Meeting the Needs of New Graduates in the Emergency Department: A Qualitative Study Evaluating a New Graduate Internship Program

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of new graduate emergency nurses participating in a structured internship program. In order to meet the needs of new graduate nurses in emergency departments, these departments have developed a variety of orientation programs, some more successful than others. One type of program involves a combination of didactic content and hands-on clinical experience. This study examines the experiences of new graduate nurses in an internship program at a 200-bed community hospital.MethodsA qualitative design was used. Interviews with 8 of 9 nurses who participated in the new graduate internship program between 2006 and 2007 were conducted. Content analysis was used to analyze the data.ResultsThree themes were identified from the experiences and expectations reported in the interviews: (1) the acquisition of new knowledge and skills in a specialty area, (2) becoming more proficient, and (3) assistance with role transition. The significant role and importance of the unit-base clinical nurse specialist (CNS) and the nurse preceptors were also identified.ConclusionsThe findings of this study suggest that a structured internship program is helpful to new graduate nurses when orienting to a critical care area such as the emergency department. Furthermore, the combination of didactic and clinical content, and the roles of the preceptor and unit-base CNS appear to be key factors in the successful transition from new graduate to emergency nurse.