Transformative learning during a nursing externship program: the reflections of senior nursing students

Many nursing students participate in summer extern programs to augment their clinical experience in school and ease the gap between education and the real world of nursing practice. The purpose of this descriptive, qualitative research study is to gain an understanding of the transformative learning that takes place during a summer externship program. Examining outcomes of externship programs will help nurse educators, practitioners, and administrators understand the full dimension of these programs. Seventy-eight nurse externs, from baccalaureate, associate, and diploma nursing programs, participated in an eight-week extern program at a large, inner-city trauma hospital in the northeastern United States. Data collection took place throughout the program. Individual discussions, midpoint focus group discussions, and reflective surveys administered immediately following the externship experience were used as data sources. Findings indicated that some of the externs' perceptions, values, and beliefs were transformed as a result of the program. Three themes emerged from the analysis of the findings: affirming assumptions, validating values, and banishing some core beliefs. The results suggest implications for nursing education, practice, and research.