Robin Whelpley

Title : Understanding test anxiety and how to help the new generation nursing student

Abstract:

Nursing curriculums around the globe have been faced with an increasingly prevalent question, “How do I help my nursing students with their test anxiety?” Considering that nursing students have a higher prevalence of anxiety when compared to the general population and between 50-100% of undergraduate nursing students experience test anxiety, programs have been looking to evidence to integrate into curriculums to help their students excel. This presentation will review the most up to date evidence of the relationship of anxiety to test and task performance in undergraduate nursing students and summarize techniques and methods that can be used to help these students overcome difficulties with testing and using coping mechanisms appropriate for the anxiety-provoking situation.

Audience Take Away:

• Review current evidence of the relationship of anxiety to test and task performance, specifically for student nurses
• Explore the Self-Regulatory Executive Function model of test anxiety (S-REF)
• Summarize techniques and methods that can be used to help student nurses improve anxious testing behaviors

Biography:

Dr. Robin Whelpley received her Doctor of Pharmacy from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2009. She became board certified as a Pharmacotherapy Specialist in 2011. She completed her post-graduate residency with Bon Secours Health System in 2010 and served as pharmacy clinical specialist in psychiatry for seven years. Dr. Whelpley has a wide array of teaching experience with eight years as a full-time nursing faculty, seven years an adjunct clinical faculty at South University Physician Assistant Program, seven years as a preceptor for pharmacy and medical residents, and 15 years as a preceptor for fourth year pharmacy clinical students. Her specialties include behavioral health, putting teaching theories to practice, and bridging didactic pharmacology content to real world practice at the bed side.