Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing Education

Copyright Statement

All rights reserved. This publication is intended for use solely by faculty, students, and staff of Nova Southeastern University. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, now known or later developed, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author or the publisher.

First Advisor

Marcia Derby-Davis

Date of original Performance / Presentation

January 2022

Publication Date / Copyright Date

1-1-2022

Abstract

Abstract Background: Fifty to 100 % of nursing students have experienced test anxiety. The cognitive form of test anxiety (CTA) leads to significant academic implications for nursing students. The ongoing nursing shortage requires nurse educators to implement evidence-based strategies, such as mindfulness meditation training, to help prelicensure nursing students manage their CTA levels and enhance academic performance. Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative study was two-fold: (a) to determine if there was a difference in cognitive test anxiety scores for prelicensure nursing students enrolled in an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program who receive the mindfulness meditation intervention and (b) to determine if there was a difference in academic performance of prelicensure nursing students enrolled in an ADN program who receive the mindfulness meditation intervention. Theoretical Framework: The Cognitive Theory of Stress and Coping guided this study. Methods: A quasi-experimental, one-group, pretest-posttest design was employed to collect data from a convenience sample of 20 ADN nursing students. Data from a demographic survey, the CTAS-2, and unit exam scores were analyzed. Hypotheses testing was completed by analyzing paired t-tests results. Qualitative data were collected to evaluate intervention fidelity. Results: The findings revealed that 90% of the participants reported CTA levels in the moderate to severe range. There was a significant difference in preintervention and postintervention CTAS-2 scores (p = .009) and unit exam scores (p = < .001). Conclusion: The findings provided further evidence that CTA is prevalent amongst nursing students and can be used by nurse educators when assisting nursing students in managing CTA. Managing CTA can help with nursing student retention and address the nursing shortage.

Disciplines

Nursing

Keywords

Academic peformance; Cognitive test anxiety; Mindfulness; Prelicensure nursing students; Test anxiety

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