Pediatric/neonatal graduate nurse internship: a collaborative effort

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Pediatric Critical Care

Background:

• Graduate nurses require specialized training for Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs).
• Existing training programs may not fully address the complexities of critical care nursing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a comprehensive internship program for graduate nurses entering a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).
• To enhance the internship through collaboration between Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

Main Methods:

• Conducted an analysis of resources, goals, and philosophies of the Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Units.
• Developed a unified internship program integrating elements from both units.

Main Results:

• The collaborative internship program successfully prepared nurses for PICU practice.
• The program met the defined goals of both the Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

Conclusions:

• A collaborative approach between critical care units can create a more robust and effective nursing internship.
• This model enhances nurse preparedness and unit-specific objectives.