Critical care nurse internships: in theory and practice.

The CCNIP is a 6-month program that provides didactic instruction and supervised clinical experience to graduate nurses desiring critical care staff nurse positions. During rotations through four critical care units, interns are cross-trained to handle a variety of patient care scenarios. Upon completion of the program nurses are required to fulfill an 18-month service commitment to a critical care unit within the institution. During its 6 years of operation the CCNIP has promoted clinical competency and assisted in the recruitment and retention of staff nurses in critical care. Considering these outcomes, other critical care educators and administrators may want to consider implementing nurse internships as an alternative to traditional orientation programs.