Preparing and supporting novice registered nurse preceptors in the workplace

Abstract

Registered nurses who work on acute medical floors are expected to preceptor a nursing student, regardless of how many years of experience they have. The lack of preceptor experience is problematic because it can impact the student learning experiences during the preceptorship and thus affect the retention rate of nursing students entering practice. To assist the registered nurse preceptor and support them in their new role as a preceptor, novice registered nurse preceptors require educational support tools. This project’s purpose was to develop an evidence-based handbook for novice registered nurse preceptors that provided basic foundational aspects of preceptorship such as a definition of preceptorship, the roles and responsibilities of the preceptor, and how to communicate with the student and the faculty members during the preceptorship. The findings of this project concluded that there is a need for accessible and easy to read educational support tools for novice nurse preceptors.