Nursing Students' Knowledge and Attitude Towards Medical Writing Skills in the English Language

Abstract

Medical Writing skills in the English language is challenging for those having English as their second language. Hence, this study focuses on understanding the knowledge and attitude toward medical writing skills in the English Language among undergraduate nursing students in Saudi Arabia. This study adopted an exploratory study design. It included all nursing students enrolled in the first year of the undergraduate nursing program in Abha (n=80) and Muhayil (n=80) female campuses of King Khalid University (KKU), Saudi Arabia. Those students were administered with a self-structured online questionnaire measuring the nursing students' knowledge and attitude toward English medical writing skills. Out of the total students (N=160), 137 responded to the questionnaire. Most nursing students were able to write medical questions (88.3%), abbreviations (92.7%), patient information (91.2%), reports (85.4%), and prescriptions (88.3%) in English. They felt that English medical writing creates a good impression on themselves (95.6%) and makes them professional (97.1%). Most of them liked English medical writing (91.3%) and felt that knowledge of it offers advantages in their future career (99.2%). They can read the medical report in English though it is in Arabic (78.9%). Nursing students of KKU presented a good knowledge and positive attitude towards English medical writing skills. Their knowledge is significantly associated with their attitude toward English medical writing skills. Saudi nursing schools should continue their strategies to improve students' English medical writing skills to improve the quality of the nursing profession and their ability to compete with the global labor market.