Background: A respite program at a southeastern university was developed to provide respite services to local families of children with special needs and to integrate a hands-on clinical experience for nursing students.
Method: To assess the nursing students' perceptions of participating in the respite program experience, a survey was administered to prelicensure nursing students.
Results: Analysis of survey data revealed all participants were satisfied with the respite experience, perceived they will be able to apply knowledge obtained, and acknowledged opportunities to enhance soft skills.