Nurse faculty perceptions of readiness for practice among new nurses graduating during the pandemic

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic caused major changes in nursing education, namely a shift to remote learning and significant reduction of clinical practice experience. It is not known how these changes will affect new graduate nurses transitioning to practice. PURPOSE: To provide guidance to transition-to-practice programs, this study quantitatively described and compared nurse faculty perceptions of readiness for practice among students who graduated pre-pandemic and those who will graduate during the pandemic. METHODS: A convenience sample of 116 nurse faculty across North Carolina completed surveys online. Surveys collected information on demographics, professional experience, and teaching changes experienced during the pandemic. The Nursing Practice Readiness Tool was used to measure perceptions of readiness for practice. RESULTS: Nurse faculty reported a wide range of changes due to the pandemic, with limitations in clinical learning prevalent. There was a statistically significant decrease in practice readiness scores for the total scale, six subscales, and all tool items at p < 0.001 for all paired comparisons. CONCLUSIONS: While there was an overall significant decrease in scores for all competency areas, further analysis of the tool subscales and items can provide guidance for clinical nurses working with new graduates and nurse faculty working with continuing students.