Evaluation of stakeholder perceptions of a nursing internship program using the CIPP framework: identifying strengths, weaknesses, and perception gaps between students and instructors

Clinical internship programs are an essential bridge between theoretical knowledge and clinical practice. Systematic evaluation using validated frameworks identifies strengths, weaknesses, and improvement areas. However, limited research has specifically evaluated nursing internship programs within Iranian private university contexts, and no study has systematically compared student–instructor perception gaps across all four CIPP domains simultaneously. This study aimed to evaluate stakeholder perceptions of the nursing internship program at Shahrekord Azad University using the CIPP framework. This cross-sectional study included all nursing interns ( n = 143) and instructors ( n = 8) via census sampling. A 55-item CIPP-based questionnaire (Context, Input, Process, Product) was used. Normality was tested (Kolmogorov–Smirnov), variances assessed (Levene’s test), and Mann–Whitney U tests conducted as sensitivity analysis for the small instructor sample. Independent t-tests, Pearson correlations, and Bonferroni correction ( p < 0.0009 for 55 comparisons) were applied. Students rated all domains higher than instructors. The mean scores for students were 85.82, 41.86, 61.08, and 61.63 for Context, Input, Process, and Product domains, respectively. The mean scores for instructors were 33.25, 18.51, 27.63, and 32.63 for Context, Input, Process, and Product domains, respectively. Significant differences between students and instructors were found in all four domains: Context ( p = 0.019), Input ( p = 0.021), Process ( p = 0.009), and Product ( p = 0.034). Students showed significant inter-domain correlations ( r = 0.74–0.84, p < 0.01). Key strengths included student-instructor communication; major weaknesses were insufficient equipment and weak supervision. The program shows strengths in planning and communication but needs improvements in resources and supervision. A significant perception gap exists between students and instructors across all CIPP domains. The CIPP framework effectively identified actionable targets. Future research should use longitudinal, multi-institutional designs with objective competency measures. Findings provide guidance for resource allocation, supervision protocols, and stakeholder communication.