Teaching nursing psychomotor skills in a fundamentals laboratory: a literature review

The aim of this article is to determine the most effective methods of teaching psychomotor skills.

Research has pointed to a gap between nursing practice and nursing education. Due to a number of conditions, nursing students are learning basic skills in laboratories, rather than clinical settings.

A literature review was conducted to evaluate studies published since 1995 that compared alternative and traditional methods of teaching skills to novice nursing students.

Of the 13 studies found, most assessed computer-related methods. A few examined alternatives, such as the use of standardized patients, high-fidelity manikins, and a mental-imaging technique.

Based on this limited evidence, it appears that teaching methods providing access to online interactive materials were significantly more effective than others.Three studies found that a combination of traditional lecture and demonstration methods plus computer use was more effective than either method alone.