Nursing Interns’ Readiness for Clinical Practice: A Cross-Sectional Analytical Study in Multan, Pakistan

Nursing Interns’ Readiness for Clinical Practice: A Cross-Sectional Analytical Study in Multan, Pakistan | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Nursing Interns’ Readiness for Clinical Practice: A Cross-Sectional Analytical Study in Multan, Pakistan Kainat Yasin, Salma Rattani, Kashmira Nanji, Nimira Asif This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8544443/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Nursing interns are recent nursing graduates who, for a year, are rotated in different clinical settings to gain hands-on experience and clinical skills before officially becoming registered nurses. As the healthcare system in Pakistan faces a growing demand for a competent workforce, it is necessary to assess nursing interns’ level of readiness for clinical practice. Objective This study aimed to assess the level of readiness for clinical practice among nursing interns and to examine associations between demographic factors and readiness levels. Methods An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in two private nursing colleges in Multan, Pakistan. Using a universal sampling technique, 114 nursing interns were recruited. Data were collected using the Nursing Practice Readiness Scale (NPRS), a validated self-report tool comprising five domains: clinical judgment and nursing performance, professional attitudes, patient-centeredness, self-regulation, and collaborative interpersonal relationships. Content validity of the instrument was established prior to data collection (Content Validity Index: relevance = 0.92; clarity = 0.87). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22. Descriptive statistics summarized readiness levels, while inferential statistics examined associations between readiness and demographic variables. Results Most participants were female (71.9%) and aged 24–26 years (60.5%). Overall, 66.7% of nursing interns demonstrated a high level of readiness, while 33.3% showed a moderate level of readiness; none were classified as having low readiness. Domain-specific analysis indicated high readiness in collaborative interpersonal relationships (78.1%), patient-centeredness (76.3%), self-regulation (66.7%), clinical judgment and nursing performance (53.5%), and professional attitudes (43.9%). Low readiness levels were observed in interpersonal relationships and professional attitudes (2.6%), and in patient-centeredness and professional attitudes (1.8%). Statistically significant associations were found between readiness levels and duration of clinical posting (p = 0.010) as well as exposure to paediatric wards (p = 0.036). Conclusion Nursing interns demonstrated an overall high level of readiness for clinical practice, suggesting adequate preparation for professional roles. However, gaps in specific domains, particularly professional attitudes, indicate the need for targeted educational and clinical support. These findings may help nursing institutions strengthen internship programs and focus on areas requiring improvement. Nursing interns cross-sectional study undergraduate nursing nursing internship clinical skills Nursing Practice Readiness Scale Figures Figure 1 Introduction The transition from nursing education to professional clinical practice is widely recognised as one of the most challenging phases in a nurse’s career ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ). Newly graduated nurses and nursing interns are expected to deliver safe, competent, and patient-centred care while adapting to complex clinical environments, heavy workloads, and professional accountability ( 2 ). Inadequate readiness during this transition has been linked to increased stress, transition shock, medication errors, compromised patient safety, and early attrition from the nursing profession ( 8 , 9 ). Globally, healthcare systems are facing a critical shortage of nurses. The World Health Organisation (WHO) claims that by 2030, there will be a deficit of 4.5 million nurses worldwide, which would significantly affect the way healthcare is delivered ( 10 ). In Pakistan’s nurse-to-population ratio is only 5.2 per 10,000 people( 11 ). The shortage of about 60,000 nurses in Pakistan's healthcare sector highlights the need for nurses' education and their transition into professional life roles ( 12 ). Practice readiness in nursing refers to a student nurse's ability to apply theoretical knowledge to the clinical workforce by exhibiting the core competencies and successfully transition to the professional nurse role ( 13 ). According to Cleary ( 14 ), the concept of ready for practice refers to a graduate nurse's ability to perform the duties of care provision, care design, management, coordination, and involvement as a member of the nursing profession ( 14 ). It involves cognitive expertise, professional and practical skills, and self-efficacy. These attributes ensure patient safety, greater confidence, and effective adaptation to professional nurse responsibilities ( 15 ). Practice readiness among newly graduated nurses is affected by various factors. These factors are leadership experience, access to academic scholarships, prior job exposure, effective interpersonal communication, and a strong intrinsic motivation to pursue nursing as a career ( 16 ). Nursing curricula aim to prepare students across these domains, several studies have highlighted persistent gaps between academic preparation and the realities of clinical practice ( 15 , 17 ). Structured internships have been implemented to bridge the gap between education and practice ( 18 , 19 ). In Pakistan, the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council mandates a one-year internship following completion of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. This internship is intended to facilitate experiential learning, consolidation of clinical skills, and professional socialization before nurses assume independent roles ( 20 ). However, despite the mandatory nature of this internship, limited empirical evidence exists regarding its effectiveness in preparing nursing interns for real-world clinical practice. The present study aimed to assess the level of readiness for clinical practice among nursing interns and to examine the association between demographic factors and readiness levels. By identifying strengths and gaps in readiness, this study seeks to contribute evidence that can guide targeted interventions to support nursing interns during their transition to professional practice. Theoretical Framework: Benner’s Novice to Expert Model This study is guided by Patricia Benner’s (1984) Novice to Expert model, which serves as a frequently cited framework for understanding clinical competence development ( 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ). Benner identifies five stages of proficiency: novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert ( 26 ). Nursing interns typically reside in the "novice" to "advanced beginner" transition. A novice has no professional experience and requires clear guidelines and direct supervision to make clinical judgments ( 23 ). As they progress through the mandatory one-year internship, they transition toward the "advanced beginner" stage, where they demonstrate "marginally acceptable performance" and begin to make decisions informed by experience, though they still require support ( 23 ). Benner distinguishes between "knowing that" (theoretical knowledge) and "knowing how" (practical expertise rooted in clinical exposure) ( 24 ). This study interprets the NPRS scores through this model to determine the developmental stage of the interns. Methods Study Design and Setting The study utilized a quantitative research approach with an analytical cross-sectional design. The research was conducted at the Multan College of Nursing (MMDC) and the Medicare College of Nursing in Multan. This study included nursing interns who had completed at least three months of their internship and were enrolled at Multan College of Nursing or Medicare College of Nursing, Multan. Only interns who provided written informed consent were eligible to participate. Nursing interns who were on extended leave at the time of data collection or who had already completed their internship prior to the commencement of data collection were excluded from the study. A universal sampling method (total population sampling) was employed because the number of interns in the private sector settings was relatively small. Out of an estimated 122 eligible interns, 117 agreed to participate. After excluding three incomplete forms, a final sample of 114 questionnaires was finalised for analysis. Study Instrument The study questionnaire consisted of two sections. Section A captured participants’ demographic information, including sex, GPA, marital status, number of children, clinical posting duration, specific internship units, and skills practice in simulation or skill labs, adapted from a Saudi study ( 21 ). Section B assessed nursing interns’ readiness for clinical practice using the 35-item Nursing Practice Readiness Scale (NPRS) developed by Kim and Shin ( 9 ). The NPRS is a validated, multi-domain instrument comprises five domains: