Medication Management Skills of Nursing Students: Comparing the Students and Their Instructors` Evaluation in two Universities

Abstract

Background: Nurses have critical roles in the process of medication. Evaluating the process of medication helps nursing educators and students to determine the present status and then, improve the quality of care. Objective: The current study was conducted to compare the self-evaluation of nursing students in their own medication skills with the evaluation done by clinical instructors, in Qom's Azad University and Arak University of Medical Sciences, in 2011. Materials and Methods: A descriptive study was conducted. Data gathered using a self-report questionnaire and an observation checklist. A total of 141 students and 10 instructors participated in the study. SPSS software (version 13) was employed to analyze the data. Descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon rank test were used. Results: The mean scores for the domain of medication preparation were 2.51 ± 0.55 and 2.58 ± 0.57 based on the students' self-evaluation and the instructors' evaluation of the students, respectively. No significant difference was observed between the total mean scores of 'medication preparation' in the two evaluation methods (P > 0.05). The highest mean score was achieved in the domain of drug administration both in the self-evaluation and evaluation by the instructors. A significant difference was observed between the total mean scores of 'drug administration' in the two evaluation methods (P < 0.05). The domain 'post medication nursing care' has got the lowest mean score among the three domains both from the perspective of the students and that of the instructors. The mean scores of different domains of medication management were close in the two universities. Conclusions: The present study showed that the nursing students are not quite competent in the process of medication therapy both from their own and their clinical instructors' perspectives. This finding shows the urgent need to implement some actions to strengthen the students' skills in medication therapy.

An Evaluation of Drug Dosage Calculation Knowledge and Proficiency among Newly Hired Nurses in Private Tertiary Care Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan

“…Another study identified that the nursing students are not competent in the process of medication therapy both from their own and their clinical instructor's perspectives that calls an urgent need to take actions to strengthen the students' skills in medication administration and dosage calculation (Zare, Purfarzad, & Adib-Hajbaghery, 2013 Westbrook, et al, 2011;Zare, et al, 2013) and threat to patient safety (Cheragi, et al, 2013;David, et al, 2013;Fleming, et al, 2014). A recent study identified lacking in nursing curricula that should develop the nurse's competence in pharmacology and drug dosage calculation during the basic nursing training.…”

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“…Another study identified that the nursing students are not competent in the process of medication therapy both from their own and their clinical instructor's perspectives that calls an urgent need to take actions to strengthen the students' skills in medication administration and dosage calculation (Zare, Purfarzad, & Adib-Hajbaghery, 2013 (Cheragi, et al, 2013;David, et al, 2013;Fleming, et al, 2014). A recent study identified lacking in nursing curricula that should develop the nurse's competence in pharmacology and drug dosage calculation during the basic nursing training.…”

The Influence of Self-Concept on Clinical Decision-Making in Nurses and Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Various studies have concluded that nursing students are not prepared for real practical work and current educational programs are insufficient [41]. They feel unprepared with the responsibility of their professional role [42,43].…”