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Table 2 Primary outcomes of the MCQ test in medication knowledge, certainty evaluation and risk of error - totally, for each discipline and topic

From: Differences in medication knowledge and risk of errors between graduating nursing students and working registered nurses: comparative study

 

Knowledge

Certainty in each answer

Risk of error

Proportion correct answers

Score 0-3 1)

Score 1-3 2)

 

Students

Nurses

Students

Nurses

Students

Nurses

Total

61.5 (7.8)

68.9 (8.0)

1.7 (0.4)

1.9 (0.4)

1.8 (0.1)

1.7 (0.1)

Pharmacology (14) 3)

70.8 (11.4)

73.7 (11.1)

1.6 (0.5)

1.8 (0.5)

1.7 (0.2)

1.6 (0.2)

- General (3)

84.5 (19.7)

81.9 (21.8)

1.8 (0.6)

1.70.6)

1.5 (0.3)

1.5 (0.4)

- Effect (3)

72.8 (25.0)

79.8 (20.8)

1.3 (0.7)

1.6 (0.7)

1.6 (0.3)

1.5 (0.3)

- Side effects, interactions (4)

71.3 (22.7)

77.1 (21.8)

1.5 (0.6)

1.8 (0.7)

1.7 (0.3)

1.6 (0.3)

- Administration form/generics (4)

58.5 (20.6)

59.5 (19.1)

1.8 (0.5)

1.9 (0.6)

1.9 (0.3)

1.8 (0.3)

Drug management (14)

42.7 (11.8)

53.2 (11.8)

1.6 (0.5)

1.9 (0.5)

2.0 (0.2)

1.9 (0.2)

- Responsibility (2)

27.4 (33.7)

58.9 (34.4)

1.5 (0.8)

2.0 (0.7)

2.2 (0.5)

1.8 (0.6)

- Storage (4)

17.3 (18.0)

33.9 (21.4)

1.2 (0.7)

1.5 (0.6)

2.3 (0.3)

2.1 (0.4)

- Dispensing (4)

61.6 (19.7)

60.1 (21.5)

1.7 (0.6)

2.0 (0.6)

1.7 (0.3)

1.8 (0.4)

- Distribution (4)

56.9 (22.6)

62.8 (22.2)

1.8 (0.7)

2.1 (0.6)

2.0 (0.4)

1.8 (0.4)

Drug dose calculations (14)

71.0 (13.5)

79.9 (14.2)

1.8 (0.5)

2.0 (0.6)

1.6 (0.2)

1.5 (0.3)

- Units (7)

71.4 (17.7)

75.7 (20.4)

1.9 (0.5)

2.1 (0.6)

1.6 (0.2)

1.5 (0.3)

- Dose-amount-strength (4)

71.5 (19.1)

84.7 (16.9)

1.9 (0.6)

2.0 (0.7)

1.5 (0.3)

1.4 (0.3)

- Dilution/infusion (3)

67.7 (25.9)

83.4 (25.3)

1.5 (0.8)

1.8 (0.8)

1.6 (0.4)

1.5 (0.4)

  1. The results are given as percent or mean score, both with (SD). Mann-Whitney U-test.
  2. 1)Scale: 0 = very uncertain, 1 = relatively uncertain, 2 = relatively certain, 3 = very certain.
  3. 2)Scale: 1 = low risk, 2 = moderate risk, 3 = high risk.
  4. 3)( ) = Number of questions.
  5. Comparisons between the 3 disciplines for proportion of correct answers, mean score of certainty and mean score of risk of error (Friedman test) were statistically significant; p-values ≤0.001.