title: A critical care bridging program to prepare fourth-year baccalaureate students for specialty practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The preparation, recruitment and retention of qualified critical care nurses represents a major challenge in this era of health human resource constraints.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the impact of a critical care bridging program (CCBP) on students' confidence (self-efficacy) to care for critically ill patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A convenience sample of students and their preceptors was used in this pilot study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Student and preceptor mean self-efficacy scores showed improvement following the CCBP. Preceptors reported significant improvement in students' confidence in all subscales except self-development.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Innovative educational approaches for the preparation of new graduates to critical care environments are needed.
authors.affiliation: Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London.
authors.forename: Mary Lou
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Mina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Harris