The effect of a preceptorship on nursing performance

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine the effectiveness of a preceptorship program in increasing the nursing performance of the new graduate. Before and immediately after participating in a 5-week preceptorship the students completed a background data sheet and Schwirian's Six Dimension Scale of Nursing Performance questionnaire. The findings indicated that in all areas measuring frequency of experiences, the students perceived themselves as having performed nursing activities more frequently as a result of the preceptorship. There were no significant changes in the students' perception of their previous preparation. They were equally satisfied about their academic background before and after the preceptorship. Only one nursing indicator, teaching/collaboration, measured a decrease in the quality of performance. All other indicators showed that, from the students point of view, there was an increase in the quality of their nursing performance. The positive trend of the results indicates to the investigators that there was an increase in the effectiveness of the students nursing performance following the preceptorship experience.