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A Literature Review of Nursing Extern Program Outcomes.
Deborah Rugs1, Nicole Nedd, Lynn Deitrick
1Deborah Rugs, PhD, is Research Health Science Specialist, Primary Evaluator, Workforce Management and Consulting Evaluations Projects, and Director, VA Nursing Innovations Center for Evaluation, Research and Development Service, James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital and Clinics, Tampa, Florida. Nicole Nedd, EdD, APRN, is Director, Scholarships & Clinical Education Services, Veterans Health Administration Office of Workforce Management and Consulting, New Orleans, LA. Lynn Deitrick, PhD, RN, is Qualitative Researcher, Research and Development Service, James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital and Clinics, Tampa, Florida. Kimberly S. Hall, MA, BS, RN, is Health Science Specialist, Research and Development Service, James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital and Clinics, Tampa, Florida.
Extern programs offer significant benefits for nursing students and healthcare organizations. These programs enhance student skills and confidence while reducing organizational costs and aiding in nurse recruitment, potentially easing nursing shortages.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Healthcare Workforce Development
Background:
- Healthcare organizations face challenges with registered nurse shortages.
- Extern programs are an under-explored strategy to address these workforce issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize recent literature on nursing extern programs.
- To identify student and organizational benefits of extern programs.
Main Methods:
- A literature review was conducted.
- Fourteen articles published between 2009 and 2019 were analyzed.
- Program information and outcomes were extracted.
Main Results:
- Student benefits include increased confidence, improved clinical skills, and better understanding of the nursing environment.
- Organizational benefits include reduced orientation time, lower recruitment costs, and improved nurse retention.
- Extern programs can help healthcare organizations recruit suitable nursing candidates.
Conclusions:
- Nursing extern programs provide mutual benefits for students and healthcare employers.
- These programs represent a valuable strategy for mitigating registered nurse shortages.
- Further investigation into extern program models is warranted.
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