Challenging Assumptions: Association Between Clinical Hours, Simulation, and Work Experience and New Graduate Nurse Practice Readiness.

Background: Extensive clinical hours and prior health care experience are widely believed to enhance new graduate nurse practice readiness, yet supporting evidence is limited. Purpose: To examine relationships between new graduate practice readiness and clinical hours, proportion of simulation hours...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nurse Educator Vol. 51; no. 3; pp. 146 - 152
Main Authors: Ryan, Teale, Herlihy, Kesa, Sanner-Stiehr, Ericka, Sardiu, Mihaela, Weis, Karen, Christian, Becky
Format: research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins May/Jun2026
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Description
Summary:Background: Extensive clinical hours and prior health care experience are widely believed to enhance new graduate nurse practice readiness, yet supporting evidence is limited. Purpose: To examine relationships between new graduate practice readiness and clinical hours, proportion of simulation hours, and prior health care experience. Methods: This post hoc analysis used demographic data from a cross-sectional study evaluating effects of education delivery models on practice readiness. The 189 students from 8 Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs completed surveys during their final 6 weeks. Program directors reported clinical and simulation hours. ANOVA and nonparametric equivalents examined relationships. Results: No significant associations were found between practice readiness and total clinical hours, between practice readiness and percentage of simulation hours, or between practice readiness and prior health care employment. Conclusion: Findings challenge assumptions, suggesting that quantity of clinical hours and prior health care experience are not associated with practice readiness.