Melissa Parker

OhioHealth
USA

Abstract Title: Practice... Pause... Perfect...: Successful Implementation of Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice

Biography:

Melissa Parker, BSN, RN, CCRN, is a critical care nurse and nurse educator at OhioHealth in Columbus, Ohio. She is passionate about transforming nursing education to better prepare clinicians for the realities of high-acuity care. Her work focuses on innovation, staff empowerment, and quality improvement initiatives that translate evidence into meaningful practice change. Melissa believes education should build both competence and confidence, fostering resilient nurses who are equipped to deliver exceptional patient care. She advocates for learning environments that inspire growth, mastery, and professional excellence.

Research Interest:

In high-acuity nursing environments, education must do more than inform; it must transform practice. Traditional simulation, while valuable, often follows a linear structure: scenario completion followed by reflective debriefing. Although this model encourages discussion, it can delay correction of critical errors, limit opportunities for repetition, and unintentionally heighten learner anxiety. This project highlights the implementation of Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice (RCDP) as a dynamic alternative designed to accelerate skill mastery and strengthen confidence. RCDP replaces passive reflection alone with brief, focused scenario bursts interrupted by immediate coaching, correction, and repetition. Learners practice essential interventions repeatedly until competence and confidence align. Through qualitative feedback, nurses described traditional simulation as insightful yet sometimes stressful and constrained by limited time for skill refinement. In contrast, RCDP was experienced as energizing, supportive, and empowering. Immediate feedback normalized mistakes as part of the growth process, fostering psychological safety and deeper engagement. Participants expressed greater satisfaction, stronger perceived readiness for clinical emergencies, and renewed enthusiasm for simulation-based learning. Implementation required intentional facilitator development and a cultural shift from evaluation toward mastery. However, the impact extended beyond skill performance. RCDP cultivated resilience, teamwork, and a shared commitment to excellence. This initiative demonstrates how reimagining simulation through deliberate practice can inspire nurses to move beyond competence toward confidence. By creating learning environments that prioritize repetition, feedback, and encouragement, nursing education can more effectively prepare clinicians for the realities of critical care and reinforce our collective responsibility to deliver safe, high-quality patient care.