Perceptions of Clinical Readiness Among Nursing Intern Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Clinical readiness stands as one of the most essential results of nursing education. It shows the ability of nursing intern students to combine the knowledge they have gained from books, clinical skills, and professional behaviors when they are in real healthcare settings. The study aimed to assess perceptions of clinical readiness among nursing intern students at King Abdulaziz National Guard Hospital in Alhasa and King Faisal University.
Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was carried out at King Abdulaziz National Guard Hospital, Alhasa, and King Faisal University. The study was conducted from April to December 2025, and a total of 105 nursing intern students with at least six months of internship experience were enrolled in the study. The students were chosen by a purposive sampling technique. We used an online, self-administered questionnaire for data collection, which first collected demographic information and then the Nursing Practice Readiness Scale.
Results: Among the 105 nursing intern students, most were aged 23–27 years and male. Almost half of the students had a GPA ranging from 3.76 to 4.5, and a little more than half were students at King Abdulaziz National Guard Hospital. Most of the interns were single, some had children, and most of them had more than six months of internship experience, along with different levels of exposure to the simulation lab. Clinical readiness was at a moderate level with an average score of 3.09 and a total NPRS score of 108.14. Most students reported moderate readiness (61.9%), followed by high readiness (33.3%), and a very small percentage reported low readiness (4.8%). There were no significant correlations between clinical readiness and gender, age, marital status, having children, or university, whereas GPA, simulation lab experience, and internship duration were significantly correlated with higher readiness.
Conclusions: The majority of nursing interns indicated moderate clinical readiness, while a smaller number showed either high or low preparedness. Readiness level didn't have a significant relationship with gender, age, marital status, or university attendance; however, it was impacted by GPA, simulation lab experience, and internship duration. Such results emphasize the importance of customizing training and providing support in order to raise interns' skills and self-assurance. Additional studies should be carried out to uncover the elements of clinical readiness that still remain to be explored and thus, get guidance on how to effectively bridge the gap between nursing education and commencement of professional practice.