Learning Objective #1: Identify areas of mathematic underpreparedness of associate and baccalaureate degree nursing students

Learning Objective #2: Identify strategies to increase students' competency in computational mathematics

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Many nursing students lack computational mathematic ability. A computational mathematics test was administered to more than 850 AD students nationwide (1985). The same test was administered to 230 BSN students in the NE region of the US in 1987, and 294 BSN students in 2003. The purposes of the studies were to break down the process of medication administration into its components, identify weak links and remediate where appropriate; compare the computational mathematic abilities of AD and BSN students; and, identify if baccalaureate nursing students' computational mathematic abilities had changed over time. Participants were beginning nursing students from accredited nursing programs. A proportional stratified random sampling technique was used to enhance representativeness of the AD sample (1985). The number of baccalaureate schools from the NE region of the US (1987, 2003) was obtained to equal the number of AD programs that had participated from that region in the original study. Students were administered an adaptation of the Computational Placement Test. The CPT is concerned primarily with basic arithmetic operations with whole numbers, fractions, decimals and percents. The study instrument was administered to students at participating schools by the chairperson of the nursing program or designee. A consent form, returned under separate cover, was included with each study instrument. A signed consent form was needed for the study instrument to be included in the study. Statistical analysis used the mean: of the study instrument in its entirety; and, of each individual question (item). The mean student score on the study instrument was 75% for AD students; 76.3%,BSN students (1987); and, 77%, BSN students (2003). Individual items with less than a 70% average correct student response included adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions, decimals and percents. The items were similar for both AD and BSN students and have not changed over time.