Professional development utilizing an oncology summer nursing internship.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Oncology Nursing
• Professional Development

Background:

• Student nurses require effective transitions into professional roles.
• Oncology nursing internships offer specialized training opportunities.
• Assessing the impact of internships on role socialization is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the effect of an oncology student nursing internship on role socialization and professional self-concept.
• To evaluate changes in professionalism, role socialization, and sense of belonging.
• To explore students' perceptions of the internship's impact on their nursing philosophy and career commitment.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods convergent parallel design combining quasi-experimental and qualitative approaches.
• Data collection via pre- and post-internship surveys and open-ended questionnaires.
• Analysis using Wilcoxon signed-ranks test for quantitative data and content analysis for qualitative data.

Main Results:

• Aggregated mean scores indicated increases in professionalism, role socialization, and sense of belonging, though not statistically significant.
• Qualitative analysis revealed refinement of personal nursing philosophy and solidified commitment to the profession.
• Participants reported positive impacts on role socialization and sense of belonging from the internship, debriefing, and conferences.

Conclusions:

• The oncology nursing internship, alongside debriefing, positively influenced student nurses' role socialization and sense of belonging.
• While quantitative findings lacked statistical significance, qualitative data suggest a beneficial impact on professional identity.
• Longitudinal research is recommended to confirm the long-term effects of nursing internships on the student-to-professional transition.