Tabletop exercises in the nursing classroom: An introduction for nurse educators

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Simulation
• Clinical Decision-Making

Background:

• A significant gap exists between the skills of newly licensed nurses and employer expectations.
• Nurse educators are tasked with improving student decision-making for patient care through innovative learning strategies.
• Linking educational content to practical application remains a challenge in nursing programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce tabletop exercises as an innovative learning strategy for nursing education.
• To explore how nurse educators can link classroom learning to clinical practice.
• To enhance student decision-making abilities for improved patient care outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Tabletop exercises are presented as an active, low-stress, high-impact learning strategy.
• These exercises involve a scenario, facilitator, participants, and problem-solving through decision-making.
• The process includes an after-action discussion to identify outcomes and remediation needs.

Main Results:

• Tabletop exercises provide a structured approach for students to apply knowledge in context.
• These exercises have broad healthcare applications beyond disaster scenarios.
• The strategy facilitates linking education to practice and improving clinical judgment.

Conclusions:

• Tabletop exercises are a viable method for nurse educators to enhance practical decision-making skills.
• Implementation considerations for developing and utilizing these exercises in nursing classrooms are discussed.
• This approach can effectively bridge the gap between nursing education and clinical practice demands.