Impact of Language Proficiency on Academic Achievement among Nursing Students

Background: In preparing future nurses who are competent to provide safe care, nursing education has an important role in updating current knowledge, skills and attitudes of patient care. As students progress through the grades, the academic tasks they are required to complete and the linguistic contexts in which they must function become more complex. As language is socially situated, it is described as only one of many complex features that may affect academic progress. Objectives: To assess the impact of language proficiency on academic achievement among nursing students. Methods: A total of thirty one nursing students in a medical college were administered with written Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) paper test after getting consent to assess their language proficiency. The cognitive domain which represents the knowledge acquired during the course was evaluated by formative assessment as per university norms. Strength of association between language proficiency and academic achievement was measured using Pearson correlation coefficient using medcalc software. P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Correlation with Pearson correlation test between academic achievement and language proficiency showed statistically significant association. Conclusion: Language proficiency plays an important role in the academic achievement among the nursing students. Inculcating English language course in to the curriculum of nursing programme will uplift the standards of nursing education and thereby nursing care.