A collaborative model for evaluation of clinical preceptorships

Nurses engaged in practice, recruitment, and staff development were asked to evaluate an educational clinical preceptorship jointly developed by nurse managers and nurse educators. An open-ended six-item questionnaire and a guided telephone interview were used to gather evaluative data. Nursing service respondents valued the precepted clinical experience, not only for the students but for the professional development of the staff participants. The educational clinical preceptorship provided the opportunity for collaboration and the development of collegial relationships between academia and service. An evaluation model evolved that emphasizes the importance of feedback from all participants.