

  • Tammie R. McParland

    (School of Nursing, Nipissing University, North Bay, ON P1B 8L7, Canada)

Abstract

Mathematical competency in the profession of nursing has increasingly become a central focus as more nursing students appear to struggle with basic concepts of arithmetic, mental estimation, and critical reasoning. This paper highlights how one School of Nursing in Ontario, Canada implemented a Dosage Calculation Competency Test model which involved an online, self-directed, prerequisite approach to improve student mathematical competency and confidence. The purpose of this research case study was to document, through shared participant perceptions, the creation, implementation, and subsequent modifications to a Dosage Calculation Competency Test model in light of student needs and advances in online learning and assessment. The research design combined a quantitative survey of Year 1–4 nursing students, followed by a series of qualitative, semi-structured interviews with nursing students and program instructors. The study took place within a School of Nursing undergraduate program in Ontario, Canada. Forty-four participants, including students from all four years of the nursing program, completed the survey, followed by individual interviews with nine students and six faculty instructors. Survey (the open-response items) and interview data were analyzed thematically using ATLAS.ti (ATLAS.ti, Berlin, Germany). The authors recount the new DCCT model’s development, implementation, and subsequent modifications and further discuss student/instructor perceptions of learning types, math confidence, and competency. The paper concludes with a series of seven key recommendations for nursing programs.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel H. Jarvis & Karey D. McCullough & Tammie R. McParland, 2021. "Nurse Education and Mathematical Competency: Implementation of an Online, Self-Directed, Prerequisite Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-19, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:24:p:13106-:d:700676
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/24/13106/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/24/13106/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:24:p:13106-:d:700676. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.