MEETING THE NEEDS OF NEW GRADUATES IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT: A QUALITATIVE STUDY EVALUATING A NEW GRADUATE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Background: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of new graduate emergency nurses participating in a structured internship program. In order to meet the needs of new graduate nurses in emergency departments, these departments have developed a variety of orientation programs, some more successful than others. One type of program involves a combination of didactic content and hands-on clinical experience. This study examines the experiences of new graduate nurses in an internship program at a 200-bed community hospital. Methods: A qualitative design was used. Interviews with 8 of 9 nurses who participated in the new graduate internship program between 2006 and 2007 were conducted. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: Three themes were identified from the experiences and expectations reported in the interviews: (1) the acquisition of new knowledge and skills in a specialty area, (2) becoming more proficient, and (3) assistance with role transition. The significant role and importance of the unit-base clinical nurse specialist (CNS) and the nurse preceptors were also identified. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that a structured internship program is helpful to new graduate nurses when orienting to a critical care area such as the emergency department. Furthermore, the combination of didactic and clinical content, and the roles of the preceptor and unit-base CNS appear to be key factors in the successful transition from new graduate to emergency nurse.