1. Carrie O’Reilly, Ph.D., M.S.N., RN Touro University Nevada
A COMPARISON OF FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CRITICAL THINKING SCORES OF SECOND-DEGREE VERSUS TRADITIONAL NURSING STUDENTS IN AN ACCELERATED PRE-LICENSURE BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM
Carrie O’Reilly, Ph.D., M.S.N., RN
Touro University Nevada
BACKGROUND
METHODS
RESULTS
Critical thinking has been linked to clinical judgment in nursing and as such is an integral aspect of safe nursing practice and improved patient outcomes. It is also an educational outcome mandate for nursing education by nursing school accrediting bodies.
A retrospective study design was used to evaluate the influence of prior mathematics and scientific scholastic performance and the rigor of mathematic and scientific prerequisite courses on critical thinking scores of students in an accelerated baccalaureate nursing program as well as to determine the difference in critical thinking scores of second-degree students versus traditional students. Development of a tool to measure prerequisite rigor was required to evaluate this variable. The study used descriptive statistics to evaluate the independent variables of age, gender, race/ethnicity, English-as-a-second language status, prior academic degree attainment, prerequisite mathematics grade point average, and prerequisite science grade point average of the study population. Bivariate statistics were used to evaluate the strongest predictors among the independent variables of the dependent variable, critical thinking sub-scores. Based on the bivariate analyses the study then used multiple regression analysis to evaluate the predictive nature of these variables on critical thinking skill as expressed as a HESI exam critical thinking sub-score.
The data analyses were conducted to test the posited hypotheses. The results of the analyses will be presented based on research question.
Research Question 1. The results of the analysis were not statistically significant using a 2-tailed test with a 95% confidence interval of the difference (CI), t(162) = , p = .115, CI ( , 9.556). The null hypothesis could not be rejected.
Research Question 2. For the independent variable of mathematics prerequisite GPA the correlation was not statistically significant based on Pearson’s correlation, r(162) = -.094, p = Similarly, the correlation for science prerequisite GPA was not significant, r(162) = .021, p = Since neither analysis proved significant correlation existed between the independent variables and the dependent variable the null hypothesis could not be rejected.
Research Question 3. The primary hypotheses were tested. The two variables were statistically correlated based on the Kendall’s taub correlation, τb(162) = .124, p = The correlation is significant at the .05 level. The findings were statistically significant. The null hypothesis was rejected.
The secondary hypotheses were tested. The two variables have a positive statistical relationship based on Spearman’s rho correlation , rs(162) = .159, p = The correlation was significant at the .05 level. The null hypothesis was rejected.
Research Question 4. Of the two models developed, only Model 2 included all independent variables. And, of the two models, Model 2 provided the best predictive association with all predictors explaining 23.6% of the variance, R2 = .236, ΔR2 = .028, F(14, 148) = 3.269, p < The outcome of the analysis was statistically significant. The null hypothesis was rejected.
PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS
To evaluate if the academic experiences gained in prerequisite preparation and prior bachelor’s degrees by accelerated second degree nursing students may help them demonstrate critical thinking skills better than students who have not completed a full academic curriculum designed to improve reasoning and critical thinking in general.
The primary research questions of this study were:
Is there any difference in critical thinking scores between second-degree nursing students and traditional BSN students who have completed pre-licensure program prerequisites only?
Is there a statistically significant association between GPAs in pre-licensure program prerequisites for mathematics and science for students in an accelerated baccalaureate program and critical thinking scores?
Is there a statistically significant association between the rigor of pre-licensure program prerequisites for mathematics and science for students in an accelerated baccalaureate program and critical thinking skills?
Is there a statistically significant predictive association between age, race/ethnicity, gender, English-as-a-Second Language status, prior degree attainment, prerequisite mathematics GPA, prerequisite science GPA, prerequisite mathematics rigor, and prerequisite science rigor for students in an accelerated baccalaureate program and critical thinking skills?
Table 2
Prerequisite Rigor Levels Used for Coding with Definitions
Level of Rigor
Definition 1
Course that catalog describes as a high school equivalency. 2
Course that catalog describes as entry level and not required for degree major in discipline. 3
Course that catalog describes lower level undergraduate and not required for degree major in discipline. 4
Course that catalog describes lower level undergraduate and is a required for degree major in discipline. 5
Course that catalog describes upper level undergraduate and not required for degree major in discipline. 6
Course that catalog describes upper level undergraduate and is required for degree major in discipline.
CONCLUSIONS
Figure 15. Demographic Distribution of Sample by Age and Gender (N=164).
The most significant finding of the study for nursing student critical thinking was deemed to be evaluation of mathematics and science prerequisite course rigor. The admissions process to schools of nursing may benefit from evaluation of the prerequisite rigor of all mathematics and sciences courses taken prior to entry into prelicensure programs. Prior educational success in courses designed to demand better mastery of the mathematics and science disciplines may significantly impact student critical thinking in the nursing program and therefore impact clinical judgment and improve patient outcomes during the course of successful graduate’s nursing practice. While raising admissions standards for prerequisite completion of accelerated programs may decrease the available pool of potential nursing students for these programs it may, at the same time, be a better use of nursing program resources.
Further studies with multiple program types are indicated from the study’s results. Further study to validate the scale developed to measure prerequisite rigor is recommended.
Table 5
Descriptive Statistics for Non-demographic Variables
Variable N M SD
Mathematics Prerequisite GPA
164
2.86
0.714
Science Prerequisite GPA
2.97
0.489
Prerequisite Rigor Average Score
3.17
0.296
HESI Critical Thinking Subscore
709.28
Figure 16. Distribution of Sample by Race/Ethnicity.
Figure 17. Distribution of HESI Critical Thinking Subscores.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Figure 3. Theoretical Framework for Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment Acquisition.
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