clinical judgment and nursing performance (16 items, α = 0.83), professional attitudes (8 items, α = 0.83), patient-centeredness (5 items, α = 0.85), self-regulation (3 items, α = 0.85), and collaborative interpersonal relationships (3 items, α = 0.80). Participants responded on a 4-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree), with total scores ranging from 35 to 140, where higher scores reflected greater readiness. Cut-off scores for overall and domain-specific readiness were adapted from Alruwaili, Alruwaili ( 27 ), classifying readiness as high, moderate, or low. Overall, scores of 112–140 indicated high readiness, 84–111 moderate, and 35–83 low. Domain-specific cut-offs followed percentage-based categorization: clinical judgment and nursing performance (high: 52–64), professional attitudes (high: 26–32), patient-centeredness (high: 17–20), and both self-regulation and collaborative interpersonal relationships (high: 10–12), ensuring consistent interpretation across all domains. Rigor and Validation To ensure the rigor of the tool, it was reviewed by seven content experts (nurse educators). The Content Validity Index (CVI) was calculated at 0.92 for relevance and 0.87 for clarity. A pilot study was conducted at the Shahida Islam Nursing College in Lodhran with 13 participants to evaluate the clarity of the demographic section; minor changes were made for comprehension, but no changes were made to the Nursing Practice Readiness Scale items. Ethical Considerations Data were collected between June 1 and July 31, 2025. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Review Committee of Aga Khan University (ERC 2025-11193-34524). Institutional permission was secured from the respective Chief Operating Officers and Principals. Participants provided written informed consent and were informed of their right to withdraw. All procedures involving human participants were conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Confidentiality was maintained through coding, and data were stored securely according to the University’s 7-year retention policy. Data Analysis Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 22. Categorical demographic data were summarized using frequencies and percentages. The Pearson chi-square test was utilized for inferential analysis to evaluate the relationship between independent variables (age, gender, GPA, duration, etc.) and the dependent variable (readiness level). A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Demographic Characteristics of Study Participants A total of 122 nursing interns were enrolled in the selected settings; however, 114 interns participated in the study. The overall response rate was 93%. The descriptive statistics were used to interpret the demographic characteristics of study participants. Table 1 shows the demographic details of participants. Most of the nursing interns, 60.5% were between the age group of 24–26 years. In terms of gender, 71.9% were females and 28.1% were males. With regards to academic performance, 57% reported a grade point average between 3.6 and 4.0. In terms of marital status, 86% of participants were single, while 14% were married. The majority of participants, 93%, had no children, while 7% reported having one child. Most of the participants, 89.5% reported an internship with a clinical posting duration of more than six months, whereas only 10.5% had a duration between three and six months. Concerning specific units of internship practice 92.1% had experience of medical wards, 73.7% of surgical wards, 69.3% of intensive care units, 65.8% of paediatrics wards, 50.9% of maternity ward, 70.2% of emergency department, and 25.4% to other units like Coronary Care Unit, High Dependency Unit, dialysis, and operation theatre. In terms of any previous simulation lab or skill lab practices, 78.1% of participants reported previous experience in simulation or skills labs. Table 1 Demographic Characteristics of Nursing Interns (n = 114) Demographic Characteristics Number Percentage Age in Years 21–23 39 34.2 24–26 69 60.5 27–30 6 5.3 Sex Male 32 28.1 Female 82 71.9 Grade Point Average 2.1-3.0 9 7.9 3.1–3.5 40 35.1 3.6-4.0 65 57 Marital Status Single 98 86 Married 16 14 Children Yes 8 7 No 106 93 Clinical Posting Duration 3–6 Months 12 10.5 More than 6 Months 102 89.5 Specific Units of Internship Practice Medical Ward Yes 105 92.1 No 9 7.9 Surgical Ward Yes 84 73.7 No 30 26.3 Intensive Care Unit Yes 79 69.3 No 35 30.7 Paediatrics Ward Yes 75 65.8 No 39 34.2 Maternity Ward Yes 58 50.9 No 56 49.1 Emergency Department Yes 80 70.2 No 34 29.8 Other units Yes 29 25.4 No 85 74.6 Practice in Skill or Simulation lab Yes 89 78.1 No 25 21.9 Figure 1 presents the overall readiness scores on the Nursing Practice Readiness Scale (NPRS). The findings indicate a high level of perceived preparedness among nursing interns. Based on the established cut-off values, 66.7% of participants were classified in the high readiness category, while 33.3% demonstrated moderate readiness. Notably, none of the participants fell into the low readiness category, indicating that all nursing interns reported at least a moderate level of overall readiness for clinical practice. Domain-wise Readiness for Clinical Practice Table 2 shows the domain-specific readiness of participants. Domain-specific readiness of interns varied from the overall readiness level. The domain with the highest perceived readiness was Collaborative Interpersonal Relationships, with 78.1% of participants scoring in the 'high readiness' range. In contrast, Professional Attitudes was the domain with the lowest percentage of high readiness scores of 43.9%. In clinical judgment and nursing performance, 53.5% reported high readiness, and 46.5% moderate readiness. Regarding professional attitude, 43.9% showed high readiness, 53.5% moderate readiness, and 2.6% low readiness. In terms of patient-centeredness, 76.3% demonstrated high readiness, 21.9% moderate readiness, and 1.8% low readiness. With regards to self-regulation, 66.7% exhibited high readiness, 31.6% moderate readiness, and 1.8% low readiness. Moreover, in collaborative interpersonal relationships, 78.1% reported high readiness, 19.3% moderate readiness, and 2.6% low readiness. Table 2 Domain-wise Readiness Level of Nursing Interns (n = 114) Statements Low Moderate High Clinical judgment and nursing performance 53(46.5%) 61(53.5%) Professional attitudes 3(2.6%) 61(53.5%) 50(43.9%) Patient-centeredness 2(1.8%) 25(21.9%) 87(76.3%) Self-regulation 2(1.8%) 36(31.6%) 76(66.7%) Collaborative interpersonal relationship 3(2.6%) 22(19.3%) 89(78.1%) Overall readiness 38(33.3) 76(66.7) Relationship between demographic factors and the readiness level of intern nursing students Table 3 presents the findings related to the relationship between various factors and the readiness level of intern nursing students. The results indicate two significant associations. First, there was a statistically significant but slight correlation between the Paediatrics Ward as a clinical placement during internship and the readiness level of the intern nursing students, with a p-value of < 0.05(0.036). Additionally, having a clinical duration of more than 6 months was also found to be related to readiness level, with a p-value of < 0.05(0.010). On the other hand, no significant relationship was found between age, gender, grade point average, marital status, having children, working experience in medical, surgical, maternity, intensive care unit, emergency department, and practice in simulation lab or skill lab with the domains of the readiness level of intern nursing students, with p-values > 0.05 Table 3 Relationship between demographic factors and the readiness level of intern nursing students Variable Moderate High P value Age 0.665 21–23 13(34.2%) 26(34.2%) 24–26 22(57.9%) 47(61.8%) 27–30 3(7.9%) 3(3.9%) Gender Male 10(26.3%) 22(28.9%) 0.768 Female 28(73.7%) 54(71.1%) Grade Point Average 2.1-3.0 4(10.5%) 5(6.6%) 0.328 3.1–3.59 16(42.1%) 24(31.6%) 3.6-4.0 18(47.4%) 47(61.8%) Marital Status Single 30(78.9%) 68(89.5%) 0.127 Married 8(21.1%) 8(10.5%) Children Yes 35(92.1%) 71(93.4%) 0.795 No 3(7.9%) 5(6.6%) Clinical Posting Duration 3–6 Months 8 (21.1%) 4(5.3%) 0.010 More than 6 Months 30(78.9%) 72(94.7%) Specific Units of Internship Practice Medical Ward No 1(2.6%) 8(10.5%) 0.141 Yes 37(97.4%) 68(89.5%) Surgical Ward No 8(21.1%) 22(28.9%) 0.367 Yes 30(78.9%) 54(71.1%) Intensive Care Unit No 14(36.8%) 21(27.6%) 0.315 Yes 24(63.2%) 55(72.4%) Pediatrics Ward No 18(47.4%) 21(27.6%) 0.036 Yes 20(52.6%) 55(72.4%) Maternity Ward No 22(57.9%) 34(44.7%) 0.185 Yes 16(42.1%) 42(55.3%) Emergency Department No 11(28.9%) 23(30.3%) 0.885 Yes 27(71.1%) 53(69.7%) Practice in Skill or Simulation lab No 7(18.4%) 18(23.7%) 0.522 Yes 31(81.6%) 58(76.3%) Discussion This study assessed the readiness for clinical practice among nursing interns in Multan, Pakistan, using the Nursing Practice Readiness Scale. Overall, the findings indicate that most nursing interns demonstrated high readiness for clinical practice, with the remainder showing moderate readiness. These results suggest that interns are generally prepared to transition into professional nursing roles, supporting workforce readiness in the local healthcare context. Similar