THE COLLEGE LABORATORY AS NURSING SKILLS LEARNING CENTER: EFFECT UPON ANXIETY LEVEL, PROFESSIONAL SELF-CONCEPT, AND PERFORMANCE OF BACCALAUREATE NURSING STUDENTS (CLINICAL EXPERIENCE, SELF-ESTEEM, EDUCATION).
Contributors: University of Michigan.
Published: 1984
Number of pages: 160
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: This study investigated the effect of the college laboratory as a nursing skills learning center upon the anxiety, professional self-concept, and competency of sophomore students in a baccalaureate program. The relationships between anxiety, self-concept, and competency were also explored.

The research employed a quasi-experimental panel survey design, using a non-equivalent control group. The subjects were 99 sophomores in the first adult nursing course at Mercy College of Detroit (Michigan). The control group had 47 subjects in the Fall, 1982 course; the experimental group of 52 took the course in Fall, 1983. Nursing skills were taught to the control group in the clinical setting, while the experimental group was taught skills in the college laboratory for the first six weeks of the semester followed by practice in the clinical setting for eight weeks. At Weeks 1, 6, and 14 of each semester, measurements were taken of general state anxiety (using the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), test anxiety (using the Liebert and Morris State Test Anxiety Inventory), professional self-concept (using an instrument designed for this research), and written and performance competency tests on three specific procedures.

The hypotheses that the experimental group would have lower anxiety levels and more positive self-concepts than the control group were not supported. The anxiety level of the experimental group was significantly higher than the control at Week 6, but further analysis indicated that the anxiety was related to performance testing rather than written testing. By Week 14, the experimental group scored significantly higher in five of the six skill competency categories.

The hypothesized negative relationship between anxiety and competency and positive relationship between self-concept and competency were not supported. However, the predicted negative correlation between anxiety and self-concept was found at all three testing periods.

The study concluded that a teaching method which combined laboratory learning and clinical experience led to greater skill competency, both in written and performance tests, than either of the methods alone. However, this greater skill competency did not come about because of decreased anxiety or increased self-esteem. Performance testing increased anxiety, although the anxiety was not directly related to competency scores.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-07, Section: B, page: 2103.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, 1984.

School code: 0127.