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experience and verity that also the researchers who were in the
same level of the respondents, were done with their The Main Variables of the Study
mathematics subjects, as well as pharmacology course last
semester. So it is where, the knowledge of the respondents on The two main variables of the study were the drug
basic math operations which is supposed to be taught since calculation and level of competency. The independent variable
grade school and the formulas in drug dosage calculations last was the drug calculation while the dependent variable was the
semester were applied and this was shown on their solutions level of competency which was measured by a validated
upon answering the test as well as their score. It is also where questionnaire on conversion of units, drug dosage and IV flow
the researchers as well as the respondents were able to assess if rate calculation.
they remember or had forgotten their knowledge regarding
these matters. The researchers also considered that while long-
term memories are enduring, a central problem is retrieving the Definition of Terms:
stored information at later time that affected the test results of Drug Calculation
the respondents in the study. In the last stage, it entails the
action or response of the respondents upon answering the test. It It is the determination of drug dosage and Intravenous
is where the researchers assessed how the respondents attended flow rate through computation, and usage of formulas, unit
to, processed and stored the information that was presented as conversion and basic mathematical operations. It is the act of
well as finding ways on how to solve the problem. properly calculating the exact amount of medication to be
administered in a particular client.
Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development
Level of Competency
The respondents are under the formal operational stage
and had the ability to answer questions which included problem It is the measure of the quality of being competent or
solving, analysis and rationalization. During this time, people having a possession of required skill, knowledge, qualification, or
develop the ability to think about abstract concepts. Skills such capacity. It is the knowledge of the respondent or ability to
as logical thought, deductive reasoning, and systematic planning perform correct calculations or conversion of units, drug dosage
also emerge during this stage (Pilliteri, 2003). Ergo, the study and Intravenous flow rate calculation. It is the extent of the
was appropriate for these subjects because their cognitive aspect ability of the client to properly calculate for the medications to be
has reached this level based from Piaget’s theory of cognitive administered based on his/her own knowledge.
development.
Based from a research in University of Malaya for
Conceptual Framework health workers (2004), the level of competency can be measured
using Competency Level Evaluation (PTK). The scores of the
Equipped with knowledge on drug dosage calculation, respondents from the drug calculation test will be classified using
the respondents were tested by the researchers to know their this tool. After all the scores are taken, the researchers will get the
level of competency. The researchers gave a test about the basic average (mean) of the entire sample and also be classified using
mathematical operations, conversion of units, drug dosage and PTK. The structure for grading PTK is as follows:
IV flow rate calculation. This determined the level of
competency of the Level IV Institute of Nursing students Level of Competency
regarding drug dosage calculation. Description
Level IV Pass/Achieved the
Research Paradigm Competency Level
with excellence
The research paradigm was divided into input, process (80% and above
and output. The research process was focused on assessing level percentage score
of competency on drug calculations of level IV nursing students from the test)
of Far Eastern University. The research had undergone a process Level III Pass/Achieved the
in which the following statements above had been their channel competency Level
in answering the problem statements. Definitely, if these steps (60% to 79%
were achieved, they will be aiming an output, that will percentage score
contribute on the improvement and development of the skill on from the test)
drug calculations of nursing students of Far Eastern University. Level II Conditional Pass
(50% to 59%
Hypothesis percentage score
from the test)
o The Level IV Nursing Students of Far Eastern Level I Failed to achieve the Competency
University has achieved the competency in drug (50% and bellow
calculation. percentage score
o The level of competency of male and female from the test)
participants does not differ significantly.
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of the time.
