Positive Prompts: A Quick Exercise to Reduce Test Anxiety.
M any nursing students experience test anxiety, which reduces the working memory available for testing performance. Nurse educators have implemented classical music, therapy dog visits, and mindfulness programs to reduce test anxiety. Two nurse educators trialed a journaling exercise in which students would write about their testing worries. A similar journaling program has been used in other fields as an intervention to decrease test anxiety and increase examination scores. Our students were resistant to acknowledge worries on paper. We then developed a different type of journaling intervention. We provided positive prompts for students to reflect on or write about on the front of examination books. Students were given 3 to 5 minutes to consider prompts such as the following: (1) What is something you are good at? (2) What is your personal mantra? (3) Do you remember the best compliment you ever received? What was it? (4) Write about your proudest moment. (5) Who is your hero? What do you have in common with them? One prompt was provided before each examination to help students overcome negative thinking that may occur. Course evaluations revealed that 77% of students participated in the positive prompt. Most students reported that the exercise was helpful in reducing test anxieties, with some stating that they carried the practice over to other courses.
Nurse educator