Reconstructing a Nursing Skills Lab A Quality Improvement Project

Safety is a paramount consideration when preparing nursing students for clinical practice. Skills lab traditions steeped in the rote memorization of procedures fail to bridge the gap between theory and practice, leaving patients at risk. The foundations of nursing skills lab curriculum in an associate degree nursing program was revised utilizing the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses and evidence-based teaching pedagogy to better prepare students for their first clinical experience. This article discusses how the skills lab curriculum was revised and examines how faculty felt the revisions impacted students' clinical performance outcomes related to safety and patient-centered care.