Anxiety and Answer-Changing Behavior in Nursing Students.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety in college students, including nursing students, has increased significantly and has been implicated as a cause of lower academic achievement and answer-changing behavior. This study investigated the relationship between student anxiety and answer-changing behaviors. METHOD: One hundred thirty-one nursing students from a large midwestern baccalaureate nursing program were enrolled in a quasiexperimental prospective research study. Data included demographics, analysis of student movement through the examination to identify changed answers, and completion of the PROMIS Short Form version 1.0-Emotional Distress-Anxiety 8a tool. RESULTS: PROMIS anxiety scores did not covary significantly with the rate of answer-changing behaviors including rate of negative changes. CONCLUSION: This study did not identify a relationship between students' answer-changing behavior and anxiety. Future studies should evaluate other characteristics, such as confidence and level of examination preparation, as possible reasons for changing answers. [J Nurs Educ. 2023;62(6):351-354.].

Assessment of Answer-Changing Behavior of Nursing Students and Faculty Recommendations.

BACKGROUND: Existing literature identifies a general positive benefit to students' examination scores when students change their answer on examinations. Current shifts toward computerized examinations and in test anxiety warrant a literature update on test-taking behaviors. PURPOSE: This study assessed answer changing on multiple-choice examinations and investigated faculty recommendations related to answer changing. METHOD: This study used a mixed-methods design using retrospective student data from ExamSoft reports and faculty responses from a national survey of nurse educators. RESULTS: Findings indicated 55% of students improved their examination score, with an average improvement of 3%, and 24% of students lowered their examination score. However, faculty continue to incorrectly recommend that students should not change answers on examinations. CONCLUSION: The results of this study support prior literature that answer changing benefits students. However, data are lacking on the characteristics of students who improve or lower their examination scores by changing answers.[J Nurs Educ. 2021;60(6):324-328.].

Factors Affecting Uncertainty in Women with High-Risk Pregnancies.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the state of the science on uncertainty in high-risk pregnancy and identify factors that influence uncertainty in women diagnosed with a high-risk pregnancy. DATA SOURCES: Primary research articles from CINAHL, Ovid, MEDLINE, Scopus, and PsycINFO written in English, without date restrictions. STUDY SELECTION: Nineteen articles were identified, including 14 qualitative studies and 5 quantitative studies. DATA EXTRACTION: This integrative review was guided by Whittemore and Knafl's methodology. Studies were graded on level and quality of evidence as per Dearholt, Dang, and Sigma Theta Tau International. DATA SYNTHESIS: Studies were synthesized by using constant comparative methods according to factors influencing, outcomes of, and management of uncertainty. CONCLUSION: Uncertainty is a prominent theme in women experiencing a high-risk pregnancy. Uncertainty is influenced by various personal, pregnancy-related, demographic, and healthcare-related factors. Findings may offer insight and empathy for healthcare professionals. Nurses who understand significance of uncertainty in adjusting to two conflicting life events have the opportunity to help women in their understanding of a high-risk diagnosis during pregnancy through anticipatory guidance. Future research is needed to explore factors affecting uncertainty and to understand the experience of high-risk pregnancy to develop interventions aimed at mitigating uncertainty in high-risk pregnant women.

Crossing the "line": College students and academic integrity in nursing.

BACKGROUND: Researchers have shown a relationship between academic integrity in the classroom and acts of dishonest behavior in the clinical setting which is concerning for nursing faculty and the health care field. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare the attitudes toward academic integrity and the frequency of behaviors related to academic dishonesty in nursing and non-nursing students at a religiously affiliated institution. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, descriptive design was used to collect data regarding the knowledge, behavior, perceptions, and attitudes related to academic integrity via an online survey. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: Nursing students and non-nursing students who attended a religiously affiliated (Jesuit) University in the United States were surveyed for this study. RESULTS: Results of the study suggest upper division and second degree nursing students are less tolerant and more condemnatory of cheating than younger students. Frequent dishonest classroom behaviors include asking and telling other students what was on the exam while the most frequent dishonest clinical behaviors included documenting findings that were not assessed or findings that were false. CONCLUSION: Recommendations for nursing faculty include frequent and timely discussion of expected behaviors and values of nurses in order to support students' development of honesty and integrity beyond the classroom and into the clinical setting.

Nursing Examinations: Promotion of Integrity and Prevention of Cheating.

Academic integrity is a concern in higher education. The authors describe the findings of a nursing faculty task force developed with the goal of reducing incidents of cheating on classroom examinations in a school of nursing. Following a review of the literature, a modified Delphi technique was used to prioritize the suggested strategies into recommendations for faculty to follow. The findings and recommendations from the task force are presented and serve as a guide for nursing faculty in implementing measures to promote academic integrity during classroom examinations.

Psychosocial Outcomes of Participating in Pediatric Diabetes Camp.

OBJECTIVE: There are approximately 18,400 youth who are newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in the United States each year. Because of the potential for hypoglycemia, frequent need to monitor blood glucose, and other medical care associated with T1DM, children may not be able to participate in the typical summer camp experience. The aims of this study were (1) to evaluate the impact of camp on the child's attitude toward their illness, (2) to evaluate the child's confidence in self-care management of their diabetes, (3) to assess the child's perception and satisfaction with the camp experience, and (4) to evaluate the perception of camp experience by the parents. DESIGN AND SAMPLE: Thirty-eight parent-child dyads participated in a pretest, posttest quasi-experimental research study evaluating the benefits of a camping experience for the child with T1DM. RESULTS: Pre- and postcamp comparisons revealed improved attitude toward illness and improved self-efficacy after the camping experience. CONCLUSION: Results of the study support the psychosocial benefits of a camping experience for children with T1DM. Findings from the study can be used by health care providers as evidence to support the benefits of sending children with T1DM to residential summer camp.