Motor Skill Acquisition in Nursing

Abstract

A survey of nursing education has revealed that motor skills in nursing have been taught in one of two ways. In the first approach, each nursing motor skill is taught as an entity with little regard to the underlying principles. The second approach is completely opposite to the first. The learning focus is on the principles involved in each technique. The student must deduce how a technique is to be performed. Both of these approaches have limitations _ shortcomings that nurse educators are quick to point out. In both learning situations, the student is so preoccupied with the mastery of the motor skill that little time or energy is left to develop intellectual nursing skills. This limitation has led nursing educators to re-evaluate how motor skills are learned. A review of the learning theories shows research has been done on the acquisition of motor skills. This review suggests the cybernetic theory of learning is most adaptable to the teaching of nursing skills. This paper will examine the cybernetic theory of learning and its application in the nursing setting. First, a motor skill will be defined, the characteristics of a skilled act will be discussed and the stages in the learning of a skill will be examined. Implication for nursing education will follow.