Correlators of Achievement in English for Medical Purposes Among Baccalaureate Nursing Students

BACKGROUND: Healthcare professionals use English language medical terminology and phraseology to write medical records and to communicate within their profession. Patient medical records provide information and data critical to facilitating proper medical care. Therefore, it is essential for nurses to be able to apply and to understand medical English (known as "English for medical purposes" or EMP) correctly to provide optimal care for patients. PURPOSE: This study investigated the relationship between EMP achievement levels among baccalaureate nursing students and learning strategies, learning motivation, and individual variables such as student gender and general English proficiency. This study also identified important explanatory factors behind achieved EMP level for nursing students. METHODS: A cross-sectional correlational design was used. A sample of 103 nursing students (24 men and 79 women) in the second semester of their sophomore year completed Oxford's Strategy Inventory for Language Learning and the Foreign Language Learning Motivation Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression. RESULTS: Multiple regression analysis showed learning motivation, gender, compensation strategy, and general English proficiency explained 32% of the variance in EMP achievement level. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This study suggests that when designing an EMP curriculum for baccalaureate nursing students, course designers should consider (a) enhancing student learning motivation to improve the general level of EMP achievement, (b) increasing the use of EMP in professional nursing courses, and (c) introducing a variety of strategies aimed to help students master EMP.