How do university clinical school of nursing graduates choose their graduate nurse year program?

Abstract

Objective: To assess the decision making process of nursing undergraduates when choosing a graduate nurse year program and to explore whether clinical school experience affects the decision making process.

Design: A descriptive exploratory survey was distributed to all nursing graduates (n=166) from one cohort (single year) three months after completion of their course at a metropolitan university in Victoria, Australia. This cohort of students attended either of two metropolitan clinical schools and approximately 37.9% returned (n=62) the survey within 2 months of initial mail out. Responses from this cohort were assessed in relation to how preferences were ranked in choosing a GNY program.

Setting: The setting was a metropolitan university and two metropolitan clinical schools of nursing in Victoria, Australia.

Subjects: Nursing graduates (166 with 62 participating).

Results: Data from respondents indicated that the overall experience at the clinical schools was positive with 59.7% (n=37) stating it was very good and another 35.5% (n=22) stating it was good. The majority of respondents (82.3% n=51) received their first preference however only 22.5% (n=14) chose to return to their original clinical school for their graduate nurse year program. Reasons for not returning to their clinical school included: nursing specialisation, support, rotations offered, past clinical experience, and ongoing career prospects.

Conclusion: The high percentage of respondents receiving their first preference for GNY programs suggests the clinical school model for undergraduate nursing students is highly valued by hospitals and health care networks. In addition, undergraduate nursing students are choosing which GNY will best suit their present and future career needs, regardless of past (positive) experience in a clinical school. Choice of GNY is strongly associated with past clinical experience and nursing specialisation offered. This is of value to health care institutions or hospitals when developing or promoting their GNY program or undergraduate study programs to potential employees or students.