Partnering for change: A qualitative study on practice readiness.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Clinical Practice
• Professional Development

Background:

• Newly licensed nurses exhibit varied practice readiness, causing concern for clinical leaders.
• There's a need for better academic-practice alignment, as emphasized by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials (2021).
• Current definitions and evaluations of practice readiness lack consensus across clinical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• Identify perceived knowledge-practice gaps in new graduate nurses from the perspective of clinical leaders and educators.
• Determine strategies within academic-practice partnerships to enhance competency development and support the transition to practice.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative descriptive design utilizing focus groups with 27 nurse leaders and clinical educators from 14 sites.
• Data collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed thematically.
• Rigor ensured through member checking, audit trails, and intercoder agreement.

Main Results:

• Four themes emerged: Professional Communication, Clinical Judgment Skills, Clinical Readiness, and Professional Identity/Engagement.
• Participants noted areas for development in new graduates.
• Perceived gaps often stem from discrepancies between novice expectations and complex practice environments.

Conclusions:

• Practice readiness is a developmental process influenced by education and clinical context.
• Deficiencies in new graduates may arise from a mismatch between expectations and practice realities, not solely educational shortcomings.
• Academic-practice partnerships are crucial for aligning curricula, setting shared expectations, developing competencies, and supporting nurse transition.