A New Approach to Clinical Remediation

The clinical faculty at the University of Maryland School of Nursing recognized that many students in the adult health course were struggling in the clinical environment. The faculty had access to a remediation program that was self-directed and did not provide individualized instruction. The limitations of the remediation program prompted a redesign that focused on a student-centered approach. The new remediation program involves a four-step process using human patient simulators and individualized instruction based on students’ learning needs. The revised remediation program has been in place for more than a year, and the clinical faculty have reported a noticeable improvement in students’ clinical knowledge, skills, and judgment at the completion of the program. In addition, the program has helped to decrease the attrition rate of students from the clinical component of the adult health program by 4% to 6%.