Chapter 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Instrument
This chapter contains all the information on how the The primary tool of the research was a drug calculation
study was conducted, the locale of the study and the target test which measured the respondent’s competency on basic
population. This chapter would further discuss the specific mathematical operations such as addition, subtraction,
interventions and research design that the researchers’ used in multiplication and addition along with conversion of units that all
order to collect and obtain the needed information. came with critical thinking and analysis. The remaining part of
the test included questions regarding drug dosage and IV flow
Research Design rate calculation. The test consisted of a hundred items divided
into four major parts 25 items each. The entire questions were
The researchers utilized a non-experimental research, constructed using words or sentences requiring the respondents to
specifically a descriptive design. The objective of this design evaluate and analyze each item according to their mathematical
was the accurate depiction of the level of competency among skill and capabilities. The tool was lifted mainly from
level IV nursing students of Far Eastern University. It involved mathematics and pharmacology books. It was answered manually
collection of numerical data to test the hypothesis and to answer with the use of pen or pencil. Respondent’s profile came prior to
the questions concerning their status. They haved described the the series of questions. A sheet for computations was provided by
phenomena on the subject’s level of competency on drug the researchers and the use of calculator was allowed. The
calculation.Through this, the researchers can describe the instrument had undergone validations from two mathematicians
dimensions and importance of the inclined number of students and a pharmacology professor. A pilot study was done to 20
who experienced drug calculation errors. students to test its reliability.
It was the selected design because the objective this Data Collection Procedure
research was to describe the level of competency of their
subjects and do not include correlations and other study groups. The researchers’ had collected quantitative data on the
Also, the researchers utilized a cross-sectional design in which level of competency on drug dosage calculation among level IV
they collected data at one point in time. nursing students. The initial step of the researchers was to select
potential respondents that participated in the study. After
identifying respondents, the researchers had personally
introduced themselves, established rapport and stated the
Population and Sample objectives of their study. If the respondents agreed to participate
in the study, they are given the consent form for them to sign
The subjects were selected using stratified random prior to answering the questionnaire.
sampling, in which the researchers make use of the fishbowl
technique in selecting the sections that took part in the study. The researchers used a drug calculation test for data
This sampling technique captured the characteristics of the collection to assess their competence on drug calculations. The
population that was proportional to the sample. Thus, the result respondents used a pen or pencil in answering the test and were
of assessing the level of competency on drug calculation among given 90 minutes to answer the corresponding questions.
selected level IV nursing students of Far Eastern University
attributed to the whole population. Using the Slovin’s formula, Statistical Treatment of the Data
the researchers came up with a sample of 340 level IV Nursing
Students of Far Eastern University. The respondent can either To answer the research question number 1 on what the
be male or female ranging from 18-23 years old. Participants level of competency of the participants was, the following
had finished and passed 3 units on the subject: College Algebra formula was used:
and Pharmacology. In the data collection there were 131 males Formula:
and 209 females. In addition to these, participants signed a
consent form to serve as a basis for their willingness to
participate in this research study.
Research locale
c. Dosage Calculation
CHAPTER 4
Table IV.3 Participants’ Level of Competency on
RESULTS AND ANALYSIS
Dosage Calculation
This chapter has aimed to answer the research questions to
determine the level of competency on drug dosage calculations
among level IV nursing students of Far Eastern University.
The table above displays the corresponding number of
male and female participants in each particular level of
1. What is the participants’ level of competency on the
competency. 42.75% of the male’s population failed to achieve
following area:
competency level while 41. 63 % of the female’s population also
a. Basic Mathematical Operations failed to achieve competency with a mean score of 13.8 for males
and 14 for females. It denotes that a greater number of the
Table IV.1 Participants’ Level of Competency on Basic participants failed to achieve competency compared to those who
Mathematical Operations achieved competency.
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gender?
Not Accept
-0.280 1.960 0.780
Table IV.7 Independent T-test for the Significant Difference Significant H0
of Participants’ Level of Competency on Basic Math
Operations when Grouped According to Gender
The table above shows the result of the Independent T-
Computed Critical Level of test used to determine the existence of significant difference on
Interpretation Decision the participant’s level of competency on dosage calculation when
Value Value Significance
grouped according to gender. The computed value was -0.280
with a level of significance of 0.780. Since the absolute
Not Accept computed value, 0.280, was not greater than the critical value,
-1.932 1.960 0.054
Significant H0 1.960, at alpha 0.05, then there is no significant difference on the
participant’s level of competency on dosage calculation when
grouped according to gender.
The table above shows the result of the Independent T-
test used to determine the existence of significant difference on The decision was to accept H0 that the level of
the participant’s level of competency on basic math operations competency of male and female participants on dosage
when grouped according to gender. The computed value was calculation does not differ significantly.
