Picture of Norwegian clinical learning laboratories for undergraduate nursing students

Clinical preparation for practice is a vital part of undergraduate education in nursing. This study explored contemporary constructions of clinical skills laboratories in two nursing undergraduate programs in Norway using qualitative collective case study methods. Data were gathered using individual and group interviews and observation during site visits. The data revealed slightly different ways of organizing teaching and experimenting with use of pedagogical methods to facilitate learning of technical skills as well as encouraging students to activate relevant theoretical knowledge. While there was a lively and striking enthusiasm among staff about the way learning was managed within the laboratories, the pedagogical underpinnings for their particular approaches were less certain amongst participants. The paper concludes with the necessity to provide evidence for the outcome of laboratories learning and investigate suitable pedagogical methods for effective teaching and learning of practice skills. Hence, a need for research on transfer of knowledge and skills between the different sites (academy, clinical settings, and laboratories) is identified. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved