The Relationship Between Midwifery and Nursing Students’ Attention Control Levels and Rational-Intuitive Decision-Making Skills and Their Propensity for Medical Errors
Abstract
Aim: This study was conducted to examine the relationship between midwifery and nursing students' levels of attention control and rational-intuitive decision-making skills and their propensity for medical errors.
Material and Method: The cross-sectional study was conducted between January-May 2023 through face-to-face interviews with 491 midwifery and nursing students. The dependent variable of the study is medical error tendency, while the independent variables are introductory characteristics, attention control levels, and rational-intuitive decision-making.
Results: The participants’ scale score averages were found to be, Attention Control Scale 52.02 ± 9.23, Rational Decision Making 21.50 ± 3.30, Intuitive Decision Making 16.98 ± 5.03, and Propensity for Medical Error 221.45 ± 27.91. According to linear regression analysis, as students’ weighted overall grade point average decreased, their attention control level and rational decision-making level decreased, and the tendency to make medical errors increased among nursing students (p<0.05).
Conclusion: It was determined that participants have a low tendency to make medical errors, moderate levels of attention control and intuitive decision-making, and high levels of rational decision-making. As attention control and rational decision-making levels increased, the tendency to make medical errors decreases. It is recommended that activities be carried out to strengthen students' attention control skills and that approaches promoting the development of rational decision-making processes.
Keywords
Medical Error, Decision Making, Students, Nursing, Midwifery, Rational, İntuitive
Supporting Institution
No funding was received to support this work.
Ethical Statement
This study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. Permission was obtained from the Balıkesir University Health Sciences Non-Interventional Research Ethics Committee (date: 6 December 2022, Decision number: 2022/101) and the Balıkesir University Faculty of Health Sciences (date: 30 December 2022, Number: E.212646). Furthermore, verbal and written consent was obtained from all students participating in the study.
Thanks
We would like to thank the midwifery and nursing students who participated in this study.
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