Registered Nurses’ Beliefs Regarding the Preparedness of Nursing Students Who Have Completed the DEU Program

Abstract

The purpose of this pilot study was to explore beliefs of Registered Nurses’ regarding the preparedness of nursing students’ who have completed the Dedicated Education Unit (DEU) program. In response to nursing shortage in the U.S., nursing education programs are expanding to keep up with the demand. A critical aspect of nursing education is the clinical experience. An innovation in the clinical teaching environment that promotes evidenced-based practice and high quality clinical education are vital components of the Dedicated Education Unit (DEU). The Dedicated Education Unit was modeled to increase collaboration within healthcare institutions and the student clinical experience. The DEU offers hope for a more positive clinical learning experience with greater opportunities for clinical advancement and successful transition to nursing practice for undergraduate nursing students. The DEU Model of Clinical Instruction serves as the theoretical framework for this study. This quantitative pilot study using a descriptive approach provided necessary information from surveys to evaluate nursing students’ readiness to practice upon completion of the DEU program from the belief of the RN. Survey data obtained regarding RN’s beliefs of nursing students’ readiness to practice upon completion of the DEU was explored for this Pilot Study.