Barriers to Preceptor Placement for Nurse Practitioner Students

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Policy
• Primary Care

Background:

• The primary care provider shortage necessitates expanding the role of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs).
• Effective clinical education, particularly preceptor placements, is essential for APRN training but faces significant challenges.
• Existing research on preceptor placement issues for APRNs is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a case study of a quality improvement project focused on APRN student preceptor placements.
• To identify and delineate barriers encountered in securing clinical preceptor placements for APRN students.
• To propose solutions and suggest areas for further research to overcome these placement challenges.

Main Methods:

• A case study approach was utilized.
• The study describes the experiences of a Clinical Preceptor Placement Coordinator at a small Midwestern university.
• Barriers to preceptor placement were identified through practical experience.

Main Results:

• Several barriers to securing preceptor placements for APRN students were identified.
• The case study highlights the practical difficulties faced by coordinators.
• The need for systematic approaches to preceptor placement was underscored.

Conclusions:

• Addressing preceptor placement barriers is vital for training sufficient APRNs to meet healthcare needs.
• Systematic strategies and further research are required to improve the preceptor placement process.
• Successful APRN education is key to mitigating the primary care provider shortage.