Graduation Date

Summer 8-7-2026

Submission Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Department

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program

School

School of Nursing

Faculty Mentor

Manjulata Evatt

Committee Member

Beth Kilmoyer

Keywords

Undergraduate nursing students, clinical judgement, competency program, nursing shortage, clinical rotation

Abstract

There is increasing concern that new graduate nurses are leaving bedside roles early in favor of less stressful positions due to rising patient acuity and heightened organizational expectations, increasing the effects of the nursing shortage (McClosky et al., 2022; AACN, 2024). A standardized clinical experience, combined with fair and consistent access to skill application in the hospital setting can support a collaborative approach for undergraduate nursing students. This quality improvement project is aimed to implement a Staff Nurse-Led Clinical Instructional Competency Program that will provide a structured opportunity for clinical instructors to help fill the gap in preparing undergraduate nurses for safe patient care and addressing the nursing shortage. The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework is being used to implement a Staff Nurse-Led Clinical Instructional Competency Program during a 6-week clinical rotation to reflect a continuous opportunity for improvement in student learning outcomes (Institute for Healthcare Improvement, n.d). This model will also offer an opportunity for a structured approach for undergraduate nursing students in their Medical Surgical I course component to immerse themselves in the clinical experience, while compared to a traditional 9-week clinical rotation. The Casey-Fink Readiness to Practice Survey tool is used to measure their ability to clinically solve a problem, identify their sense of professional identity, and assess learning techniques (Casey-Fink, 2024). In addition, the University of Scranton Clinical Preparation documentation tool is used to measure clinical competence and clinical judgement weekly.

Language

English

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Included in

Nursing Commons

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