Beyond preceptorship and supervision: a third clinical teaching model emerges for Australian nursing education

In Australia, there are two established models for teaching in the clinical setting, supervision and preceptorship. Both models are used in the final year unit at the University of Canberra. In 1995, seven clinical supervisors and 34 preceptors responded to a questionnaire about their perceptions of their respective roles. The most significant findings were that (1) clinical supervisors did not feel prepared for their role and felt that the supervision requirements were unreasonable and (2) although preceptors did feel adequately prepared for their role and able to supervise the students assigned, there were times when they felt that the demands of 'work' overtook the learning needs of the student. A review of the contemporary literature in the field of clinical education for undergraduate nursing students revealed a pattern of similar weaknesses in other programs. Compounded by the climate of economic restraint, these weaknesses could evolve into obstacles to effective student learning. A collaborative clinical education model, adapted from North America, is proposed as a third clinical teaching model to overcome the identified difficulties and capitalise on the combined benefits of supervision and preceptorship.