-1.932 with a level of significance of 0.054. Since the absolute
computed value, 1.932, was not greater than the critical value, Table IV.10 Independent T-test for the Significant
1.960, at alpha 0.05, then there is no significant difference on Difference of Participants’ Level of Competency on
the participant’s level of competency on basic math operations Intravenous Flow Rates Calculation when Grouped
when grouped according to gender. According to Gender
The decision was to accept H0 that the level of
competency of male and female participants on basic math Computed Critical Level of
operations does not differ significantly. Interpretation Decision
Value Value Significance
Computed Critical Level of The table above shows the result of the Independent T-
Interpretation Decision test used to determine the existence of significant difference on
Value Value Significance
the participant’s level of competency on Intravenous Flow Rates
Calculation when grouped according to gender. The computed
Not Accept value was -0.255 with a level of significance of 0.799. Since the
-1.007 1.960 0.314
Significant H0 absolute computed value, 0.255, was not greater than the critical
value, 1.960, at alpha 0.05, then there is no significant difference
on the participant’s level of competency on Intravenous Flow
The table above shows the result of the Independent T- Rates Calculation when grouped according to gender.
test used to determine the existence of significant difference on
the participant’s level of competency on conversion of units of The decision was to accept H0 that the level of
measurement when grouped according to gender. The competency of male and female participants on Intravenous Flow
computed value was -1.007 with a level of significance of Rates Calculation does not differ significantly.
0.314. Since the absolute computed value, 1.007, was not
greater than the critical value, 1.960, at alpha 0.05, then there is Table IV.11 Independent T-test for the Significant
no significant difference on the participant’s level of Difference of Participants' Level of Competency when
competency on conversion of units of measurement when Grouped According to Gender
grouped according to gender.
The decision was to accept H0 that the level of Computed Critical Level of
competency of male and female participants on conversion of Interpretation Decision
Value Value Significance
units of measurement does not differ significantly.
Computed Critical Level of The table above shows the result of the Independent T-
Interpretation Decision test used to determine the existence of significant difference on
Value Value Significance
the participant’s overall level of competency when grouped
according to gender. The computed value was -0.542 with a level
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of significance of 0.588. Since the absolute computed value, Some studies showed the same result. Among these
0.542, was not greater than the critical value, 1.960, at alpha were the studies of Hutton, Brown, and Lanen, Lockie and
0.05, then there is no significant difference on the participant’s McGannon. 231 nursing students were pre-tested by Hutton
overall level of competency when grouped according to gender. (1998) with a 50 item test with results of showing that 80% of
these students scored less than 75%.
The decision is to accept H0 that the level of
competency of male and female participants does not differ
significantly.
This has also been in congruent with the study by Brown
Discussion of Findings (2002), who administered to 868 undergraduate associate degree
nursing students from across the United States of America a
mathematics test. The conclusion of Brown to their results is that
This section reiterates how the data were put into pre- testing upon admission is critical and remedial of
understandable form and substantialized into its existing mathematics courses should be mandatory because the results of
literatures. The implications of the findings for nursing practice the study he has conducted was that the students had a mean
and research was also made. score of 75%. The result of the mathematics test further
implicated that students majoring in nursing were under-
prepared in skills in calculation of medication which is a very
critical part of the job.
When a medication order differs from the fixed amount
at which a drug is supplied, the dose needed must be calculated.
Calculation requires knowledge of the systems of dosage
measurements and the ability to solve arithmetic. Nursing In a mathematics placement test made by Lanen, Lockie
students invariably express anxiety that they will miscalculate a and McGannon (2000) to 308 undergraduate nursing students,
dose and cause harm. Although everyone is capable of error, no they concluded that the students are at a risk and they still lack
one has to cause one. The surest way to prevent a mistake was skills needed in nursing competence. Although they
to exercise care in performing basic arithmetic operations. acknowledged that the data they gathered were dependent on an
individual’s skills, it is better that they have more focus on the
mathematical aspects of their course because it affects the overall
performance.
The participants
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SUMMARYOF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATION Recommendation
Conclusion
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