A study to assess the effectiveness of planned teaching programme on knowledge regarding cognitive distortion among nursing students in selected nursing colleges: Pre -experimental study

Introduction: To identify and address cognitive distortion, students can develop more realistic and positive thinking patterns, leading to improved well-being and coping strategies. Aims and Objectives: - This study aims to assess these issues and explore their association with demographic variables. Research Design: The research design selected for this study is pre-experimental I group pre-test and post-test design Material and Method: Data was collected using Semi structured questionnaire on demographic variables and self- administered questionnaire on knowledge regarding Cognitive Distortion Result: The study of 100 nursing students found that 73% were female, with most aged 20-21 years. A majority (70%) lived in urban areas, and 36% had a family income above Rs 40,000. Most students (67%) came from nuclear families. Leisure activities included playing games (39%), reading (16%), and using mobile phones (24%). In the pre-test, 89% of nursing students had average knowledge, 8% had good knowledge, and 3% had poor knowledge, with a mean score of 8.69±1.51. In the post-test, 96% achieved excellent knowledge, and 4% had very good knowledge, with a mean score of 22.83±1.40. The mean percentage of knowledge increased from 34.76% in the pre-test to 91.32% in the post-test. The effectiveness of the Planned Teaching Program was assessed using a paired t-test, with a calculated t-value of 62.17, significantly higher than the critical value at the 5% level. The mean knowledge scores showed a significant improvement, confirming the program's effectiveness. Thus, the alternative hypothesis (H1) is accepted. Conclusion: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a planned teaching program on cognitive distortion among undergraduate nursing students. The pre-test results indicated a knowledge deficit, with an average score of 89%. Only 8% of students scored well, reflecting a need for improvement. After administering the teaching program, the post-test results showed 96% of students achieved excellent scores, significantly higher than the pre-test scores. These findings confirm that the planned teaching program effectively enhanced students' knowledge on cognitive distortion. The research hypothesis, which predicted an increase in knowledge post-program, was thus proven correct.