Developing a cost-effective clinical preceptorship program

We began to explore the development of a Preceptor Program for orientation in order to provide an improved orientation program and to better use the resources available to us for orientation purposes. By creating a Task Force with varied representation, we were able to design a program that is applicable to all nursing units and which allows each unit to tailor orientation to its specific needs. The Preceptor Program has proven to enhance our ability to provide the new staff nurse with a personalized orientation that is both thorough and consistent, while providing existing staff nurses with an opportunity to enhance their professional practice. The improved quality of orientation coupled with significant cost savings has been particularly dramatic in our intensive care units. Though we remain committed to the concept of a Preceptor Program for orientation on all nursing units, we need additional data so that a decision can be made on valid criteria. It is our hope that the extension of our pilot program during 1987 will provide us with the opportunity to fully measure costs and benefits, so that we can move to a house-wide program. In addition to the benefits we originally anticipated, we now believe that a Preceptor Program will be a significant recruitment tool. During the interview process, nurse applicants frequently inquire about the availability of such a program and have been very favorably impressed when we have been able to offer them this approach to orientation. With a projected nationwide nursing shortage and expected increase in staff nurse turnover rates, we believe that a Preceptor Program will become a significant tool for both recruitment and retention of staff nurses.