Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has introduced a programme that is helping newly qualified nurses make the transition from the classroom to the clinical environment.
The HMC Preceptored Internship Programme supports newly graduated nurses from the University of Calgary-Qatar (UCQ) by helping them successfully move from university to the professional world.
Preceptorships are short-term relationships between new graduates, known as interns, and experienced nurses who have completed a specialised programme that supports them in creating a safe learning environment to practise theory, clinical skills and decision making.
As interns make the transition from student to staff nurse, role modelling and reflective practice are used to encourage and enhance learning and professional development.
The 12-month programme is helping new graduates develop practical nursing knowledge and clinical competences.
Jacqueline Sullivan, director of nursing (Education) at HMC, says: “The intern programme promotes communication and leadership skills resulting in independence and confidence in the workplace. Nurse educators and preceptors are working collaboratively with interns to strengthen their clinical skills and enhance their application of critical thinking to nursing practice.”
Each month, new graduates enrolled in the programme attend lectures to assist them in developing the skills and competencies to translate scientific evidence learned in the university setting into general practice and clinical decision making.
Jamila Hassan, a staff nurse at Hamad General Hospital’s Paediatric Medical Day Unit, is a graduate of UCQ’s bachelor of nursing programme and is currently enrolled in the HMC Preceptored Internship Programme. She says the programme is a unique opportunity to apply the theory learned in the classroom to real-world nursing experiences with patients.
“The internship at HMC has been really effective in helping us transition from the educational to the professional environment, which requires a lot more responsibility and autonomy. The professional environment is not as controlled as the educational one and this programme provides the opportunity to have hands-on experience with patients who have various requirements which we must manage,” said Hassan.
The programme is part of HMC’s commitment to delivering the safest, most effective and most compassionate care to each and every patient and is helping new graduates successfully make the transition to the work setting through greater preparation and more realistic expectations.