Preceptors matter: an evolving framework

Preceptors teach students within complex, unpredictable, and often chaotic environments. The teaching expertise that preceptors acquire as they guide, facilitate, and evaluate student learning often is overlooked by both academia and service. The purpose of this triangulated research was to create a profile of nurse preceptors and reveal teaching expertise through the interpretation of preceptors' everyday experiences and challenges. The findings of this research are brought forward through the three main understandings of discovering, learning, and engaging. Dissemination occurred through the development of a collaborative Centralized Preceptorship Education Project that included three health regions, seven academic institutions, and professional regulating bodies, as well as the development of a preceptor educational framework, entitled Preceptors Matter. Our intent throughout the research and dissemination process was to legitimize the preceptor role by revealing expertise, connecting conversations, and offering opportunities for extension.