Termination of a successful internship program

The internship was discontinued in June 1983. With the availability of alternative resources, the general economic situation, and the decreases in vacancies, turnover rate, and internship applicants, it was decided it would be more cost-effective to terminate the internship program. The 20 staff nurse positions assigned to the internship program could be utilized to meet the need for increased numbers of positions on various units. In addition, more patient care hours would be available without the demand on the units to provide "extra" orientations. With the decreased turnover, there is a lessening of pressure to recruit more nurses. Recruitment of new graduates could be continued through scholarship programs that are funded from an outside source and other less costly alternatives. In order to avoid negating the professional development of both the new graduate and the experienced nurse, certain administrative changes could be instituted. Individualized counseling could be offered to the new nurse who is seeking first employment or who is unsure of the area of nursing she wishes to work. All new nurses could be assigned preceptors for the period of time needed to complete their designated individualized orientation plan. Emphasis could now be placed on retention of nurses and the development of an organizational ladder for advancement of qualified staff nurses. Hospital educational resources could be used to extend the preceptor program and to assist the staff in developing activities to improve care such as patient education and research related to direct care.+2