Preceptorship and practical wisdom: A process of engaging in authentic nursing practice

Preceptorship is a teaching/learning approach, in which learners are individually assigned to staff nurses in the practice setting. Practical wisdom is a discerning process of evaluating and applying ideals or principles often in a moral context. The nurse who is practically wise recognizes that actions are always constrained to some extent by chance or context and yet precisely under such circumstances, acts to preserve and enhance the wellbeing of the patient. The purpose of this study was to examine the process used in the preceptorship experience to nurture practical wisdom. A grounded theory study was conducted with fourth year undergraduate nursing students and their preceptors in an acute/tertiary care setting. Data collection comprised a series of semi-structured interviews, documentation of field notes and journaling. Findings reveal that preceptors who nurture practical wisdom in the practice setting do so by engaging in a process of authentic nursing practice.