title: Peer learning partnership: an innovative strategy to enhance skill acquisition in nursing students.
abstract: The development of clinical skills for nursing students is a critical component of any undergraduate nursing program. Providing sufficient quality experience for students to develop competence has been recognised as a problem in skill acquisition. At the same time, peer learning has been identified as a valuable strategy for teaching and learning. Nurse academics at a Sydney university recognized these facts and implemented a peer learning strategy into existing first and third year nursing therapeutics units of study. This innovative approach linked the Australian Nursing Council Inc (ANCI) standards of practice to skills acquisition, resulting in third year students increasing their understanding of the relevance of these competency standards to practice. The peer learning strategy involved partnering first and third year students for clinical skills practice sessions. Evaluation of the peer learning approach indicated students valued the experience.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing Family and Community Health, University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury Campus, Penrith, South DC, NSW, Australia. m.goldsmith@uws.edu.au
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goldsmith
authors.forename: Lyn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Lorraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferguson
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007857:Leadership; D007858:Learning; D008611:Mentors / Q000523:psychology; D009517:New South Wales; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010379:Peer Group; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012944:Social Support; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching / Q000458:organization & administration