Practice Makes Perfect

Does practice make perfect? The bestselling book by Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: The Story of Success¹ states that innate talent, IQ, and physical ability all play a role in rising to the top in the arts, academia, and sports. But what really separates the stars from the rest is practice, practice, and more practice. In Outliers, Gladwell cites examples of the Beatles, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and various successful athletes. Obviously, these individuals had the required prerequisites to succeed in their fields, but it was their deliberate and focused practice that allowed them to rise above all the others with the same talents. Most registered nurses would probably say that practice questions helped them succeed at their licensing exams. The same is true for certification exam preparation. The nurses who meet the eligibility requirements to sit for a certification exam most likely have the prerequisites to succeed. It is...