Many hospitals have developed internship programs to assist in the movement of new graduates into the critical care unit. The purpose of this study was to evaluate an existing critical care nurse internship program. Five research questions were developed to guide the evaluation process. Results suggest that the goals of the program were met. Specific weaknesses in preparation of preceptors and knowledge base of interns were identified. High burnout scores were also identified, suggesting that new graduates may find the experience of working in critical care very stressful. Implications for revisions of the existing program and for others involved in similar programs are discussed.

Critical Care↗

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Characteristics of critical care nursing internship programs.

Development of programs to prepare new graduate nurses to work in critical care units has been a priority for nurse educators for many years. Despite the presence of many such internship programs, little data are available about the characteristics of such programs. Results of this study suggest that the development of internship programs designed to prepare new graduate nurses in critical care nursing continues to be a priority. The standards used by these programs are individualized and are often reflective of the unique needs of the institution. Costs of these programs are quite high. Recommendations for future directions based upon the results of the study are offered.

Clinical Clerkship↗

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A national board for nursing certification.

As late as 1988, the term "certification" had no consistent meaning within nursing. By 1991, eight organizations representing over 120,000 certified nurses had joined together to establish the American Board of Nursing Specialties, a group dedicated to assuring consistent and rigorous standards for certifying nursing specialties. Here's how it happened.

Certification↗