Abstract

Objective –This study asked whether pre-nursing students who took the Nursing 102 (Introduction to Professional Nursing) class, which included information literacy instruction by the Health Sciences Librarian and writing assistance using peer tutors, felt better prepared in basic research skills and a more global understanding of nursing than they did before they took the class. Methods – In Nursing 102, instruction in the skills needed to prepare an APA paper and group presentations on an assigned country were used to increase pre-nursing students’ self-efficacy in basic computer and library skills and global health awareness. In cooperation with the instructors, the Health Sciences Librarian presented a one-hour session to each class on using the library website and searching on CINAHL, and met by appointment with small groups. Peer tutors at the campus writing center helped students refine and edit their writing. A Computer Self-Efficacy Scale and comments from students, faculty, and the librarian assessed results. Results -– 209 out of 301 possible participants enrolled in Nursing 102 between fall 2011 and spring 2013 completed a pre- and post-test. Results of a paired t-test indicated that the average score on the computer self-efficacy test increased from 34.80 to 40.30, and the change was statistically significant at the p ≤ .05 level. The instructors and librarian noted subjective improvements in the retrieval and use of scholarly resources by students. Conclusion – The introduction to research skills and the global nursing assignment in Nursing 102, with participation of classroom faculty, the Health Sciences Librarian, and the campus writing center peer tutors, appeared to help increase pre-nursing students’ self-efficacy for basic computer and library skills, their retrieval of scholarly sources, and their understanding of global health systems.

Disciplines

Information Literacy | Library and Information Science | Medicine and Health Sciences | Nursing | Social and Behavioral Sciences

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