Research has shown that new graduate registered nurses (NGRNs) do not possess the critical thinking skills needed to provide adequate patient care upon entrance into the workforce. Today's healthcare facilities demand that NGRNs possess the critical thinking skills that will allow them to apply their knowledge to patient care situations. Traditional nursing programs focus on time spent in the classroom, with hands-on experience limited to the time spent in clinical site rotations. Clinical experiences provide the environment for students to transfer their knowledge to patient care situations. These clinical hours are the only opportunities for students to apply their classroom knowledge to real-life situations. Clinical experiences are limited by facility staffing, census, and acuity. Implementing computer simulations in the nursing program curriculum provides opportunities for students to apply their knowledge to clinical scenarios, which assists in developing critical thinking skills. This project was designed to demonstrate the effect that added simulations have on the critical thinking development in students, and the objectives were to obtain quantitative and qualitative data to support this demonstration. Quantitative and qualitative data were obtained using 3-point Likert scale surveys and open-ended discussion questions. Participating faculty completed pre-project, post-simulation, and post-project surveys. Results: Faculty survey results indicated that simulation scenarios assist in developing critical thinking skills while providing hands-on experiences in a controlled environment without fear of negative impacts on patients. Student survey results included positive aspects such as immediate instructor feedback and the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to patient situations. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]