| Summary: | Context: An important subject for nurse educators both nationally and internationally is reducing the gap between the limited teaching time and unlimited content, and one approach to reducing the theory–practice gap is internship programs which provide support and mentorship to nursing interns in order to increase competence and satisfaction. Aims: This study aimed to assess different internship clinical training programs provided by the College of Nursing, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and to test the effect of these two internship models on students' perceptions of competency enhancement and satisfaction. Settings and Design: This study followed an exploratory comparative design at the College of Nursing, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Subjects and Methods: A convenience sample of 64 nurses was included. Data collection included the validated Nurse Competence Scale and Interns Satisfaction questionnaire. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics included mean, standard deviation, frequencies, and percentages, and inferential statistics such as independent t-test and Chi-square were carried out using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software. Results: No statistically significant differences (P = 0.38) were noted between the two groups of nurse interns. The average overall perceived self-rated competence was 84.82 ± 9.34 with 75.47 frequency of use of competencies. The most highly rated subscale of competency was a work role (mean competence level of 87.86 and frequency of use of 78.67%). Conclusions: This study highlighted no significant differences between the two internship models and the mean satisfaction score for nurse interns from the new training model group was higher compared to those from the traditional model group. However, it is important to note that internship programs have brought about significant changes within nursing worldwide and more specifically within Saudi Arabia.
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