The education-practice gap is still a leading issue in nursing. A five-year study of 5,000 newly graduated nursing students showed that only 23% could demonstrate entry-level competency and basic readiness to care for patients. Through COVID, that number decreased to 9%. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing concluded that nursing education needs new thinking and approaches to prepare students to be work-ready by graduation. Without this preparation, new nurses can experience high stress and commit practice errors, affecting patient health outcomes. Around 25% of new nurses quit during their first year on the job, which significantly affects patient care access and quality, and increases the burden for the nurses who remain behind.