Simulation is employed to facilitate instructional experiences in patient safety and nursing education for students. Through simulation, students endeavor to adapt to various scenarios and address associated challenges. The aim of the study was to examine final-year nursing students' experiences with scenario-based simulation. The Reporting Criteria for Consolidated Standards and Colaizzi's seven-step phenomenological data analysis method were employed. A qualitative study was conducted using a phenomenological research design. Content analysis conducted within the scope of simulation application yielded two main themes: 'Emotions, thoughts', and 'Challenges' related to simulation. It was ascertained that students underwent a spectrum of emotional and cognitive responses towards the simulation, encompassing both affirmative (enjoyable, realistic, educational, confidence-boosting) and adverse (stressful) dimensions. Concurrently, challenges related to treatment were noted, including the calculation of medication dosages for pediatric patients, the delivery of medication education to patients afflicted with dementia, and managing medication refusal exhibited by patients with bipolar disorder.The simulation with standardized patients administered to final-year nursing students prior to graduation can raise awareness of students' theoretical and practical deficiencies in clinical practice.

Ensuring patient safety is critical, with safe medication management being a key aspect. However, nursing students often lack the necessary skills for effective medication management. These students need to acquire the required competencies during their undergraduate studies.

This study aimed to investigate the self-perceived status of Iranian nursing students in medication safety management.

An analytical cross-sectional study.

The study involved 221 nursing students who completed surveys assessing their self-perception of drug management and dosage calculation. Demographic data were also collected. The data collection forms included a self-perception questionnaire and a dosage calculation test. Analytical tests such as independent sample t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and descriptive statistics were employed for data analysis using SPSS 22.0 software.

Our research found that the average self-perception score of students in medication management was 57.65 ± 13.53 (range = 24-96). Linear regression analysis revealed that higher overall GPAs (F = 38.098, p < 0.001) and work experience in a hospital (t = 10.367, p < 0.001) were associated with improved self-perception skills in medication management. Additionally, individuals with increasing age demonstrated better self-assessment skills in managing safe medications.

This study underscores the importance of nursing education in enhancing students' competencies in safe medication management. Specific interventions are recommended to improve knowledge and skills, and sociodemographic factors can help identify students needing additional support. Increasing clinical exposure is also suggested to enhance their competencies.

This study aimed to examine the relationship between nursing students' math anxiety and their self-efficacy in pediatric medication administration.

Medication errors in pediatric patients are often linked to the precision required in dose calculations, posing significant risks to patient safety. Math anxiety, characterized by fear and worry, can impair students' performance in mathematical tasks, potentially reducing self-efficacy in medication administration.

A descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational design was employed, adhering to STROBE guidelines.

The study was conducted between May and July 2022 with 175 third- and fourth-year nursing students at a state university financed by public funds, in Turkey. Data were collected through a sociodemographic information form, a self-efficacy scale for pediatric medication administration, and a two-dimensional math anxiety scale. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation.

Third-year students had higher drug preparation scores than fourth-year students. Students who willingly chose nursing had higher self-efficacy. Those confident in calculation skills had higher self-efficacy and lower math anxiety. Higher math anxiety negatively correlated with drug preparation scores, while calculator use was linked to increased anxiety and lower scores. No significant correlation was found between math anxiety and overall self-efficacy.

Reducing math anxiety and enhancing mathematical skills may improve nursing students' self-efficacy in pediatric drug administration. Nursing education should incorporate strategies to strengthen mathematical competencies.

Numeracy and mathematics are terms that can cause anxiety, not only in students, but this emotion can also be experienced in teachers. Anxiety can inhibit teacher performance and is correlated with low self-confidence. The anxiety felt by school teachers when teaching mathematics is widely reported, however, the self-reported confidence and anxiety levels of nurse academics when teaching numeracy concepts to undergraduate nursing students has never been studied.

To explore and analyse Australian nurse academics' self-reported confidence and anxiety levels when teaching nursing numeracy to undergraduate nursing students.

Cross-sectional survey.

Australian universities that provide an undergraduate nursing degree leading to nursing registration.

Australian nurse academics employed either permanent full time or part time; casual /sessional; or on a fixed term contract, who teach nursing numeracy and medication calculations to undergraduate nursing students.

A combination of convenience and purposive sampling was used to recruit Australian nurse academics (n = 170). Data were collected between Nov 2023 and Feb 2024 using an online survey platform.

Almost 50 % of participants self-reported feeling either not confident or somewhat confident and very or somewhat anxious when teaching nursing numeracy. There were no significant differences in overall confidence and anxiety based on demographic variables, indicating this is a widespread issue. A non-significant trend towards level A academics experiencing higher anxiety and less confidence was noted.

A significant proportion of students are being taught nursing numeracy by nurse academics who lack confidence and experience anxiety, which can be transferred to students, affecting learning and performance. The downstream consequences are potentially poor numeracy skills in students and compromised patient safety. Strategies that have been effective in reducing school teachers' anxiety could be used to support nurse academics.

Medication errors, especially in dosage calculation, pose risks in healthcare. Artificial intelligence (AI) systems like ChatGPT and Google Bard may help reduce errors, but their accuracy in providing medication information remains to be evaluated.

To evaluate the accuracy of AI systems (ChatGPT 3.5, ChatGPT 4, Google Bard) in providing drug dosage information per Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine.

A set of natural language queries mimicking real-world medical dosage inquiries was presented to the AI systems. Responses were analyzed using a 3-point Likert scale. The analysis, conducted with Python and its libraries, focused on basic statistics, overall system accuracy, and disease-specific and organ system accuracies.

ChatGPT 4 outperformed the other systems, showing the highest rate of correct responses (83.77%) and the best overall weighted accuracy (0.6775). Disease-specific accuracy varied notably across systems, with some diseases being accurately recognized, while others demonstrated significant discrepancies. Organ system accuracy also showed variable results, underscoring system-specific strengths and weaknesses.

ChatGPT 4 demonstrates superior reliability in medical dosage information, yet variations across diseases emphasize the need for ongoing improvements. These results highlight AI's potential in aiding healthcare professionals, urging continuous development for dependable accuracy in critical medical situations.

The aim of this research was to explore the teaching of undergraduate nursing numeracy in tertiary education settings in Australia. Specifically, it explored and identified: (1) the most common basic numeracy concepts taught, (2) additional training and resources to support numeracy teaching, (3) who is best placed to teach numeracy and (4) the preferred methods of teaching medication calculations.

Nurse academics are required to teach nursing numeracy to undergraduate nursing students who enter university unprepared to accurately calculate medication dosages. It is important that students understand numeracy concepts as this is then applied to contextualised clinical applications. Nurse academics teach basic numeracy; however, the literature reveals that nurse academics do not consider themselves mathematics teachers and that experts in this area are better suited to teaching this skill. There are a dearth of studies about the nurse academics who conduct the teaching and this study seeks to fill that gap by exploring firsthand the nurse academics' self-reported insights into the teaching of undergraduate nursing numeracy.

Cross-sectional survey. The setting was Australian universities that deliver an accredited undergraduate nursing degree.

Purposive sampling was used to recruit Australian nurse academics (n = 170), sessional or permanent who currently teach all aspects of nursing numeracy and medication calculations to undergraduate nursing students. Data were collected between Nov 2023 - Feb 2024 using an online survey platform and analysed using a descriptive content analysis.

Nurse academics taught basic arithmetic most commonly (92 %), yet most (90 %) had not received professional development or additional training in how to teach these concepts. To assist with numeracy teaching, resources were requested (47 %) as were the need for mathematics learning support staff (82 %). The formula method was most commonly taught (91 %), however, most participants (94 %) were willing to learn and to teach other methods of calculating medications.

This research suggests an evidenced-based education framework be created to support and guide nurse academics when teaching all aspects of nursing numeracy and medication calculations. Building the teaching capacity of nurse academics in this vital area will enhance student competence and contribute to patient safety.

This study aims to explore and describe self-reported perceptions of nursing students' competence in the administration of medication.

Medication errors are a significant concern in hospitals, as they can result in serious harm and even death for patients. Nursing students play a crucial role in administering medication and preventing errors, but they are also prone to making mistakes. While numerous studies have extensively examined the factors that contribute to medication errors, few have focused on the assessment of competency among nursing students.

This study employed a qualitative exploratory and descriptive design.

A total of 10 undergraduate nursing students at a higher education institution consented to participate in face-to-face, semi-structured individual interviews. Data were collected between August and September 2022 using an interview guide. The interviews were audio recorded and analysed using Braun and Clarke's six steps of thematic analysis.

The study revealed two major themes: (1) 'Perceived barriers to competency', which include participants' concerns regarding making errors, knowledge in pharmacology, self-efficacy in mathematics and level of supervision; and (2) 'Mechanisms for improvement', which centre on enhancing simulation proficiency, improving supervision and integrating pharmacology education in year two of nursing training.

The study findings suggest that student nurses face various barriers to competence, such as a fear of making mistakes, a lack of pharmacology knowledge and low self-confidence in calculating drug dosages. To address these issues, prioritising supervision is crucial to facilitate student learning and ensure safety. Future research should consider investigating the perspectives of nurse educators on pharmacology curricula.

Education providers teach numeracy to undergraduate nursing students using a diverse range of approaches. Proficiency in numeracy skills is critical for patient safety; however, alarmingly, the accuracy rate of calculations by both undergraduate nurses and RNs is reported to be low.

The literature search yielded 1,180 articles published between 1994 and 2022. The assessment of the studies was reported using the PRIMSA extension for Scoping Reviews.

Thirty-nine articles were included in the review. A diverse range of approaches were used to teach numeracy including learning theory, methods of calculation, learning environment, and examination aids.

This review highlights the plethora of approaches for teaching numeracy within undergraduate nursing education. Internationally, there were limited studies on the most effective teaching approaches; therefore, developing a robust evidence-based numeracy framework would be beneficial to guide non-nursing instructors in teaching undergraduate nurses. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(4):218-227.].