Synthesis of nursing care across the life span using laboratory simulation: a senior-level course.

The use of simulation activities in nursing education helps students develop critical thinking skills and also enhances student learning and confidence in the practicum setting. As students complete their education, they need to integrate all they have learned to design care for patients across the life span. This article describes a senior-level skills laboratory simulation course in a baccalaureate nursing program designed to foster the shift toward independent critical thinking. The primary goal of the course was synthesis and application of students' cumulative knowledge through teamwork, assessing, critical thinking, prioritizing, and decision making in care for diverse patients across the life span. Specifics of course development and design are included along with student responses and lessons learned.