The Preparation–Practice Gap: An Integrative Literature Review
Authors: Hickerson Kirsten A. , Taylor Laura A. , Terhaar Mary F. 
Published: January 2016

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Read the article, “The Preparation–Practice Gap: An Integrative Literature Review,” found on pages 17–23, carefully noting any tables and other illustrative materials that are included to enhance your knowledge and understanding of the content. Be sure to keep track of the amount of time (number of minutes) you spend reading the article and completing the quiz.

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Read and answer each question on the quiz. After completing all of the questions, compare your answers to those provided within this issue. If you have incorrect answers, return to the article for further study.

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Objectives

List the causes for the preparation–practice gap.

State the strategies to decrease or mitigate the preparation–practice gap.

Disclosure Statement

Neither the planners nor the authors have any conflicts of interest to disclose.

Background:

The purpose of this integrative literature review was to evaluate and synthesize the evidence regarding the existence, extent, and significance of a preparation–practice gap—namely, the deficits in knowledge and skills that novice nurses may demonstrate on entry into the clinical setting and the identified best practices to narrow this gap.

Method:

An integrative literature review was performed.

Results:

A final set of 50 articles were included in the review. Three main themes permeate the evidence: a preparation–practice gap exists; this gap is costly; and closing the preparation–practice gap will likely rely on changes in undergraduate education and on-the-job remediation (i.e., nurse residency or preceptor programs).

Conclusions:

The preparation–practice gap is a challenge that has faced the nursing profession for years. Efforts to close this gap can be justified on the hopes of decreasing turnover (and its attendant costs), boosting morale of novice nurses and their preceptors, decreasing stress among the novice nurses, and improving patient safety.

J Contin Educ Nurs.
2016;47(1):17–23.