Clinical transition of baccalaureate nursing students during preceptored, pregraduation practicums

Transition into the role of registered nurse after graduation from nursing education programs results in new nurses feeling overwhelmed and unprepared for the challenges of the workplace. The purpose of this triangulated, descriptive study was to describe the clinical transition experience of senior baccalaureate nursing students during pregraduation preceptored practicums, which took place three times per week for three weeks. Data were collected from student journal entries, liaison faculty, and clinical preceptors. Thematic analysis was performed on responses students recorded on the Daily Feedback Sheet on Transition to the Graduate Nurse Role and on preceptor- and liaison faculty-documented journals. According to students, preceptors, and liaison faculty, students' knowledge and skills increased during the preceptorship, and many students became integral members of hospital unit teams. Strategies to modify the preceptorship included maintaining consistency with liaison faculty and increasing communication between preceptors and liaison faculty.