Building relationships: the key to preceptoring nursing students

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Clinical Supervision
• Healthcare Professional Development

Background:

• Preceptorship provides essential support for student nurses in clinical settings.
• Registered nurse preceptors guide and role-model for students, but face challenges impacting their effectiveness.
• Understanding preceptor experiences is vital for optimizing this support role.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the experiences of registered nurse preceptors.
• To identify factors influencing the effectiveness of the preceptor role.
• To enhance the quality of student nurse clinical placements.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative descriptive study design was employed.
• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five registered nurse preceptors.
• Data analysis followed a step-by-step process informed by Burnard (1991).

Main Results:

• A key finding was the critical importance of establishing a professional working relationship between preceptor and student.
• This relationship enables accurate assessment of student knowledge and skill progression.
• Consistent rostering of students with a single preceptor fosters cohesive relationships and positive outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Developing a strong professional bond is fundamental to effective preceptorship.
• Consistent preceptor assignment optimizes the learning environment for student nurses.
• This approach leads to more positive and effective clinical placements for both students and preceptors.