Nursing internships: a tri-state survey and model for evaluation

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Management
• Program Evaluation

Background:

• Nursing internship programs are vital for training.
• Current evaluation methods often lack objectivity.
• Systematic cost-benefit analysis is frequently overlooked.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present results from a survey of nursing internship programs.
• To highlight the lack of objective evaluation methods.
• To propose a methodology for program effectiveness evaluation.

Main Methods:

• Survey of 14 nursing internship programs.
• Analysis of current evaluation practices.
• Description of a proposed evaluation methodology.

Main Results:

• Objective and systematic evaluation is not commonly practiced.
• Cost and benefit assessments are often neglected.
• Existing evaluation approaches may be insufficient.

Conclusions:

• Nursing internship programs require more rigorous evaluation.
• The proposed methodology can serve as a model for effectiveness assessment.
• Implementing systematic evaluation can improve program outcomes.