Meeting the terminal functions of a baccalaureate curriculum: the students' perception

Nursing faculty have established terminal functions which graduates are expected to be able to accomplish after successfully completing the nursing program. Students have asked themselves and faculty if they are ready to perform as professional nurses after graduation. This study utilized the terminal functions established by one medium-size state university to obtain data regarding the students' perceptions of their competencies based on the terminal functions. The assessment was conducted at the time of graduation and again one year post-graduation. The data may provide other faculty with a method to further evaluate nursing curricula and illustrate the changes in graduates' perceptions of their abilities over time.