findings have been reported in studies from Saudi Arabia and India, where nursing interns and senior nursing students expressed confidence and satisfactory competence in clinical practice ( 28 , 29 ). However, contrasting evidence from Saudi Arabia and systematic reviews has reported predominantly moderate readiness and perceived skill gaps during the transition period ( 21 , 30 ), highlighting contextual differences in training environments and role expectations. High readiness observed in the present study may be attributed to extensive clinical rotations across multiple hospital units and increased responsibility due to shortages of registered nurses. Interns in this setting often assume full patient care responsibilities, which may accelerate experiential learning and enhance perceived readiness. These findings align with previous studies indicating that increased workload and role immersion during internships contribute to higher readiness levels ( 28 , 31 ). In contrast, evidence from Sweden suggests that excessive workload without adequate support may hinder a smooth transition, emphasizing the importance of balanced clinical environments ( 32 ). Domain-wise analysis revealed variation in readiness levels. More than half of interns demonstrated high readiness in clinical judgment and nursing performance, although a substantial proportion remained moderately prepared, suggesting ongoing development of complex clinical reasoning and prioritization skills. Similar patterns have been reported internationally, particularly regarding advanced nursing skills ( 29 , 33 ), while other studies identified predominantly moderate readiness in this domain ( 27 ). Professional attitudes emerged as a relatively weaker domain, indicating challenges related to accountability, resilience, and ethical confidence. Comparable findings have been reported in Saudi, South Korean, and Pakistani studies, where interns experienced stress and difficulty coping with workplace complexity ( 27 , 34 , 35 , 36 ). In contrast, patient-centeredness and collaborative interpersonal relationships demonstrated high readiness, reflecting strong empathetic care, communication, and teamwork skills. These findings are consistent with evidence from South Korea but differ from studies reporting moderate readiness and interprofessional challenges among new graduates ( 36 , 37 ). Self-regulation also showed high readiness, aligning with Turkish findings, although other studies have linked moderate self-regulation to unsupportive clinical environments ( 38 , 39 ). From a theoretical perspective, the findings position most nursing interns at the advanced beginner stage of Benner’s Novice to Expert model. Despite overall high readiness, a small proportion of interns demonstrated low readiness in specific domains, indicating continued novice-level functioning. This is concerning, as inadequate readiness has been associated with transition shock, clinical errors, and compromised patient safety ( 37 ). According to Benner’s framework, full competence typically requires two to three years of clinical experience ( 26 ). Among demographic factors, clinical posting duration and exposure to paediatric wards were significantly associated with readiness. Longer clinical exposure was linked to higher readiness, supporting evidence that repeated hands-on experience enhances clinical competence and professional identity ( 29 , 34 ). Paediatric exposure likely enhanced readiness due to the complex, emotionally demanding, and skill-intensive nature of paediatric care, consistent with international findings ( 32 , 40 ). This study found no significant association between readiness for clinical practice and age, gender, GPA, marital status, or simulation laboratory exposure. The lack of association with age and gender is consistent with findings from South Korea and other international studies ( 21 , 41 ) although contrasting evidence from India suggests that older age and gender may influence readiness in some contexts ( 31 ). Similarly, GPA was not associated with readiness in the present study, aligning with Saudi findings ( 21 ) but differing from South Korean studies reporting a positive correlation ( 36 , 41 ). No significant relationship was identified between readiness and simulation or skills lab exposure, contrary to previous evidence supporting simulation-based learning ( 21 , 36 , 42 ). This discrepancy may reflect limited access to low-fidelity simulation facilities and inconsistent practice opportunities in the local context. Strengths and Limitations This study was strengthened by the use of a validated instrument, the Nursing Practice Readiness Scale (NPRS), with content validity established prior to data collection, enhancing the methodological rigor. Additionally, this is the first study to assess nursing interns’ readiness for clinical practice in Multan, contributing novel local evidence. However, the cross-sectional design limits causal inference and captures readiness at a single point in time. The inclusion of only two private nursing institutions restricts generalizability, and reliance on self-reported data may have led to overestimation of perceived readiness rather than actual clinical competence. Recommendations Based on the findings, targeted educational and clinical interventions are recommended. Nursing curricula should strengthen professional attitudes through focused content on professional identity, accountability, ethical resilience, and stress management to support interns’ transition from novice to advanced beginner. In clinical practice, structured preceptorship particularly in high-acuity units should be implemented to provide guided support. Given the positive impact of paediatric exposure, mandatory paediatric rotations should be ensured for all interns to enhance clinical judgment and communication skills. Future research should incorporate qualitative approaches to explore challenges in professional attitude development and include supervisor or nurse manager assessments to triangulate self-reported readiness. Comparative studies between public and private institutions are also recommended to identify systemic differences in internship training quality. Overall, the findings suggest that while current internship programs effectively prepare interns for entry-level roles, targeted strategies are needed to address domain-specific gaps, particularly in professional attitudes, to ensure safe and competent nursing practice. Conclusion This study demonstrates that nursing interns in Multan, Pakistan, exhibit an overall high level of readiness for clinical practice, indicating that current internship programs effectively prepare them for entry-level professional roles. Domain-specific analysis revealed particularly strong readiness in collaborative interpersonal relationships, patient-centeredness, and self-regulation, reflecting well-developed communication, teamwork, and self-directed learning skills. However, professional attitudes emerged as a comparatively weaker domain, suggesting gaps in accountability, resilience, and ethical confidence that require targeted educational and clinical support. Longer clinical posting durations and exposure to paediatric wards were significantly associated with higher readiness, highlighting the importance of extended hands-on experience and exposure to complex clinical settings in developing competent nursing professionals. These findings reinforce the relevance of structured, supervised, and diverse clinical rotations during internships. Overall, the study underscores the need for nursing institutions to strengthen professional attitude development through focused training, mentorship, and guided preceptorship programs. Addressing domain-specific gaps will ensure a more comprehensive readiness for practice, ultimately contributing to improved patient care, enhanced professional competence, and a smoother transition from internship to independent nursing practice. Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate: Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Review Committee of Aga Khan University. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to their participation in the study. Participation was voluntary, and participants were informed of their right to withdraw from the study at any time without any consequences. Confidentiality and anonymity of the participants were maintained throughout the study. All procedures involving human participants were conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Availability of data and materials: Data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Competing interests: The author declares no competing interests. Funding: This study received no external funding. Authors’ contributions: KY (Kainat Yasin) designed the study, collected and managed the data, and drafted and finalized the manuscript. SR (Salma Rattani) served as the Principal Investigator and Supervisor, providing guidance in study design and interpretation, and critically revising the manuscript for intellectual content. KN (Kashmira Nanji) supported data analysis and interpretation. NA (Nimira Asif) served as a Thesis Committee Member, providing feedback throughout the thesis process and reviewing the final manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. 