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Nurse preceptors and newly hired staff should be supported in their nursing roles. In this study, nurse preceptors who had preceptor education felt more prepared for their roles, had fewer challenges in carrying out preceptor responsibilities, and showed commitment to their professional development, especially when benefits and support were available.
Use of a nurse preceptor is an essential component of orienting a newly hired nurse to a clinical area (Ciocco, 2016). Nurse preceptor has been defined as an experienced, resourceful nurse who facilitates and evaluates learning and assists in critical thinking and development of nursing skills while fostering independence and socialization of the newly hired nurse (Lippincott Solutions, 2017; Squillaci, 2015). A nurse preceptor is chosen to train and educate another nurse in an area of expertise, a role that involves a great deal of responsibility and accountability. While this role is seen to be essential, research has found nurse preceptors may be prepared inadequately (Mitchell, Ridgeway, & Sheeran, 2018).
The dual role of being nurse and preceptor can be seen as a tremendous challenge (Wu, Chan, Tan, & Wang, 2018). To address this, each preceptor should be provided some form of formal preceptor education. A nurse preceptor program educates the preceptor on potential strategies that can be used to improve clinical experiences. Preceptor programs positively impact nurse preceptors, helping them feel knowledgeable about their role and providing educational support and strategies to help them effectively educate newly hired nurses (Chatzipoulios, Flowers, & Nash, 2018). Formal preceptor education can lessen these challenges, as the preceptor receives support and guidance for the role.
Offering educational nurse preceptor programs can have positive impact on the nurse preceptor role (American Association of CriticalCare Nurses, 2014; Blum, 2014; Wu et al., 2018). The turnover cost of up to $58,400 per nurse may justify an investment in preceptor training (Piccinini, Hudlun, Branam, & Moore, 2018). Preceptor programs have shown a positive return on investment while improving nurse attrition, satisfaction, and performance (Painter, 2017).
Preceptor educational sessions may be traditional classes (e.g., faceto-face for 8-16 hours), a workshop (e.g., 1-3 days), and/or e-learning online modules. However, single workshops and classes may not provide competent education for preceptors. Continual support, education, and application are necessary. Main content areas in program curricula...