ASSESSMENT OF THE LEVEL OF SATISFACTION OF NURSE INTERNS WITH THEIR EXPERIENCES DURING THE INTERNSHIP

ABSTRACT

Clinical experience is an essential area for building professional skills and competence in nurses this is why internship serves as a medium to adequately prepare new graduate nurses in gaining the skills and knowledge required to carry out effective and efficient care for patients. This study investigated the level of satisfaction of nurse-interns with their experiences during the internship program focusing on the positive experiences, challenges and necessary areas for improvement. A descriptive cross-sectional study was employed in this study. Data was collected from 173 nurse-interns in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital using self-administered questionnaires. The result was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) and presented with tables, frequency, percentages, mean and standard deviation. Findings revealed that 166(96.0%) had a high level of positive experience and 154(89.0%) had high levels of satisfaction with the program. This study commends the usefulness and importance of the internship program in grooming nurse interns for evidence-based practice and developing professional skill. Necessary areas for improvement include increased remuneration and scope of practice for nurse-interns, increased welfare and number of preceptors and more importantly increased intake of nurse-interns. Also, measures should be taken to further improve the positive experiences of nurse-interns. Keywords: clinical practice, internship program experience, new graduate nurses, theoretical knowledge, challenges.