Newly qualified general nurses' experiences of pre-registration internship: A Republic of Ireland cross sectional study

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine Newly Qualified General Nurses’ (NQGNs’) experiences of and the value of the internship period. Background: Internship was introduced as the final part of the undergraduate nursing degree in Ireland in 2002. The aim was to provide students with clinical experience, whereby they work more independently and in doing so, seamlessly progress their transition to the role of registered nurse. Design: A cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive study. Setting and Participants: Newly Qualified General Nurses who completed their undergraduate degree in general nursing and graduated from Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the Republic of Ireland between 2018 and 2020 were eligible for inclusion in the study. Methods: Participants were recruited using snowball sampling. Data were collected anonymously using the electronic Experience of Internship Questionnaire. Analysis was undertaken using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 27). Results: Pre-internship preparation experiences differed across hospitals. The NQGNs would have preferred more support with their caseloads and help with understanding the rationale for care delivery. However, internship provided good opportunities to link theory to practice and was considered valuable by most in preparing them for practicing as a registered nurse. Conclusion: Internship assists intern nursing students to link theory to practice. Further, support in internship is crucial when managing a caseload and to enhance understanding of the care provided. The value of internship was identified with suggestions on ways to strengthen the experience of internship.