Table 2.
Primary outcomes of the MCQ test in medication knowledge, certainty evaluation and risk of error – totally, for each discipline and topic
| Knowledge | Certainty in each answer | Risk of error | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proportion correct answers | Score 0–3 1) | Score 1–3 2) | ||||
| Students | Nurses | Students | Nurses | Students | Nurses | |
| Total | 61.5 (7.8) | 68.9 (8.0) | 1.7 (0.4) | 1.9 (0.4) | 1.8 (0.1) | 1.7 (0.1) |
| Pharmacology (14) 3) | 70.8 (11.4) | 73.7 (11.1) | 1.6 (0.5) | 1.8 (0.5) | 1.7 (0.2) | 1.6 (0.2) |
| - General (3) | 84.5 (19.7) | 81.9 (21.8) | 1.8 (0.6) | 1.70.6) | 1.5 (0.3) | 1.5 (0.4) |
| - Effect (3) | 72.8 (25.0) | 79.8 (20.8) | 1.3 (0.7) | 1.6 (0.7) | 1.6 (0.3) | 1.5 (0.3) |
| - Side effects, interactions (4) | 71.3 (22.7) | 77.1 (21.8) | 1.5 (0.6) | 1.8 (0.7) | 1.7 (0.3) | 1.6 (0.3) |
| - Administration form/generics (4) | 58.5 (20.6) | 59.5 (19.1) | 1.8 (0.5) | 1.9 (0.6) | 1.9 (0.3) | 1.8 (0.3) |
| Drug management (14) | 42.7 (11.8) | 53.2 (11.8) | 1.6 (0.5) | 1.9 (0.5) | 2.0 (0.2) | 1.9 (0.2) |
| - Responsibility (2) | 27.4 (33.7) | 58.9 (34.4) | 1.5 (0.8) | 2.0 (0.7) | 2.2 (0.5) | 1.8 (0.6) |
| - Storage (4) | 17.3 (18.0) | 33.9 (21.4) | 1.2 (0.7) | 1.5 (0.6) | 2.3 (0.3) | 2.1 (0.4) |
| - Dispensing (4) | 61.6 (19.7) | 60.1 (21.5) | 1.7 (0.6) | 2.0 (0.6) | 1.7 (0.3) | 1.8 (0.4) |
| - Distribution (4) | 56.9 (22.6) | 62.8 (22.2) | 1.8 (0.7) | 2.1 (0.6) | 2.0 (0.4) | 1.8 (0.4) |
| Drug dose calculations (14) | 71.0 (13.5) | 79.9 (14.2) | 1.8 (0.5) | 2.0 (0.6) | 1.6 (0.2) | 1.5 (0.3) |
| - Units (7) | 71.4 (17.7) | 75.7 (20.4) | 1.9 (0.5) | 2.1 (0.6) | 1.6 (0.2) | 1.5 (0.3) |
| - Dose-amount-strength (4) | 71.5 (19.1) | 84.7 (16.9) | 1.9 (0.6) | 2.0 (0.7) | 1.5 (0.3) | 1.4 (0.3) |
| - Dilution/infusion (3) | 67.7 (25.9) | 83.4 (25.3) | 1.5 (0.8) | 1.8 (0.8) | 1.6 (0.4) | 1.5 (0.4) |
The results are given as percent or mean score, both with (SD). Mann–Whitney U-test.
1)Scale: 0 = very uncertain, 1 = relatively uncertain, 2 = relatively certain, 3 = very certain.
2)Scale: 1 = low risk, 2 = moderate risk, 3 = high risk.
3)( ) = Number of questions.
Comparisons between the 3 disciplines for proportion of correct answers, mean score of certainty and mean score of risk of error (Friedman test) were statistically significant; p-values ≤0.001.