Oral medication administration : the effect of two instructional techniques on nursing student learning

This experimental study was designed to examine the effects of two selected instructional techniques on nursing student learning of oral medication administration. The research questions asked in this study concerned the effects of these selected Instructional techniques on cognitive learning, performance, and feeling of satisfaction toward the learning experience. The study was conducted in a three-year diploma nursing program associated with a large metropolitan hospital. A total of 66 first-year students participated in the study. There were 32 students in the experimental group and 34 students in the control group. All subjects were taught relevant content, prepared "drug cards", and completed a cognitive learning pretest prior to the oral medication administration laboratory. During the laboratory, the experimental subjects were taught by demonstration-return demonstration using simulation and the control subjects were taught by demonstration-return demonstration. Following the laboratory, all subjects were administered the pretest as a posttest, a feeling of satisfaction questionnaire, and a personal data questionnaire. Additionally, they were evaluated through the use of a performance checklist during their first administration of a medication(s) to a patient. Data obtained from the cognitive learning tests and performance checklist were analyzed using independent t-tests, and data obtained from the feeling of satisfaction questionnaire were analyzed using the chi-square test. Study findings showed that the two groups were similar when compared on selected personal characteristics. Differences between the groups for cognitive learning, performance, and feeling of satisfaction toward the learning experience were revealed not to be significant at the established level of D. = .05. This finding suggests that demonstration-return demonstration using simulation is a viable alternate technique for teaching oral medication administration.Applied Science, Faculty ofNursing, School ofGraduat