Traditionally, psychomotor skills training for nursing students involves didactic instruction followed by procedural review and practice with a task trainer, manikin, or classmates. This article describes a novel method of teaching psychomotor skills to associate degree and baccalaureate nursing students, Cooperative Learning Simulation Skills Training (CLSST), in the context of nasogastric tube insertion using a deliberate practice-to-mastery learning model. Student dyads served as operator and student learner. Automatic scoring was recorded in the debriefing log. Student pairs alternated roles until they achieved mastery, after which they were assessed individually. Median checklist scores of 100% were achieved by students in both programs after one practice session and through evaluation. Students and faculty provided positive feedback regarding this educational innovation. CLSST in a deliberate practice-to-mastery learning paradigm offers a novel way to teach psychomotor skills in nursing curricula and decreases the instructor-to-student ratio.
Clinical judgment is at the forefront for safe nursing practice and quality patient care and an increasing focus for success on the NCLEX-RN licensure exam. The ability to think critically and make sound clinical decisions is not intuitive for new graduates. This article describes the progressive application of an established tool, the Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric, in a 16-month accelerated undergraduate program with simulation experiences. Student evaluations indicate the tool is valuable for helping students develop awareness of their progression in using clinical judgment skills and understanding the essential attributes of clinical judgment.
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