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Personal Factors and Clinical Learning Environment as Predictors of Nursing Students' Readiness for Practice: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis. Asian Nurs Res (Korean Soc Nurs Sci). 2023;17(1):44–52. Guerrero JG, Hafiz AH, Eltohamy NAE, Gomma N, Jarrah IA. Repeated Exposure to High-fidelity Simulation and Nursing Interns’ Clinical Performance: Impact on Practice Readiness. Clin Simul Nurs. 2021;60:18–24. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8544443","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":578614102,"identity":"9d847117-9d1c-4ac7-aa2b-b60d154eb423","order_by":0,"name":"Kainat Yasin","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABEUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACCQbGBgiLmYHxQYKBDZDF2HiAsJYEsBZmgw8VaSAtDQS0gEACmGSTnHHmMJiFV4tk++G2Bz9/HJaXb+c9bMzbdt5ubfthoC01NtG4tEjzJLYb9iQcNtxwmC/xMW/b7eRtZxKBWo6l5Tbg0CLHkNgmwZNwmHEDM4+xMUiL2QGgFsaGw7i18D9sk/yTcNh+fjOPmTRv27lks/MP8WuRlkhskwbakthwmMcM6P0DdmY3CNgiOeNhm7RMWnryhsM8xsBATk4wuwG0JQGPXyTOpz+TfGNjbTu//4whMCrt7M3Opz988KHGBqcWKGiGsxLBKhPwKweBOjjLnrDiUTAKRsEoGGkAAC4lZToMDvfFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"The Agha Khan university, School of Nursing and Midwifery","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kainat","middleName":"","lastName":"Yasin","suffix":""},{"id":578614103,"identity":"4c39730e-b51b-49c7-b64b-473426385110","order_by":1,"name":"Salma Rattani","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"The Agha Khan university, School of Nursing and 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1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":85125,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eReadiness level of Interns\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8544443/v1/16cff5684d9cba4887857064.png"},{"id":103408957,"identity":"bf5b95a7-b49d-4a42-966e-86021a8cac2b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-25 10:40:46","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1082877,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8544443/v1/254ed950-2e52-43fd-a7c1-63ad60b79f9c.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Nursing Interns’ Readiness for Clinical Practice: A Cross-Sectional Analytical Study in Multan, Pakistan","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe transition from nursing education to professional clinical practice is widely recognised as one of the most challenging phases in a nurse\u0026rsquo;s career (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e). Newly graduated nurses and nursing interns are expected to deliver safe, competent, and patient-centred care while adapting to complex clinical environments, heavy workloads, and professional accountability (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). Inadequate readiness during this transition has been linked to increased stress, transition shock, medication errors, compromised patient safety, and early attrition from the nursing profession (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGlobally, healthcare systems are facing a critical shortage of nurses. The World Health Organisation (WHO) claims that by 2030, there will be a deficit of 4.5\u0026nbsp;million nurses worldwide, which would significantly affect the way healthcare is delivered (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e). In Pakistan\u0026rsquo;s nurse-to-population ratio is only 5.2 per 10,000 people(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e). The shortage of about 60,000 nurses in Pakistan's healthcare sector highlights the need for nurses' education and their transition into professional life roles (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePractice readiness in nursing refers to a student nurse's ability to apply theoretical knowledge to the clinical workforce by exhibiting the core competencies and successfully transition to the professional nurse role (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e). According to Cleary (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e), the concept of ready for practice refers to a graduate nurse's ability to perform the duties of care provision, care design, management, coordination, and involvement as a member of the nursing profession (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e). It involves cognitive expertise, professional and practical skills, and self-efficacy. These attributes ensure patient safety, greater confidence, and effective adaptation to professional nurse responsibilities (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e). Practice readiness among newly graduated nurses is affected by various factors. These factors are leadership experience, access to academic scholarships, prior job exposure, effective interpersonal communication, and a strong intrinsic motivation to pursue nursing as a career (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNursing curricula aim to prepare students across these domains, several studies have highlighted persistent gaps between academic preparation and the realities of clinical practice (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e). Structured internships have been implemented to bridge the gap between education and practice (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e). In Pakistan, the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council mandates a one-year internship following completion of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. This internship is intended to facilitate experiential learning, consolidation of clinical skills, and professional socialization before nurses assume independent roles (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e). However, despite the mandatory nature of this internship, limited empirical evidence exists regarding its effectiveness in preparing nursing interns for real-world clinical practice.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe present study aimed to assess the level of readiness for clinical practice among nursing interns and to examine the association between demographic factors and readiness levels. By identifying strengths and gaps in readiness, this study seeks to contribute evidence that can guide targeted interventions to support nursing interns during their transition to professional practice.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eTheoretical Framework: Benner’s Novice to Expert Model\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study is guided by Patricia Benner\u0026rsquo;s (1984) Novice to Expert model, which serves as a frequently cited framework for understanding clinical competence development (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e). Benner identifies five stages of proficiency: novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNursing interns typically reside in the \"novice\" to \"advanced beginner\" transition. A novice has no professional experience and requires clear guidelines and direct supervision to make clinical judgments (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e). As they progress through the mandatory one-year internship, they transition toward the \"advanced beginner\" stage, where they demonstrate \"marginally acceptable performance\" and begin to make decisions informed by experience, though they still require support (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e). Benner distinguishes between \"knowing that\" (theoretical knowledge) and \"knowing how\" (practical expertise rooted in clinical exposure) (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e). This study interprets the NPRS scores through this model to determine the developmental stage of the interns.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Methods","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStudy Design and Setting\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study utilized a quantitative research approach with an analytical cross-sectional design. The research was conducted at the Multan College of Nursing (MMDC) and the Medicare College of Nursing in Multan. This study included nursing interns who had completed at least three months of their internship and were enrolled at Multan College of Nursing or Medicare College of Nursing, Multan. Only interns who provided written informed consent were eligible to participate. Nursing interns who were on extended leave at the time of data collection or who had already completed their internship prior to the commencement of data collection were excluded from the study. A universal sampling method (total population sampling) was employed because the number of interns in the private sector settings was relatively small. Out of an estimated 122 eligible interns, 117 agreed to participate. After excluding three incomplete forms, a final sample of 114 questionnaires was finalised for analysis.