Preceptors' perceptions of clinical nursing education

The behavior of clinical preceptors plays a key role in the learning process of students. This study explored preceptors' perceptions of the clinical teaching-learning process of final-year undergraduate nursing students. After ethical permission was obtained, a 30-item questionnaire was administered to 76 preceptors at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital in 2011. Most preceptors had more than 10 years of experience. The majority (87%) of preceptors rated students' response to constructive feedback positively, and 75% evaluated students' professional behaviors and communication positively. Several factors were identified as interfering with preceptorship, including lack of protected time and heavy workload of preceptors, poor correlation of theory and practice, and lack of interest in direct patient care by students. Most preceptors identified factors that facilitate preceptorship as students' commitment to direct patient care and consistent shift duty with the assigned preceptor during the entire clinical rotation. These results may help faculty appreciate preceptors' views and acknowledge areas of success, as well as areas that need improvement.