title: The influence of undergraduate education on professional practice transition: a comparative descriptive study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Graduates from Problem/Context Based Learning (CBL) undergraduate nursing programs often express concern that they may not be as well prepared for transition to graduate nursing practice as their colleagues from more traditional lecture-based programs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine if there is a difference in how graduates from CBL and non-CBL programs describe their transition to graduate practice within the first 2 years of graduation.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a comparative descriptive study that involved the use of a web-based survey. A convenience sample of 163 graduate nurses with 1 to 2 years of experience consented to be part of the study. They completed a researcher-designed questionnaire, which consisted of 26 items based on entry to practice competencies identified by the provincial professional nursing organization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference in the transition experience of graduates from CBL and traditional education programs within their first 2 years following graduation. These results confirm the findings of authors who compared transition among CBL and non-CBL graduates who had graduated anywhere from six months to several years following graduation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is clear that CBL programs do prepare graduates to successfully transition into graduate nurse practice. Graduates from both CBL and non-CBL programs indicated a need for more formal agency sponsored orientation and transition assistance programs at the beginning of their initial employment.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, 4-213 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, University of Alberta, 11405 87 Ave, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6C 1C9. Electronic address: beverly.williams@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Bev
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Nursing Education and Health Studies, Grand Prairie Regional College, 10726 106 Ave, Grand Prairie, AB, Canada T8V 4C4. Electronic address: lrichard@GPRC.ab.ca.
authors.forename: Liz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, 2-040 Li Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB Canada. Electronic address: falsayah@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Fatima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Al Sayah
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000592:standards*; D004511:Education, Nursing, Graduate; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009726:Nurses; D018794:Problem-Based Learning; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Nursing; Professional practice; Transition; Undergraduate education