Walking the bridge: Nursing students' learning in clinical skill laboratories

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Simulation-Based Learning
• Clinical Skills Development

Background:

• Limited evidence exists on transferring simulated nursing skills to clinical practice.
• Clinical skills laboratories (CSLs) are crucial for developing professional nursing knowledge and skills.
• Optimizing CSLs is vital for quality nursing practice and patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe nursing students' experiences learning in CSLs.
• To understand how CSLs prepare students for clinical practice.
• To explore the integration of theory and practice in nursing education.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study utilizing interviews with 16 nursing students.
• Content analysis was applied to interview data.
• Exploration of student experiences in a bridge between university and clinical settings.

Main Results:

• An overarching theme of "walking the bridge" emerged, with CSLs acting as a link between academic and clinical environments.
• Students integrated theory and practice and developed a reflective stance.
• A tension was identified between learning in CSLs and clinical settings, which may promote reflection and critical thinking.

Conclusions:

• CSLs effectively prepare nursing students for clinical practice.
• The tension experienced between CSL learning and clinical settings can be a valuable pedagogical tool.
• This perspective offers a new approach to enhance student critical thinking skills.