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eStudy Instrument\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study questionnaire consisted of two sections. Section A captured participants\u0026rsquo; demographic information, including sex, GPA, marital status, number of children, clinical posting duration, specific internship units, and skills practice in simulation or skill labs, adapted from a Saudi study (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e). Section B assessed nursing interns\u0026rsquo; readiness for clinical practice using the 35-item Nursing Practice Readiness Scale (NPRS) developed by Kim and Shin (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e). The NPRS is a validated, multi-domain instrument comprises five domains: clinical judgment and nursing performance (16 items, α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.83), professional attitudes (8 items, α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.83), patient-centeredness (5 items, α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.85), self-regulation (3 items, α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.85), and collaborative interpersonal relationships (3 items, α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.80). Participants responded on a 4-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree), with total scores ranging from 35 to 140, where higher scores reflected greater readiness.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCut-off scores for overall and domain-specific readiness were adapted from Alruwaili, Alruwaili (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e), classifying readiness as high, moderate, or low. Overall, scores of 112\u0026ndash;140 indicated high readiness, 84\u0026ndash;111 moderate, and 35\u0026ndash;83 low. Domain-specific cut-offs followed percentage-based categorization: clinical judgment and nursing performance (high: 52\u0026ndash;64), professional attitudes (high: 26\u0026ndash;32), patient-centeredness (high: 17\u0026ndash;20), and both self-regulation and collaborative interpersonal relationships (high: 10\u0026ndash;12), ensuring consistent interpretation across all domains.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eRigor and Validation\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo ensure the rigor of the tool, it was reviewed by seven content experts (nurse educators). The Content Validity Index (CVI) was calculated at 0.92 for relevance and 0.87 for clarity. A pilot study was conducted at the Shahida Islam Nursing College in Lodhran with 13 participants to evaluate the clarity of the demographic section; minor changes were made for comprehension, but no changes were made to the Nursing Practice Readiness Scale items.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eEthical Considerations\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eData were collected between June 1 and July 31, 2025. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Review Committee of Aga Khan University (ERC 2025-11193-34524). Institutional permission was secured from the respective Chief Operating Officers and Principals. Participants provided written informed consent and were informed of their right to withdraw. All procedures involving human participants were conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Confidentiality was maintained through coding, and data were stored securely according to the University\u0026rsquo;s 7-year retention policy.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eData Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eData analysis was performed using SPSS version 22. Categorical demographic data were summarized using frequencies and percentages. The Pearson chi-square test was utilized for inferential analysis to evaluate the relationship between independent variables (age, gender, GPA, duration, etc.) and the dependent variable (readiness level). A p-value of \u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05 was considered statistically significant.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eDemographic Characteristics of Study Participants\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA total of 122 nursing interns were enrolled in the selected settings; however, 114 interns participated in the study. The overall response rate was 93%. The descriptive statistics were used to interpret the demographic characteristics of study participants. Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e shows the demographic details of participants. Most of the nursing interns, 60.5% were between the age group of 24\u0026ndash;26 years. In terms of gender, 71.9% were females and 28.1% were males. With regards to academic performance, 57% reported a grade point average between 3.6 and 4.0. In terms of marital status, 86% of participants were single, while 14% were married. The majority of participants, 93%, had no children, while 7% reported having one child. Most of the participants, 89.5% reported an internship with a clinical posting duration of more than six months, whereas only 10.5% had a duration between three and six months. Concerning specific units of internship practice 92.1% had experience of medical wards, 73.7% of surgical wards, 69.3% of intensive care units, 65.8% of paediatrics wards, 50.9% of maternity ward, 70.2% of emergency department, and 25.4% to other units like Coronary Care Unit, High Dependency Unit, dialysis, and operation theatre. In terms of any previous simulation lab or skill lab practices, 78.1% of participants reported previous experience in simulation or skills labs.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDemographic Characteristics of Nursing Interns (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;114)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDemographic Characteristics\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNumber\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePercentage\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge in Years\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21\u0026ndash;23\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24\u0026ndash;26\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e69\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e60.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27\u0026ndash;30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSex\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e82\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e71.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGrade Point Average\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.1-3.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.1\u0026ndash;3.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.6-4.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e65\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e57\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMarital Status\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSingle\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e98\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e86\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMarried\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChildren\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e106\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e93\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eClinical Posting Duration\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u0026ndash;6 Months\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMore than 6 Months\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e102\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e89.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSpecific Units of Internship Practice\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMedical Ward\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e105\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e92.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSurgical Ward\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e84\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e73.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIntensive Care Unit\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e79\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e69.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePaediatrics Ward\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e65.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMaternity Ward\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e58\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e50.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e56\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e49.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEmergency Department\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e70.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eOther units\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e85\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e74.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePractice in Skill or Simulation lab\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e89\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e78.