The Value of a Nurse Preceptors

• A nursing preceptor creates an environment conducive to learning and determines appropriate patient care assignments. 
• Nurse preceptors hold an extremely important position as many times the type of preceptorship received ultimately affects the type of nurse that is developed from these experiences. 
• Nursing preceptors bridge the gap between the classroom and the clinical area and serve as a professional role model to nursing students and new graduates. 

Nursing preceptors serve an integral part of a nurse’s career as they assist in shaping both nursing students and new graduates as these individuals experience true-life medical events in various nursing environments.  A nursing preceptor creates an environment conducive to learning and determines appropriate patient care assignments.   

In today’s healthcare industry, the need for strong nursing preceptors is necessary and more important than ever before.   

The nurse preceptor has a tremendous task of effectively mentoring nursing students and new graduates for these individuals to be successful, independent, flexible, and adaptable to the various medical situations.   

The following are important to consider when contemplating becoming a nurse preceptor:  

• What are the responsibilities/roles of a nurse preceptor?  
• What are the qualifications of becoming an effective nurse preceptor?
• What are the benefits of becoming a nurse preceptor? 

Roles and Responsibilities of a Nurse Preceptor

Nursing preceptors bridge the gap between the classroom and the clinical area and serve as a professional role model to nursing students and new graduates.   

One of the greatest responsibilities of a nurse preceptor is the environment created that becomes conducive to learning, achieving goals, and managing outcomes for the students and/or nurses that are being guided by the nurse preceptor.   

Another important responsibility of a nurse preceptor includes possessing knowledge of the clinical area and the patient population which serves as a guide for the students/nurses to select goals and outcomes that are both relevant and attainable.  

Communication is a vital element between a nurse preceptor and the student/nurse since it is the responsibility of the preceptor to provide honest, timely, efficient, and respectful feedback regardless of if it is positive or negative.   

Both positive and negative feedback are important for the student/nurse to learn from mistakes and nursing experiences, which ultimately assists in shaping a well-rounded and effective student/nurse.  

A nurse preceptor is also responsible for overseeing and managing clinical assignments for students/nurses and remains fully aware of situations that may warrant more direct supervision on more difficult nursing actions.

Qualifications of a Nurse Preceptor

As a nurse preceptor, one must be a licensed registered nurse (RN) with either a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree with experience in the clinical setting.  Different hospitals and universities may have different criteria to make one eligible for being a nursing preceptor. 

The following are some other important qualifications to possess as an effective preceptor: 

• Demonstrate broad knowledge of various nursing conditions 
• Answer learner’s questions precisely and clearly 
• Explain the basis for actions and decisions 
• Connect information to broader concepts 
• Be open to conflicting opinions and ideas 
• Capture the learner’s attention 
• Communicate clear expectations and goals 
• Make learning fun 
• Accurately assess the learner’s knowledge and skills 
• Uses direct observation of the learner 
• Perform fair and detailed evaluations 
• Provide effective feedback (both positive and negative)  
• Use direct observation of the learner 
• Provide effective role modeling 
• Demonstrate skillful interactions with patients 
• Present information with clarity and organization 
• Generate interest in the subject matter 
• Balance clinical and teaching responsibilities 
• Administer appropriate responsibility to the learner 
• Emphasize problem-solving in all scenarios  
• Promote active involvement of the learner 
• Demonstrate enjoyment and enthusiasm for patient care and teaching 
• Develop a strong and supportive relationship with the learner  

Benefits of Becoming a Nurse Preceptor

There are numerous benefits to becoming a nurse preceptor and it is up to each individual to decide if the benefits of becoming a nurse preceptor are important goals and desires that one may want to achieve.   

The following are noted to be some of the top benefits of becoming a nurse preceptor and are important to consider when deciding on the pros/cons of serving as a nurse preceptor.   

• Influence practice areas 
• Gain personal development and self-fulfillment 
• Increase job satisfaction 
• Opportunity to teach and share skills and knowledge 
• Develop teaching skills 
• Develop interpersonal skills 
• Develop leadership skills 
• Enhance clinical skills 
• Opportunity for life-long learning 
• Opportunity for growth in nursing profession 
• Opportunity for professional development 

The above areas signify the benefits of becoming an effective nurse preceptor and it is important to note that these benefits can be further broken down and analyzed as affective benefits, cognitive benefits, and tangible benefits.   

The affective benefits include enjoyment, feeling useful, revitalized for work, enhanced self-esteem and confidence, a great sense of accomplishment by helping to shape the next generation of nursing professionals, and increased interaction and identification with other preceptors and educational organizations.   

The cognitive benefits include learning from students/graduates, fulfillment of one’s own developmental needs, and exposure to new and unique thinking styles, knowledge, and varying perspectives.   

There are also tangible benefits associated with becoming a nurse preceptor and these involve recognition and rewards.  Many nurse preceptors do not perform the task for the recognition but rather have a strong desire for assisting students/graduates to learn effectively on how to excel as a nurse.

The Bottom Line

Choosing to become a nurse preceptor can be a highly motivating and self-satisfactory position for many nurses that have the desire to assist others as they begin their journey as a new nurse.  Nurse preceptors hold an extremely important position as many times the type of preceptorship received ultimately affects the type of nurse that is developed from these experiences.   

If a preceptorship is negative, the student/nurse does not have all the skills/training needed and the ultimate desire to become an excellent nurse as do those that have experienced an organized, professional, and interpersonal preceptorship.  The impact of a nurse preceptor carries much weight in both positive and negative ways for the students/nurses.  

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