Fear and Loathing: Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Experiences of a Mandatory Course in Applied Statistics

Abstract

AbstractThis article describes the results of a qualitative research study evaluating nursing students’ experiences of a mandatory course in applied statistics, and the perceived effectiveness of teaching methods implemented during the course. Fifteen nursing students in the third year of a four-year baccalaureate program in nursing participated in focus groups before and after taking the mandatory course in statistics. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using content analysis to reveal four major themes: (i) “one of those courses you throw out?,” (ii) “numbers and terrifying equations,” (iii) “first aid for statistics casualties,” and (iv) “re-thinking curriculum.” Overall, the data revealed that although nursing students initially enter statistics courses with considerable skepticism, fear, and anxiety, there are a number of concrete actions statistics instructors can take to reduce student fear and increase the perceived relevance of courses in statistics.