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFigure \u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e presents the overall readiness scores on the Nursing Practice Readiness Scale (NPRS). The findings indicate a high level of perceived preparedness among nursing interns. Based on the established cut-off values, 66.7% of participants were classified in the high readiness category, while 33.3% demonstrated moderate readiness. Notably, none of the participants fell into the low readiness category, indicating that all nursing interns reported at least a moderate level of overall readiness for clinical practice.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eDomain-wise Readiness for Clinical Practice\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e shows the domain-specific readiness of participants. Domain-specific readiness of interns varied from the overall readiness level. The domain with the highest perceived readiness was Collaborative Interpersonal Relationships, with 78.1% of participants scoring in the 'high readiness' range. In contrast, Professional Attitudes was the domain with the lowest percentage of high readiness scores of 43.9%. In clinical judgment and nursing performance, 53.5% reported high readiness, and 46.5% moderate readiness. Regarding professional attitude, 43.9% showed high readiness, 53.5% moderate readiness, and 2.6% low readiness. In terms of patient-centeredness, 76.3% demonstrated high readiness, 21.9% moderate readiness, and 1.8% low readiness. With regards to self-regulation, 66.7% exhibited high readiness, 31.6% moderate readiness, and 1.8% low readiness. Moreover, in collaborative interpersonal relationships, 78.1% reported high readiness, 19.3% moderate readiness, and 2.6% low readiness.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDomain-wise Readiness Level of Nursing Interns (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;114)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStatements\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eClinical judgment and nursing performance\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e53(46.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e61(53.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProfessional attitudes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3(2.6%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e61(53.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e50(43.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePatient-centeredness\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2(1.8%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25(21.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e87(76.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSelf-regulation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2(1.8%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e36(31.6%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e76(66.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCollaborative interpersonal relationship\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3(2.6%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22(19.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e89(78.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOverall readiness\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38(33.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e76(66.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eRelationship between demographic factors and the readiness level of intern nursing students\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e presents the findings related to the relationship between various factors and the readiness level of intern nursing students. The results indicate two significant associations. First, there was a statistically significant but slight correlation between the Paediatrics Ward as a clinical placement during internship and the readiness level of the intern nursing students, with a p-value of \u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05(0.036). Additionally, having a clinical duration of more than 6 months was also found to be related to readiness level, with a p-value of \u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05(0.010). On the other hand, no significant relationship was found between age, gender, grade point average, marital status, having children, working experience in medical, surgical, maternity, intensive care unit, emergency department, and practice in simulation lab or skill lab with the domains of the readiness level of intern nursing students, with p-values\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRelationship between demographic factors and the readiness level of intern nursing students\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.665\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21\u0026ndash;23\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13(34.2%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26(34.2%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24\u0026ndash;26\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22(57.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e47(61.8%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27\u0026ndash;30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3(7.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3(3.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGender\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10(26.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22(28.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.768\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28(73.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e54(71.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGrade Point Average\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.1-3.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4(10.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5(6.6%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.328\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.1\u0026ndash;3.59\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16(42.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24(31.6%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.6-4.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18(47.4%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e47(61.8%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMarital Status\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSingle\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30(78.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e68(89.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.127\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMarried\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8(21.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8(10.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChildren\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35(92.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e71(93.4%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.795\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3(7.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5(6.6%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eClinical Posting Duration\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u0026ndash;6 Months\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8 (21.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4(5.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.010\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMore than 6 Months\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30(78.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e72(94.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSpecific Units of Internship Practice\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedical Ward\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1(2.6%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8(10.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.141\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37(97.4%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e68(89.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSurgical Ward\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8(21.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22(28.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.367\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30(78.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e54(71.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntensive Care Unit\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14(36.8%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21(27.6%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.315\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24(63.2%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e55(72.4%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePediatrics Ward\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18(47.4%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21(27.6%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.036\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20(52.6%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e55(72.4%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMaternity Ward\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22(57.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34(44.