The teaching of clinical skills in the context of children’s nursing: a UK survey

The teaching of clinical skills within nursing is currently enjoying a resurgence following the implementation of the ‘Fitness for Practice Curriculum’. However, the teaching of clinical skills specifically within children’s nursing has received little attention within the research arena. This article presents the data of a national postal survey sent to United Kingdom institutions providing pre-registration child branch studies, to ascertain the current provision of clinical skills teaching. The findings conclude that very few institutions have invested in specific skills laboratories to teach children’s nursing students. It was also identified that a wide range of clinical skills are taught to child branch students; however, the resources and realism to clinical practice is limited by the lack of specialist children’s skills laboratories or equipment. In conclusion the authors recommend the development of child specific skills laboratories, to augment child branch skills teaching, in order to enhance the realistic simulation of clinical practice.