A Study to Assess the Drug Dosage Calculation Skills among Nursing Students with a View to Develop a Mobile Application on Drug Dosage Calculation in a Selected Nursing College, Greater Noida, UP.

Background: Numerical and drug calculation skills are reported to be important for patient safety. Medication errors occur repeatedly and universally. Nurses have to be very skill full in mathematical calculation and numerical ability to calculate the proper dose and drug calculation because a single mistake in calculation can lead to severe life threatening condition to patient. Inappropriate drug dose calculation indicate high risk of medication errors. Students and experienced nurses often lack confidence in mathematical calculations. Mathematical skill and proficiency underpin a number of nursing activities, with the most common application being in relation to drug dosage calculation and administration Medication errors have been identified as the most common type of error affecting patient safety and the most common single preventable cause of adverse events and they can occur as a result of mathematical calculation error and or conceptual error. Ability to calculate drug doses correctly is an essential skill to prevent and reduce medication errors. Nursing research indicates that a poor medication calculation skill is an international issue for the nursing profession. Literature suggests that nurses? drug calculation skills should be monitored. Information technologies, particularly mobile devices, can advance drug dosage calculation processes. The aim of the study was to Assess the Drug Dosage Calculation Skills Among Nursing Students with a view to Develop a Mobile Application on Drug Dosage Calculation. Objectives: 1) To Assess the Drug Dosage Calculation Skills among Nursing Students. 2) To find out the association between drug dosage calculation skills among nursing students with selected Demographic variables that is (Age, Gender, Religion, Professional Education, and Source of information). 3) To develop a Mobile Application on Drug Dosage Calculation. 4) To assess the acceptability of Drug Dosage Calculator App. Methodology: Quantitative research approach was adopted for this study and Descriptive research design was selected for this study. The setting of the study was SNSR, Sharda University. The sample consists of 100 GNM 3rd year, B. Sc. Nursing 4th year and PB. B. sc. Nursing 2nd year studying in SNSR Sharda University and samples were selected by using total enumeration sampling technique. Demographic data was collected by using demographic data questionnaire and Drug Dosage Calculation Skills was assessed by using Structured Self - administered questionnaire and acceptability of Drug Dosage calculator app was assessed by using Five point Likert scale. The investigator developed Barbara Wejnert integrating models of diffusion and innovation for conceptual framework. Results: The collected data was analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. Majority of the nursing students 54 (54%) were of the age group 22 - 25 years, 40 (40%) of the nursing students were of the age group 19 - 21years and 6 (6%) of the samples were of age group. above 25 years, 77 (77%) of the samples were females and 23 (23%) of the samples were males Majority of the samples 80 (80%) of the samples belongs to Hindu, 11 (11%) of the sample belong to Islam, 9 (9%) of the samples belong to Christian.51 (51%) were GNM 3rd year, 45 (45%) of samples were B. Sc. Nursing 4th year, 4 (4%) of sample?s were PBB. Sc. Nursing 2nd year.44 (44%) source of information were from the internet, 35 (35%) of sample?s source of information were from Lecture, 17 (17%) of sample?s source of information were from textbook and 4 (4%) of sample?s source of information were from attended conference and workshop. Majority 52 (52%) of nursing students have Poor Skills and 35 (35%) nursing students have Average skills and only 13 (13%) nursing students have Good Skills of drug dosage calculation. There was no significant association between drug dosage calculation skills among nursing students with demographic variables of Gender, Religion, Source of information where p value was greater than 0.05 (pless than0.05). There was significant association between drug dosage calculation skills among nursing students with demographic variables of Age, Professional Education where p value was less than 0.05 (pless than0.05). Majority 83 (83%) of nursing students were acceptable drug dosage calculator app and 17 (17%) were Neither acceptable, Nor unacceptable drug dosage calculator app. Conclusion: This study indicates that nursing students have poor drug dosage calculation skills.