Date of Award

11-4-2024

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MSc in Nursing

First Advisor

DR. Rafat Jan

Second Advisor

Mr. Zaifullah Khan

Third Advisor

Mr. Jonathan Jhonson

Department

School of Nursing and Midwifery, Pakistan

Abstract

Introduction: Pakistan has a five-year baccalaureate nursing degree consisting of a four-year school/college- based program and the last year is an exclusive clinical period, known as an internship. Since 2016, Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PNMC) registered 239 new nursing institutes, most private institutes do not have clinical settings for clinical practice. Therefore, nursing interns encounter issues during their internship that necessitate consideration and preventive solutions.
Purpose: This study aims to find out the current trends and challenges encountered by nursing interns and recent graduates and what are the facilitators in the Pakistani healthcare system. Furthermore, the purpose of the study is to provide evidence of current trends of nursing internships in the rest of the world and challenges, based on which regulatory bodies and policymakers can make standard guidelines for a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) internship program.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used to identify the challenges nursing interns face during internship programs in Pakistan. A convenience sample technique was used to gather the data across Pakistan. The total sample size was 377. The study was carried out after the approval of the Ethical Review Committee (ERC) from June 15, 2024 to August 15, 2024. Data was analysed by SPSS version 26.
Results: Almost all of the participants 349 (92.6%) responded that their college did not facilitate them in their placement for an internship. A significant number 195 (51.7%) of participants have no frequent interaction with their faculty supervisors. About half of the participants 163 (43.2%) did not receive a stipend. A notable finding of the study is that 116 (30.8%) interns are paying the hospital for the internship. Finding paid internships was found to be the biggest obstacle (50.7%) to getting internships.
Conclusion: The study highlights the challenges faced by nursing interns in Pakistan during their BSN internships, including lack of institutional assistance, poor supervision, financial hardship, and longer internship periods. It recommends increased involvement from nursing institutes, increased supervision, paid internships, and shorter internship periods to meet global norms. The study also suggests incorporating qualitative methods and comparative analyses for a more comprehensive understanding of these issues.

First Page

1

Last Page

63

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