Effectiveness of the Think-Pair-Share strategy in enhancing drug dosage calculation skills among student nurses in a public university in Saudi Arabia: An experimental study

Background: Effective teaching strategies in nursing education are essential to ensure students’ mastery of critical skills such as drug dosage calculations. These calculations are pivotal for patient safety and quality care, yet many nursing students struggle with achieving competence in this area. Traditional teaching methods may fail to address different learning styles, highlighting the need for innovative, evidence-based approaches such as the Think-Pair-Share (TPS) strategy. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the TPS strategy in enhancing drug dosage calculation skills among level-eight nursing students at Shaqra University, Saudi Arabia Methods: The study employed a one-group pretest-posttest experimental research design with 34 level-eight nursing students as respondents. Data were collected in June 2024. A pretest was administered following a traditional lecture, while a posttest was conducted after implementing the TPS strategy. The assessment tool, adapted from a validated module, included 22 items focused on drug dosage calculations. Data were analyzed using paired t-tests to evaluate the intervention’s impact on students’ performance. Results: Pretest results revealed a mean score of 11.21 (SD = 2.24), indicating a lack of competence among respondents. Following the TPS intervention, the mean score significantly increased to 21.18 (SD = 1.14), denoting high competence. Statistical analysis confirmed a significant difference between pretest and posttest scores (t = -23.13, p = 0.0001), highlighting the effectiveness of the TPS strategy in improving students’ knowledge and skills. Conclusion: The study findings affirm that the TPS strategy is a transformative teaching method that significantly enhances drug dosage calculation skills in nursing education. By fostering collaboration, critical thinking, and active participation, TPS addresses different learning needs and prepares students for the demands of clinical practice. Further research with larger sample sizes is recommended to validate these findings and explore additional benefits of this approach.