Addressing the Preparation/Practice Gap: A New Era, New Approach

The preparation/practice gap (PPG) is no secret, nor is it a new phenomenon. It is an issue that I've seen denied, debated, and discussed in my roles as an assistant professor, nurse practitioner, and acute care administrator. In each environment, my colleagues have eloquently justified the reasons for the “gap”: sicker patients, advanced technology, aging workforce, faculty getting too old, not enough faculty, no dollars for “adequate” nursing orientation, new graduates that cannot think “critically,” nurses eating their young—the list goes on. I must admit that I, myself, have passionately stood behind many of these arguments throughout the years. Thus, my goal is not to minimize these concerns.