An International Scoping Exercise Examining Practice Experience Hours Completed by Nursing Students.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Policy

Background:

• Prelicensure nursing education globally mandates practice experience hours.
• Concerns exist regarding the duration and justification of these required clinical hours.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the mandated practice experience hours for registered nurse (RN) licensure across four countries.
• To identify the research evidence underpinning decisions on mandated nursing practice hours.

Main Methods:

• A scoping exercise was conducted to gather data on mandated practice hours.
• The study focused on RN programs in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Main Results:

• Significant variations in mandated practice experience hours were observed among the four countries.
• No clear research evidence was found to support the specific number of hours mandated in these jurisdictions.

Conclusions:

• There is an international need to re-evaluate the rationale for minimum mandated practice experience hours in RN education programs.
• The findings suggest a potential need for standardization or evidence-based guidelines for nursing clinical hours.