Lightening the burden for preceptors: consider adding a "Faculty Model" week to orientation

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Management
• Clinical Practice

Background:

• Preceptor roles in nursing are crucial for integrating new staff but can cause significant physical and emotional stress.
• High hospital turnover and expansion exacerbate the challenges faced by preceptors, impacting the quality of new nurse orientation.
• Innovative orientation systems are needed to support preceptors and ensure effective training for newly hired nurses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Faculty Model Pilot Program in supporting preceptors and standardizing new nurse orientation.
• To assess the impact of the pilot program on new medical/surgical nurses' hospital knowledge and patient care standards.
• To determine if the program alleviates the burden on unit-based preceptors.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of the Faculty Model Pilot Program in a large tertiary care hospital.
• Standardized practice week for newly hired medical/surgical nurses as part of the orientation.
• Qualitative and quantitative assessments of preceptor workload and new nurse preparedness (implied).

Main Results:

• The Faculty Model Pilot Program provided support for overworked preceptors.
• Newly hired nurses demonstrated increased knowledge of the hospital and patient care standards.
• The standardized week offered foundational nursing practice knowledge, reducing the burden on unit preceptors.

Conclusions:

• The Faculty Model Pilot Program effectively supports preceptors and enhances new nurse orientation.
• Standardized orientation modules improve new nurses' understanding of hospital systems and patient care.
• This model offers a viable solution to mitigate preceptor burnout and improve the integration of new nursing staff.