Date of Award

10-13-2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MSc in Nursing

First Advisor

Dr.Salma Rattani

Second Advisor

Ms. Kashmira Nanji

Third Advisor

Ms. Nimira Asif

Department

School of Nursing and Midwifery, Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Nursing interns are recent nursing graduates who, for a year, are rotated in different clinical settings to gain hands-on experience and clinical skills before officially becoming registered nurses. As the healthcare system in Pakistan faces a growing demand for a competent workforce, it is necessary to assess nursing interns’ level of readiness for clinical practice.
Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the readiness of newly graduated nurses for clinical practice.
Method: An analytical cross-sectional design was employed. The study was conducted in two private institutes in Multan, Pakistan. Through a universal sampling method, 114 graduates working as nursing interns were enrolled in this study. Data was collected using the Nursing Practice Readiness Scale. The content validity index (CVI) was calculated as 0.92 for relevance and 0.87 for clarity. Data was secured and analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 22. Descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated, including frequencies and percentages for each of the demographic characteristics and for each item of the tool. The Pearson chi-square test was used to assess associations between demographic factors and clinical practice readiness levels.
Finding(s): Among the participants (n=114), 66.7% of nursing interns were classified as having a high level of readiness, 33.3% moderate level of readiness, and none of the participants were classified as having a low level of readiness. Domain-specific analysis of the scale indicated a high level of readiness in interpersonal relationships (78.1%), patient-centeredness (76.3%), self-regulation (66.7%), clinical judgment and nursing performance (53.5%), and professional attitudes (43.9%). Low level of readiness was observed for interpersonal relationships and professional attitudes (2.6%), and for patient-centeredness and professional attitudes (1.8%). Statistically significant associations were identified between readiness levels with clinical posting duration (p = 0.010) and exposure to paediatric wards (p = 0.036).
Conclusion: This study concludes that nursing interns generally demonstrate a high level of readiness overall, indicating they are well-prepared for clinical practice. However, there are domain-specific weaknesses, particularly regarding professional attitudes requiring further support in complex decision-making and professional competence. These findings may provide confidence to nursing institutes regarding the domains in which nursing interns are well prepared and help them focus on the domains where interns feel less prepared.

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1

Last Page

95

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