SKILL ACQUISITION OF PSYCHOMOTOR NURSING PROCEDURES: CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION FOR PARAPROFESSIONALS LEARNING TO WORK IN GERIATRIC CARE SETTINGS.
Contributors: University of San Francisco.
Published: 1984
Number of pages: 210
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Gerontology.
Description: Statement of the Problem. In this study, two different methods were used to teach psychomotor nursing procedures to nursing assistant students enrolled in precertification programs located in three sites: a community college, an adult high school, and a skilled nursing facility. The effects of the two methods of instruction, (1) memorization or (2) teaching concepts, for two procedures, (1) catheter drainage bag and (2) blood pressure, were obtained for practice, retention, and transfer.

Procedures. Two videotaped lessons containing the treatment methods were shown to fifty-four nursing assistant students. Eighteen students at each site, nine in each group, were randomly assigned to alternate methods of instruction. The 29-item performance skill check list (PSCL, designed for this study) was used to determine the scores for practice, retention, and transfer. Following the lesson, nurse researchers observed and recorded the number of practice sessions the students needed to demonstrate mastery of skill acquisition. Retention was measured by the PSCL score when students redemonstrated the procedure at a later date. Transfer scores were obtained using different equipment.

Results. Using a 2 x 3 x 2 mixed design, the ANOVA showed there was no significant difference between the two instructional methods used. However, there was a significant difference between the skilled nursing facility and the adult high school and community college, with the latter two demonstrating higher mean scores for retention and transfer. The prespecified educational significance was set for a standard deviation of .70. The difference between retention for the skilled nursing facility and both the adult high school and community college, and between transfer for the skilled nursing facility and the adult high school were found to be educationally significant. The overall average PSCL score for retention was 25.29 and for transfer was 26.7, with four practice sessions for transfer.

Conclusions. This study suggests that although the method of teaching psychomotor nursing procedures may not be enhanced by special lessons on concepts and/or memorization, it is important to use well-designed curriculum and instruction. Included should be teaching for mastery with curriculum based on task analysis; guided practice sessions with demonstration of mastery, testing for retention, and transfer at a later date.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-03, Section: B, page: 0792.

Thesis (ED.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO, 1984.

School code: 6019.