Does nursing assistant certification increase nursing student's confidence level of basic nursing care when entering a nursing program?

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore nursing student's confidence level with basic nursing care when entering the nursing program after implementation of required nursing assistant certification for program admission. In addition, the relationship between being employed as a nursing assistant and confidence level with basic nursing care when entering the nursing program was explored. A Likert-scale survey assessing confidence levels of basic nursing care was sent to 156 nursing students admitted to a nursing program prior to their first nursing course. Confidence level with nursing skills, nursing assistant employment, and length of nursing assistant employment were assessed. Students were most confident in hand washing (M = 5.87, SD = 0.36), gloving and gowning (M =5.46, SD = 0.75), making an unoccupied bed (M = 5.38, SD = 0.88), and oral temperature (M = 5.30, SD = 0.87). Students were least confident in the fitting for cane (M = 1.74, SD = 1.16) and ambulation with crutches on steps (M =1.81, SD = 1.27). Nursing assistant employment increased student confidence with basic nursing care. Nursing programs cannot assume that students are prepared in basic nursing care based on a nursing assistant certification. © 2014 Elsevier Inc.