A practice laboratory for writing nursing care plans to be utilized by first-year nursing faculty members was developed. Six first-year instructors of the Long Beach City (California) College Associate Degree Nursing Program were the participating panel of experts. A thorough literature review was conducted to obtain guidelines for writing nursing care plans. Each step in the process of developing the practice laboratory was presented to the experts for review, and materials were revised in accordance with their recommendations. The learning activities were also developed from the content taught in the courses, Homeostasis, Major Health Problems, and Developmental Levels. Recommendations included: the practice laboratory be used in the spring of 1988; the curriculum be evaluated to incorporate practice laboratories for writing nursing care plans in the second-year of the nursing program; provisions be made for validating the use of the practice laboratory after one year; and review of the curriculum be made to determine if the laboratory could become a credit course. The nursing care plan and skills laboratory are appended. Tables are included. The document contains 23 references. (SM)