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RN internship: outcomes of a one-year pilot program.
P C Beecroft1, L Kunzman, C Krozek
1Patient Care Services, Childrens' Hospital, Los Angeles, Calif., USA. Pbeecroft@chla.usc.edu
The Journal of Nursing Administration
|January 5, 2002
Summary
A pediatric nursing internship program successfully transitioned new graduates to competent registered nurses (RNs), improving retention and demonstrating a 67.3% return on investment.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Pediatric Nursing
- Healthcare Workforce Development
Background:
- Facing a shortage of skilled pediatric acute care nurses.
- Need to facilitate the transition of new graduate nurses to professional roles.
- Aim to enhance confidence, competence, and safety in pediatric patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a 1-year RN Internship in Pediatrics pilot program.
- To assess the program's effectiveness in preparing new graduate nurses.
- To measure the impact on nurse commitment and retention within the organization.
Main Methods:
- Implemented a 1-year RN Internship in Pediatrics program for new graduates.
- Compared interns (average 8 months RN experience) with a control group (up to 2 years RN experience).
- Evaluated program outcomes based on defined measures of competence, confidence, and retention.
Main Results:
- Interns demonstrated comparable or superior performance to control group participants across all measures.
- The program successfully facilitated the transition to professional RN roles.
- A significant return on investment of 67.3% was achieved.
Conclusions:
- The RN Internship in Pediatrics program is effective in developing competent pediatric nurses.
- The program enhances nurse retention and commitment, addressing workforce shortages.
- This initiative offers a strong return on investment for healthcare organizations.