EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TRAINING

MATERIAL IN DRUG-DOSE CALCULATION

SKILLS

Tulay BASAK*, Ozlem ASLAN, Vesile UNVER, Dilek YILDIZ

Gulhane Military Medical Academy, School of Nursing, Etlik,
Ankara, TURKEY

Introduction
Drug dose calculation skills developed in basic
nursing education are a necessary competency
in nursing. Many studies have demonstrated
that simulation-based education that includes
real physician orders helped to positively
develop dose calculation skills. The aim of study
was to evaluate drug-dose calculation skills of
senior nursing students and the effectiveness of
training before internship.

Methods

Results
Table 1: The mean examination scores of senior
nursing students on drug dose calculation and the
mean length of time needed to finish the test (n=82)
Test

Pre-test
Post-test

Examinati
on Score
Mean SD
65.210.5
79.414.5
Length of
Time
Needed by
Students to
Finish the
Test
(Minutes)
Mean SD
29.35.5
21.76.1

Test
Statistics
*

t=-8.767

0.001

Study Design

This study used a quasi-experimental design with

one group
Participants
Pre-test
The sample included senior nursing students
t=9.703
0.001
Post-test
attending a nursing school in Ankara in the period
Table 2: Senior nursing students feedback regarding
from December 2012-January 2013 (n=104).
the training material (n=82)
Eighty-two senior nursing students accepting to be
used their data in the study were included in the
FeedBacks
Satisfaction Degree
3
4
5
sample.

n
%
n
%
n
%
This
training
material
was
24.
41.
34.
Instrument
20
34
28
beneficial.
4
5
1
The training material based on low-level
This training material improved
83.
17.
my self-confidence

68
14
environmental
fidelity
included
open-ended
0
0
questions based on real physician orders. It
It provided that I felt sufficient
85.
3
3.7
70
7
8.5
included 29 questions based on 13 physician
in this topic.
4
I
perceived
my
education
needs.
81.
17.
orders.
1
1.2
67
14
7
1
This training material enhanced
89.
Statistical Analysis
1
1.2
73
8
9.8
my motivation.
0
Data were analyzed in SPSS for Windows Ver.15.0
This training material facilitated
95.
4
4.9
78
my learning.
1
(SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Frequencies,
I satisfied with training material.
97.
2
2.4
80
6
percentages, means and standard deviations were
It was similar to real medication
82
100
calculated.
Kolmogorov-Smirnov
Test
was
dose calculations.
It
developed
my
skill
on
89.
employed to analyze the pre and post-test scores
2
2.4
73
7
8.6
medication dose calculations.
0
of the accurate drug dose calculations for
Pre-test
and
post-test
62.
37.
contributed
to
my
self51
31
normality.
Paired-sample t test was used to
2
8
evaluation on self-development.
compare the pre-test and post-test scores and the
length of time required to complete the tests. The
Conclusion
significance level was p0.05.
Ethical Considerations
This study revealed that the training material positively impacted accurate drug dose calculation
This
was
approved
by the
review
skills study
in senior
nursing
students.
Theethical
study also
supported that developing drug dose calculation skills
boards
at
the
authorsinstitution.
is necessary. In developing accurate drug dose calculation skills, providing education, reviewing
education prior to clinical practice and performing practical education in clinical settings will be
beneficial.
* Gulhane Military Medical Academy, School of Nursing,
Fundamentals of Nursing Department, Etlik, Ankara, TURKEY
Email: tbasak@gata.edu.tr, ttbasak@gmail.com
Fax: +90 3123043900
Phone: +903123043943