Investigation of the relationship between nursing students' learning styles and psychomotor skills

This research was a descriptive study carried out to examine the relationship between nursing students' learning styles and psychomotor skills. It was carried out in Ege University Nursing Faculty between November 2013 and May 2014. The sampling of the research comprised of sophomores who received the training of nursing application skills (n=174). In research data were collected by using "Individual Identification Form", "IM Injection Information Form", "Felder and Soloman Learning Styles Inventory" and "IM Injection Skill List". In data collection, primarily "Individual Identification Form" and "Felder and Soloman Learning Styles Inventory" were used. Subsequently, theoretical information was provided about IM injection and then the application of IM injection was demonstrated in skill laboratory by seperating students into groups. Prior to demonstration of IM injection, an IM injection information form was handed out and students' IM injection application skills were evaluated. In analysis of data the percentage, mathematical average, Student's t-test, Kruskall Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests were used. For research to be carried out approvals of Ege University Nursing Faculty Ethical Committee and Dean of Nursing Faculty were obtained and each student included in the scope of sampling was provided a written/verbal consent. At the end of research it was identified that 79.9 % of the students included in the scope of research were women, 48.3 % were in 18-20 age group, 48.3 % were Anatolian high school graduates, 52.3 % have resided in town long time, 69.5 % had a medium level of socio-economical status and 44.8 % had preferred nursing profession voluntarily. It was determined that the students participated in research had hands-on, visual, feeling and sequential learning styles and their mean scores of IM injection knowledge were 26.18 ± 16.07. There was not a significant difference between students who learn by practicing and those who learn by thinking and those who have visual learning style and those who have auditory learning style, in terms of mean scores of IM injection knowledge. It was detected that the mean scores of IM injection knowledge in students who learn by feeling were significantly higher than those who have intuitive learning style and also the mean scores of IM injection knowledge in students who have sequential learning style were significantly higher than those who have total learning style. Students' mean scores of psychomotor skill (IM injection) levels were 58.87 ± 7.78 and there was no significant difference between the mean scores of psychomotor skill (IM injection) levels obtained according to the learning styles possessed by students. It was concluded that students' age, gender, the high school they graduated and reasons for preferring nursing profession had no effect over their psychomotor skill levels. Key Words: Nursing student, learning styles, psychomotor skill e-mail: afak-88@hotmail.com