Deliberate Practice of CPR Skills: A Strategy to Improve Nursing Student Confidence

This study evaluated the effect of deliberate practice (DP) of basic life support (BLS) skills on the self-efficacy of first-year nursing students. Forty prelicensure BSN students participated in four weekly DP sessions during scheduled skills lab time. Each session consisted of 15 minutes of one-on-one, skills-based coaching using a psychomotor checklist. General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) scores were collected before and after the intervention. A paired samples t-test showed a significant increase in GSES scores following the practice sessions (p < .001), with a mean increase of 12.5 points. These results suggest that integrating brief, repeated practice opportunities into early nursing curriculum may improve students’ confidence in performing critical life-saving skills. Deliberate practice is a low-cost, faculty-directed strategy that may help bridge the gap between BLS certification and clinical readiness.