Hoitotyön opiskelijoiden farmakologian perusteiden ja lääkelaskennan osaaminen

Authors

• Paula Stenfors Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulu
• Susanna Seitsamo Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulu
• Kristiina Vähämaa Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulu
• Tapio Yrjölä Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulu

Keywords:

pharmacology, pharmacotherapy, medication calculation, nursing, nursing education

Abstract

Refereed article

The study aimed at determining gradu­ating nursing students’ basic abilities in pharmacology and medication calculation as well as the effects of the amount and in­tensification of education on the abilities. The studied university of applied scienc­es started a development project in phar­macotherapy education in 2008. The data was collected in two phases. In 2008, 70 nursing students and in 2012 137 students participated in the study. The development measures did not apply to those graduat­ed in 2008.

The instrument used in the study was the MCS Test developed by Grandell-Niemi for assessment of basic pharmacology and medication calculation competence in nursing. The results of students graduated in 2012 were better than the ones in 2008. The study demonstrated that students’ competence was still defective both as re­gards basics of pharmacology and mas­tery of medication calculations. Based on the results, the following factors are impor­tant in development of pharmacotherapy education. Pharmacotherapy and medi­cation calculation education have to form an essential part of clinical training and nursing education. Pharmacotherapy and medication calculation education have to be enough practical and applied. The edu­cation has to support students’ independ­ent information search and self-develop­ment as well as independent assessment of competence.