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.185\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16(42.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e42(55.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmergency Department\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11(28.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23(30.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.885\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27(71.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e53(69.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePractice in Skill or Simulation lab\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7(18.4%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18(23.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.522\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31(81.6%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e58(76.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study assessed the readiness for clinical practice among nursing interns in Multan, Pakistan, using the Nursing Practice Readiness Scale. Overall, the findings indicate that most nursing interns demonstrated high readiness for clinical practice, with the remainder showing moderate readiness. These results suggest that interns are generally prepared to transition into professional nursing roles, supporting workforce readiness in the local healthcare context. Similar findings have been reported in studies from Saudi Arabia and India, where nursing interns and senior nursing students expressed confidence and satisfactory competence in clinical practice (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e). However, contrasting evidence from Saudi Arabia and systematic reviews has reported predominantly moderate readiness and perceived skill gaps during the transition period (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e), highlighting contextual differences in training environments and role expectations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh readiness observed in the present study may be attributed to extensive clinical rotations across multiple hospital units and increased responsibility due to shortages of registered nurses. Interns in this setting often assume full patient care responsibilities, which may accelerate experiential learning and enhance perceived readiness. These findings align with previous studies indicating that increased workload and role immersion during internships contribute to higher readiness levels (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e). In contrast, evidence from Sweden suggests that excessive workload without adequate support may hinder a smooth transition, emphasizing the importance of balanced clinical environments (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDomain-wise analysis revealed variation in readiness levels. More than half of interns demonstrated high readiness in clinical judgment and nursing performance, although a substantial proportion remained moderately prepared, suggesting ongoing development of complex clinical reasoning and prioritization skills. Similar patterns have been reported internationally, particularly regarding advanced nursing skills (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e), while other studies identified predominantly moderate readiness in this domain (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e). Professional attitudes emerged as a relatively weaker domain, indicating challenges related to accountability, resilience, and ethical confidence. Comparable findings have been reported in Saudi, South Korean, and Pakistani studies, where interns experienced stress and difficulty coping with workplace complexity (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e In contrast, patient-centeredness and collaborative interpersonal relationships demonstrated high readiness, reflecting strong empathetic care, communication, and teamwork skills. These findings are consistent with evidence from South Korea but differ from studies reporting moderate readiness and interprofessional challenges among new graduates (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e). Self-regulation also showed high readiness, aligning with Turkish findings, although other studies have linked moderate self-regulation to unsupportive clinical environments (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e38\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrom a theoretical perspective, the findings position most nursing interns at the advanced beginner stage of Benner\u0026rsquo;s Novice to Expert model. Despite overall high readiness, a small proportion of interns demonstrated low readiness in specific domains, indicating continued novice-level functioning. This is concerning, as inadequate readiness has been associated with transition shock, clinical errors, and compromised patient safety (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e). According to Benner\u0026rsquo;s framework, full competence typically requires two to three years of clinical experience (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAmong demographic factors, clinical posting duration and exposure to paediatric wards were significantly associated with readiness. Longer clinical exposure was linked to higher readiness, supporting evidence that repeated hands-on experience enhances clinical competence and professional identity (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e). Paediatric exposure likely enhanced readiness due to the complex, emotionally demanding, and skill-intensive nature of paediatric care, consistent with international findings (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study found no significant association between readiness for clinical practice and age, gender, GPA, marital status, or simulation laboratory exposure. The lack of association with age and gender is consistent with findings from South Korea and other international studies (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e41\u003c/span\u003e) although contrasting evidence from India suggests that older age and gender may influence readiness in some contexts (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e). Similarly, GPA was not associated with readiness in the present study, aligning with Saudi findings (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e) but differing from South Korean studies reporting a positive correlation (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e41\u003c/span\u003e). No significant relationship was identified between readiness and simulation or skills lab exposure, contrary to previous evidence supporting simulation-based learning (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e42\u003c/span\u003e). This discrepancy may reflect limited access to low-fidelity simulation facilities and inconsistent practice opportunities in the local context.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStrengths and Limitations\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study was strengthened by the use of a validated instrument, the Nursing Practice Readiness Scale (NPRS), with content validity established prior to data collection, enhancing the methodological rigor. Additionally, this is the first study to assess nursing interns\u0026rsquo; readiness for clinical practice in Multan, contributing novel local evidence. However, the cross-sectional design limits causal inference and captures readiness at a single point in time. The inclusion of only two private nursing institutions restricts generalizability, and reliance on self-reported data may have led to overestimation of perceived readiness rather than actual clinical competence.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eRecommendations\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eBased on the findings, targeted educational and clinical interventions are recommended. Nursing curricula should strengthen professional attitudes through focused content on professional identity, accountability, ethical resilience, and stress management to support interns\u0026rsquo; transition from novice to advanced beginner. In clinical practice, structured preceptorship particularly in high-acuity units should be implemented to provide guided support. Given the positive impact of paediatric exposure, mandatory paediatric rotations should be ensured for all interns to enhance clinical judgment and communication skills.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFuture research should incorporate qualitative approaches to explore challenges in professional attitude development and include supervisor or nurse manager assessments to triangulate self-reported readiness. Comparative studies between public and private institutions are also recommended to identify systemic differences in internship training quality. Overall, the findings suggest that while current internship programs effectively prepare interns for entry-level roles, targeted strategies are needed to address domain-specific gaps, particularly in professional attitudes, to ensure safe and competent nursing practice.