Abstract: In- Hospital Nursing training programs in Saudi Arabia are gradually being phased out, yet these nursing programs can help to reduce the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical training in nursing. Thus, this study aimed to explore senior internship nursing students’ perception of the gap between theoretical knowledge and clinical practice, specifically pertaining to its existence, the reasons for it and its effect on their nursing performance. A descriptive-explorative study was conducted among the 35 senior internship nursing students in an in-hospital Nursing program, affiliated to one of the tertiary hospitals in the southern region of Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was used, comprising four main sections, namely areas where the theory-practice gap exists; reasons for the gap in clinical practice; reasons for the gap in theoretical knowledge; and finally, the impact of the gap on the students’ performance. Overall it was found that around 83% of the students experienced a gap between theory and practice. The reasons for the gap was perceived as theoretical knowledge that is not applicable to practice; the teaching strategy that was not well integrated into the training practice; and the sequence of the subjects at the nursing school that was not matching the practical training. About two thirds of the students expressed that adaptation to the hospital environment was one of their major concerns. It was found that the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical training could be reduced in an In-Hospital Training program by promoting more coordination between the nursing school and the hospital administration, along with improving teaching strategies.
Keywords: In-hospital nursing program, the Theory-Practice gap, Internship nursing students, Southern region of Saudi Arabia.
Title: Senior Nursing Students’ Perception of the Theoretical knowledge and Clinical Practice Gap in an in-hospital Nursing Program – A Descriptive Study conducted in Southern Saudi Arabia
Author: Enas Dhaher
International Journal of Healthcare Sciences
ISSN 2348-5728 (Online)
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