Clinical reasoning is a core component of nursing education because it bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and safe, competent practice (Levett-Jones et al., 2010). It enables nurses to go beyond mechanical application of protocols to exercising judgement in dynamic and uncertain clinical environments, directly influencing patient safety, quality of care and professional accountability (Levett-Jones et al., 2010, Cunha et al., 2025). Proficiency in clinical reasoning has been linked to fewer clinical errors, timely recognition of deterioration and more effective patient-centred decision-making, making it essential for safe practice at the bedside (Cunha et al., 2025). The Clinical Reasoning Cycle (CRC) developed by Levett-Jones and colleagues (2010) has been widely adopted internationally as a structured framework to support student thinking, including adaptations in forensic mental health nursing (Maguire et al., 2022). Its eight iterative steps provide a scaffold that encourages systematic information gathering, critical analysis and evidence-based interventions, with evidence of successful use in guiding novice nurses through complex decision-making processes (Levett-Jones et al., 2010, Maguire et al., 2022). However, despite the CRC's global reach and flexibility, many students still struggle with translating its stages into practice and assessments (Daley et al., 2016).

Traditional faculty-led teaching remains vital in imparting the conceptual foundations of clinical reasoning; however, it may not always fully capture the lived experience of students navigating the CRC amidst the pressures of assessment and clinical placement. Elevating student voices and perspectives offers a new dimension that can complement faculty expertise, providing authentic insights into how learners themselves make sense of the framework in practice. Such student-led contributions can enhance existing teaching by modelling relatable strategies, normalising common struggles and highlighting the practical application of the CRC within assessments in ways that faculty explanations alone may not convey.

Peer-assisted learning (PAL) typically refers to structured opportunities for students to learn with and from each other, fostering mutual understanding and collaboration. In contrast, student-led tutorials represent a specific form of PAL where students assume the primary teaching role and educators act as facilitators or moderators. While both approaches share the goal of enhancing engagement and knowledge construction through collaboration, student-led tutorials place greater emphasis on leadership, communication and teaching competencies alongside subject mastery (Bengesai et al., 2023, Ross and Cameron, 2007). PAL and student–educator partnerships have become promising strategies to enhance engagement, authenticity and understanding in higher education. Evidence from health professional education suggests that PAL can enhance academic performance, confidence, clinical skills and critical thinking, while also promoting communication and leadership skills in both tutors and tutees (Feng et al., 2024, Bengesai et al., 2023). These approaches support social and cognitive congruence, enabling students to explain concepts in language that resonates with their peers and to model strategies that feel accessible and achievable. Importantly, PAL has been shown to demystify complex frameworks, deepen conceptual understanding and reduce anxiety around high-stakes assessments (Bengesai et al., 2023).

The COVID-19 restrictions accelerated the global shift towards digital learning—a broad term encompassing online, blended and technology-enhanced approaches that integrate digital tools and platforms to facilitate teaching and learning (Imran et al., 2025). This transition prompted educators and students alike to adopt virtual and hybrid formats at unprecedented speed. Video tutorials offered flexibility and scalability, allowing students to revisit material asynchronously, support varied learning paces and extend access beyond traditional classrooms. Post-pandemic, these resources remain integral to hybrid curricula, demonstrating scalability across diverse contexts. In this paper, the “student-led digital tutorial” refers to a synchronous online session that was co-curated by the educator and a high-achieving student (i.e., a student who achieved over 90 % in the summative assessment component of the module and demonstrated strong clinical reasoning and reflective ability based on the institution’s marking framework). The curated element reflects the planning and support provided by the educator, while leadership of the session remained with the student, adding authenticity and relatability to the learning experience.

Despite the rapid expansion of digital education, little is known about how student-led digital tutorials might specifically support the application of the CRC, an area where students often experience difficulty. Addressing this gap is essential, as integrating student voices into digital pedagogy could provide a valuable complement to traditional faculty-led teaching, improving authenticity, relatability and engagement in clinical reasoning education.

This discussion paper integrates a critical review of peer-assisted learning, student partnership and digital pedagogy literature with a pedagogical case illustration to demonstrate application in practice. It critically evaluates the potential of student-led digital tutorials to enhance undergraduate nursing students’ application of the CRC within assessment tasks that require analytical and reflective reasoning. It provides an illustrative case example from an Adult Nursing module where a high-achieving student co-curated a digital tutorial for her peers, illustrating her approach to applying the CRC in assessments. This initiative offers insights into the implications of student collaboration, peer learning and digital pedagogy in nursing education. By situating this case within the wider evidence base, we highlight both the opportunities and challenges of incorporating student-led tutorials into curricula and call for further assessment of their role in fostering clinical reasoning skills. The literature discussed was identified through purposive selection of peer-reviewed sources that exemplify key developments in peer-assisted learning, student partnership and digital pedagogy, rather than through a systematic search, consistent with the purpose of a critical discussion paper.