New Nurse Perceptions of Preparedness: Elements of Academic-Practice Gap

The education-practice gap, also known as the academic-practice gap is recognized as the difference between what a nursing student is taught and what the new nurse will experience in practice. This study evaluated specific education outcomes of schools of nursing in New Hampshire through surveys of new nurses and their employers. The responses were explored in relation to identified factors such as curriculum and clinical hours. The findings suggest that the new nurses felt prepared for practice, except in relationship to provision of care and medication administration for six or more patients. Of note is that 61% percent of participants were involved in errors and of these, 37.5% indicated that their education did not prepare them to administer medications to large groups. Evaluation of employer responses points to at least one and sometimes two levels of lower perception of perceived preparedness by the employer. The results highlight the differences between perceptions of preparedness of new nurse and employer, differences in perception of preparedness based on program type for specific gap elements, and the high rate of errors among new nurses. These results underscore the need for further research regarding the education practice gap, error factors, perceptions of preparedness for practice, and practice-readiness expectations of employers.