Institute/Session Summary:

Given the improvement in salaries and the increase in job openings for health care professionals, nursing has become an increasingly popular career choice. Students who enter nursing programs are generally capable--having met several program entry requirements--and eager to succeed. However, performance standards are high, and particularly in the accelerated one- and two-year programs at community colleges, students must quickly learn how to master a large volume of technical material in a short time and how to move from rote memorization to integrating and applying concepts. If they fail to make this transition, low test scores can doom their career plans.

At Des Moines Area Community College, a cooperative effort between nursing and Academic Achievement Center instructors has evolved to promote student success. Students who struggle with tests in their nursing courses are referred to the Academic Achievement Center for one-to-one conferences. These conferences use error analysis as a starting point for a discussion of study and testing strategies.

This session will explain the mechanics of the nursing support program, identify through examples the nature of the study tasks and test questions in nursing courses, present high-utility study and testing strategies for nursing students, and discuss the broader benefits of the program for academic support professionals. Participants will have the opportunity to take a sample nursing exam and to analyze the formal and conceptual underpinnings of the questions.

Presenter1 Name: Sue Wickham
Presenter1 Institution:  Des Moines Area Community College
Presenter1 Bio: Sue Wickham received a BA in English and an MSE as a reading clinician from Drake University. She has taught reading, writing, and study strategies courses and worked in the Academic Achievement Center at Des Moines Area Community College since 1975. Publications include a GED Writing Skills text (Contemporary Books, 1987) and curriculum for the WorkKeys tests.