A narrative inquiry of at-risk baccalaureate nursing students' perceptions of high-risk testing and a test-taking intervention

Baez, Lori A. By 2030 there will be an estimated shortage of a half million RN (Registered Nurse) jobs in the United States. This shortage of nurses is due to a retiring nurse force and increases in the aging population who have concurrent increases in health issues. There is a need for more nurses, yet attrition rates for baccalaureate nursing programs are as high as 50%. Researchers suggest many success interventions for nursing students and those preparing for the NCLEX. Since high-stakes tests are used in some nursing programs to make decisions about progression and graduation, including after graduation for licensure, test-taking instruction is often recommended in literature. This qualitative narrative inquiry study focused on at-risk baccalaureate nursing students’ perceptions of high-stakes testing in nursing school and in preparation for the NCLEX-RN, and a test-taking intervention focused on critical thinking learned during collaborative academic coaching. Nine (9) current students and four (4) graduated students were interviewed; each had participated in coaching. The researcher concluded that students had feelings of desperation and doubt because of testing, and studying was not sufficient for success because students needed to apply critical thinking skills. The coaching intervention proved beneficial and provided academic and interpersonal support. Implications derived from this study are that each School of Nursing (SON) should address nursing students’ feelings about test-taking, inform students about NCLEX-style test-taking before use, teach analytical reading and test-taking strategies, identify and assist students early-on, allow time for students to develop skills, and provide sufficient test-taking resources throughout the program.

Grantor dc:publisher

Alverno College

Year dc:date

2023

Author dc:creator

• Baez, Lori A.

• Test taking skills
• Critical thinking
• Nursing student interventions
• Test-taking strategies
• Academic coaching

Statement dc:rights

• These materials may be used by individuals and libraries for personal use, research, teaching (including distribution to classes), or for any fair use as defined by U.S. Copyright Law.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://alverno.omeka.net/items/show/876

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:alverno.omeka.net:876