Abstract
Discussed for decades, the need for transitional experiences bridging educational and practice settings gained momentum in the mid-1970s with the release of Kramer’s groundbreaking book Reality Shock: Why Nurses Leave Nursing. Nursing student internship programs were developed in the 1970s as one effort to address this issue. The Northern California Region of Kaiser Permanente partners with five universities to conduct the Nursing Student Work-Study Internship Program (WSP). The program provides senior level nursing students with a paid internship in clinical practice settings, working under the supervision of RN preceptors. The aim of the program is to improve the intern’s perception of readiness for practice as professional RNs. An evidence-based, change of practice, quality improvement project was conducted to improve the organization’s existing Nursing Student WSP. Interventions included an evaluation of the WSP structure, processes, and outcomes, and development of evidence-based resources to address identified gaps. The 2008 Casey Fink Readiness for Practice Survey© was administered to the 2016 cohort prior to and at the conclusion of the internship as a measure of the WSP impact on intern’s progression toward professional practice and demonstration of value to the organization. Quality improvement measures had a positive impact on nursing student interns and demonstrated program value to the organization.
","abstract_html":"<p>Abstract</p> <p>Discussed for decades, the need for transitional experiences bridging educational and practice settings gained momentum in the mid-1970s with the release of Kramer’s groundbreaking book <em>Reality Shock: Why Nurses Leave Nursing</em>. Nursing student internship programs were developed in the 1970s as one effort to address this issue. The Northern California Region of Kaiser Permanente partners with five universities to conduct the Nursing Student Work-Study Internship Program (WSP). The program provides senior level nursing students with a paid internship in clinical practice settings, working under the supervision of RN preceptors. The aim of the program is to improve the intern’s perception of readiness for practice as professional RNs. An evidence-based, change of practice, quality improvement project was conducted to improve the organization’s existing Nursing Student WSP. Interventions included an evaluation of the WSP structure, processes, and outcomes, and development of evidence-based resources to address identified gaps. The 2008 Casey Fink <em>Readiness for Practice Survey© </em>was administered to the 2016 cohort prior to and at the conclusion of the internship as a measure of the WSP impact on intern’s progression toward professional practice and demonstration of value to the organization. Quality improvement measures had a positive impact on nursing student interns and demonstrated program value to the organization. </p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Wallace, Jonalyn M"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)","degree_level":"Project","degree_discipline":"Nursing","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Barter, Marjorie","Buccheri, Robin","Mayhew, Marty"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-12-16T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2016-12-16T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:43:46Z","subjects":["pre-licensure nursing student internships","pre-licensure nursing student externships","new graduate nurse transition to practice","readiness for practice","new graduate nurse residency programs","Nursing Administration","Other Nursing"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://repository.usfca.edu/dnp/86","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Barter, Marjorie","Buccheri, Robin","Mayhew, Marty"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Wallace, Jonalyn M"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-12-23T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Nursing"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Project"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["pre-licensure nursing student internships","pre-licensure nursing student externships","new graduate nurse transition to practice","readiness for practice","new graduate nurse residency programs","Nursing Administration","Other Nursing"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://repository.usfca.edu/dnp/86"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Abstract
Discussed for decades, the need for transitional experiences bridging educational and practice settings gained momentum in the mid-1970s with the release of Kramer’s groundbreaking book Reality Shock: Why Nurses Leave Nursing. Nursing student internship programs were developed in the 1970s as one effort to address this issue. The Northern California Region of Kaiser Permanente partners with five universities to conduct the Nursing Student Work-Study Internship Program (WSP). The program provides senior level nursing students with a paid internship in clinical practice settings, working under the supervision of RN preceptors. The aim of the program is to improve the intern’s perception of readiness for practice as professional RNs. An evidence-based, change of practice, quality improvement project was conducted to improve the organization’s existing Nursing Student WSP. Interventions included an evaluation of the WSP structure, processes, and outcomes, and development of evidence-based resources to address identified gaps. The 2008 Casey Fink Readiness for Practice Survey© was administered to the 2016 cohort prior to and at the conclusion of the internship as a measure of the WSP impact on intern’s progression toward professional practice and demonstration of value to the organization. Quality improvement measures had a positive impact on nursing student interns and demonstrated program value to the organization.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Nursing Student Work-Study Internship: Partnering to Bridge the Education-to-Practice Gap"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Barter, Marjorie","Buccheri, Robin","Mayhew, Marty"],"dc:creator":["Wallace, Jonalyn M"],"dc:date.available":["2016-12-23T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Abstract
Discussed for decades, the need for transitional experiences bridging educational and practice settings gained momentum in the mid-1970s with the release of Kramer’s groundbreaking book Reality Shock: Why Nurses Leave Nursing. Nursing student internship programs were developed in the 1970s as one effort to address this issue. The Northern California Region of Kaiser Permanente partners with five universities to conduct the Nursing Student Work-Study Internship Program (WSP). The program provides senior level nursing students with a paid internship in clinical practice settings, working under the supervision of RN preceptors. The aim of the program is to improve the intern’s perception of readiness for practice as professional RNs. An evidence-based, change of practice, quality improvement project was conducted to improve the organization’s existing Nursing Student WSP. Interventions included an evaluation of the WSP structure, processes, and outcomes, and development of evidence-based resources to address identified gaps. The 2008 Casey Fink Readiness for Practice Survey© was administered to the 2016 cohort prior to and at the conclusion of the internship as a measure of the WSP impact on intern’s progression toward professional practice and demonstration of value to the organization. Quality improvement measures had a positive impact on nursing student interns and demonstrated program value to the organization.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://repository.usfca.edu/dnp/86"],"dc:subject":["pre-licensure nursing student internships","pre-licensure nursing student externships","new graduate nurse transition to practice","readiness for practice","new graduate nurse residency programs","Nursing Administration","Other Nursing"],"dc:title":["Nursing Student Work-Study Internship: Partnering to Bridge the Education-to-Practice Gap"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Nursing"],"thesis:degree_level":["Project"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:43:46Z"}