Successful student group projects: Perspectives and strategies 12

• Group work projects prepare future nurses for the collaborative work place.
• Leading nursing education associations and accreditors endorse collaborative work.
• We consider group work benefits and challenges from student and faculty perspective.
• Careful design and assessment is critical for success with group work assignments.

Nurses are a critical element in an increasingly interprofessional and complex health care system. In every practice arena and role, nurses need skills in negotiation, managing conflict, and working in cooperation with diverse groups. Group work assignments help build these expected role competencies in nursing students. This article explores advantages and challenges implicit in this teaching–learning strategy and offers practical insights gleaned from the real-world experience of faculty and students.