A new patient safety curriculum was successfully introduced into a family medicine residency. The curriculum integrates patient safety into residents' daily activities and incorporates input from the disciplines of nursing and pharmacy so as to help build more effective clinical teams and inculcate a culture of safety.

Use of a human patient simulator has been identified as an effective teaching strategy in many areas of the health care field. However, there is little information to help faculty learn the general principles of simulation. This article provides basic concepts to those anticipating simulator use. A guide for running a successful simulation is provided. A heart failure scenario is used as an example.

A major factor contributing to the recruitment crisis in perioperative nursing is the lack of perioperative experiences offered to nursing students. A clinical elective designed to provide interested baccalaureate nursing students with OR experience was implemented at one university. A faculty member collaborated with perioperative nurses from area hospitals to provide a 36-hour, precepted perioperative experience. The course allows students to learn about the perioperative nursing role and helps them develop nursing skills. Students acknowledged that this brief experience was adequate to meet their learning needs and help them decide whether they wanted to pursue further a career in perioperative nursing.

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