LAUSR

Abstract Background Basic life support (BLS) skills decline rapidly without frequent practice. Deliberate practice (DP) and simulation scenarios have been shown to increase BLS skill retention for nursing students. In addition, BLS implementation in the hospital setting requires effective team skills, which are infrequently addressed in resuscitation courses or in nursing students’ practice. An exploratory study to determine the impact of recurrent simulations with DP on BLS team skills was designed for senior nursing students. Method Seven teams of students were followed over the course of one semester examining the impact of DP in recurrent simulation codes on BLS team skills. Results Students attained effective BLS team performance after three hours of DP and sustained these skills over the semester with recurrent code practice. Conclusion Recurring code team DP sustains BLS skills and is recommended for nursing students.