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study demonstrates that nursing interns in Multan, Pakistan, exhibit an overall high level of readiness for clinical practice, indicating that current internship programs effectively prepare them for entry-level professional roles. Domain-specific analysis revealed particularly strong readiness in collaborative interpersonal relationships, patient-centeredness, and self-regulation, reflecting well-developed communication, teamwork, and self-directed learning skills. However, professional attitudes emerged as a comparatively weaker domain, suggesting gaps in accountability, resilience, and ethical confidence that require targeted educational and clinical support.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLonger clinical posting durations and exposure to paediatric wards were significantly associated with higher readiness, highlighting the importance of extended hands-on experience and exposure to complex clinical settings in developing competent nursing professionals. These findings reinforce the relevance of structured, supervised, and diverse clinical rotations during internships.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOverall, the study underscores the need for nursing institutions to strengthen professional attitude development through focused training, mentorship, and guided preceptorship programs. Addressing domain-specific gaps will ensure a more comprehensive readiness for practice, ultimately contributing to improved patient care, enhanced professional competence, and a smoother transition from internship to independent nursing practice.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate:\u003c/strong\u003e Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Review Committee of Aga Khan University. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to their participation in the study. Participation was voluntary, and participants were informed of their right to withdraw from the study at any time without any consequences. Confidentiality and anonymity of the participants were maintained throughout the study. All procedures involving human participants were conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication:\u003c/strong\u003e Not applicable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailability of data and materials:\u003c/strong\u003e Data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interests:\u003c/strong\u003e The author declares no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding:\u003c/strong\u003e This study received no external funding.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthors\u0026rsquo; contributions:\u003c/strong\u003e KY (Kainat Yasin) designed the study, collected and managed the data, and drafted and finalized the manuscript. SR (Salma Rattani) served as the Principal Investigator and Supervisor, providing guidance in study design and interpretation, and critically revising the manuscript for intellectual content. KN (Kashmira Nanji) supported data analysis and interpretation. NA (Nimira Asif) served as a Thesis Committee Member, providing feedback throughout the thesis process and reviewing the final manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgements:\u003c/strong\u003e The author acknowledges the participating institutions and nursing interns for their cooperation.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKreedi F, Brown M, Marsh L, editors. The experience of the transition from a student nurse to a registered nurse of Kuwaiti newly graduated registered nurses: a qualitative study. 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J Postgrad Med Inst. 2021;35(4):197\u0026ndash;201.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGiri S, Sheilini M, Jyothi D'Souza PJ. Readiness to care and factors influencing readiness to care for patients in the intensive care units among novice nurses. Clin Epidemiol Global Health. 2022;18:101187.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSterner A, Eklund A, Nilsson MS. Prepared to learn but unprepared for work: A cross sectional survey study exploring the preparedness, challenges, and needs of newly graduated nurses entering a hospital-based transition program. Nurse Educ Pract. 2023;72:103782.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUpashe SP, Shil R, Shetty S. Self-Reported clinical practice skill readiness of final year nursing students studying in Bengaluru, Karnataka: An institutional-based cross-sectional study. 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Nurse Educ Pract. 2025;83:104252.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLee T, Lee SJ, Yoon YS, Ji H, Yoon S, Lee S, et al. Personal Factors and Clinical Learning Environment as Predictors of Nursing Students' Readiness for Practice: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis. Asian Nurs Res (Korean Soc Nurs Sci). 2023;17(1):44\u0026ndash;52.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGuerrero JG, Hafiz AH, Eltohamy NAE, Gomma N, Jarrah IA. Repeated Exposure to High-fidelity Simulation and Nursing Interns\u0026rsquo; Clinical Performance: Impact on Practice Readiness. Clin Simul Nurs. 2021;60:18\u0026ndash;24.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Nursing interns, cross-sectional study, undergraduate nursing, nursing internship, clinical skills, Nursing Practice Readiness Scale","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8544443/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8544443/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eNursing interns are recent nursing graduates who, for a year, are rotated in different clinical settings to gain hands-on experience and clinical skills before officially becoming registered nurses. As the healthcare system in Pakistan faces a growing demand for a competent workforce, it is necessary to assess nursing interns\u0026rsquo; level of readiness for clinical practice.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eObjective\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study aimed to assess the level of readiness for clinical practice among nursing interns and to examine associations between demographic factors and readiness levels.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAn analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in two private nursing colleges in Multan, Pakistan. Using a universal sampling technique, 114 nursing interns were recruited. Data were collected using the Nursing Practice Readiness Scale (NPRS), a validated self-report tool comprising five domains: clinical judgment and nursing performance, professional attitudes, patient-centeredness, self-regulation, and collaborative interpersonal relationships. Content validity of the instrument was established prior to data collection (Content Validity Index: relevance\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.92; clarity\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.87). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22. Descriptive statistics summarized readiness levels, while inferential statistics examined associations between readiness and demographic variables.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eMost participants were female (71.9%) and aged 24\u0026ndash;26 years (60.5%). Overall, 66.7% of nursing interns demonstrated a high level of readiness, while 33.3% showed a moderate level of readiness; none were classified as having low readiness. Domain-specific analysis indicated high readiness in collaborative interpersonal relationships (78.1%), patient-centeredness (76.3%), self-regulation (66.7%), clinical judgment and nursing performance (53.5%), and professional attitudes (43.9%). Low readiness levels were observed in interpersonal relationships and professional attitudes (2.6%), and in patient-centeredness and professional attitudes (1.8%). Statistically significant associations were found between readiness levels and duration of clinical posting (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.010) as well as exposure to paediatric wards (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.036).\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusion\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eNursing interns demonstrated an overall high level of readiness for clinical practice, suggesting adequate preparation for professional roles. However, gaps in specific domains, particularly professional attitudes, indicate the need for targeted educational and clinical support. These findings may help nursing institutions strengthen internship programs and focus on areas requiring improvement.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Nursing Interns’ Readiness for Clinical Practice: A Cross-Sectional Analytical Study in Multan, Pakistan","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-01-27 00:04:31","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8544443/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"294f232d-f22c-445b-a3bc-3d554b080d41","owner":[],"postedDate":"January 27th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-02-25T10:40:24+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-01-27 00:04:31","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8544443","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8544443","identity":"rs-8544443","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}