Applying mastery learning in a clinical skills training program for primary care nurses

This article describes the application of mastery learning in the development and implementation of a clinical skills training program for primary care nurses. The objective of the training program was to equip primary care nurses with the clinical skills to triage and administer bronchodilator therapy to patients presenting to the primary care clinic with acute exacerbations of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The positive outcomes of this program support the idea that mastery learning is an effective competency-based training method for clinical skills acquisition. However, variations in training duration and dropout rates should be taken into consideration when planning mastery learning-based training programs.