Abstract

Introduction: Different problems might lead to reduction in the efficiency of nursing students' apprenticeship education and solving those problems. Aim: This study was conducted to determine nursing internship problems from the perspective of trainers and students. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 20 trainers and 43 senior students of nursing were selected using census method. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data. Total internal consistency (a) of the questionnaire was 0.88 and had proper convergent validity. SPSS was used to analyse data with applying descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: More than 50 considered their course relatively weak or weak in helping intern nurses to acquire comprehensive view of the nursing profession that takes a social perspective into account, skills required for the processes of nursing and instructing patients. Problems such as insufficient access to welfare and educational facilities, lack of co-operation among clinical team and scattering of internship sessions during a course were mentioned by nurses and their trainers. They believed that changes must take place in the way internship courses are carried out. Conclusion: Although the internship courses seem to achieve their aim of improving students' skills and independence in providing different nursing services to students and their trainers generally have a positive attitude towards such courses, there are still problems in effective exercise of the training.