Registered nurses' perceptions of nursing student preceptorship: Content analysis of open-ended survey questions.

Nursing preceptors play a crucial role in supporting and educating clinical students. Understanding the perceptions and needs of nurse preceptors is essential to enhance their role as preceptors and to improve their teaching practices. This study aimed to explore preceptorship in diverse settings and specific contexts. Content analysis was performed to analyze open-ended responses from a questionnaire based on nurses' perceptions of preceptorship with undergraduate nursing students. Data were collected from two university hospitals, with different healthcare provision levels. Of the 370 responses, 295 (96%) were those of women, and 34.5% were in the age group of 41-50 years. Three main themes were identified: (1) the role of preceptorship as a key component in learning, (2) challenges in student preceptorship, and (3) personal recognition and compensation for teaching work. This study highlights the positive experiences and provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by nurse preceptors in their teaching roles, and emphasizes the need for institutional support and educational programs to enhance their teaching responsibilities. Improving communication and collaboration among stakeholders is crucial for improving learning outcomes and satisfaction.

Process Mapping Midwifery Students' Clinical Placement in Sierra Leone: Identifying Facilitators and Barriers.

Background: Improving midwifery education is critical to improving maternal and infant health outcomes in Sierra Leone. A significant priority within midwifery education is to strengthen the clinical teaching and students' hands-on experience in the clinical setting. Objectives: To identify facilitators and challenges within midwifery students' clinical placements and to highlight areas to strengthen the clinical midwifery education system as well as the role of preceptors. Methods: We conducted a participatory process mapping with two schools of midwifery in Sierra Leone to detail steps taken by practicing midwives and midwifery faculty when students are placed in clinical settings for midwifery rotations. Findings: There were 42 participants from the Bo and Makeni regions of Sierra Leone. Participants included midwifery faculty from the Schools of Midwifery in Makeni and Bo, clinical midwives from two regional government hospitals, clinical midwives from two affiliated community health centers, and midwives from the District Health Management Teams. Three recurring themes emerged in the process. First, there was always some element of preparing or teaching the student. Second, there were administrative tasks to coordinate between the schools, clinical sites, and students, before, during, and after clinical placements. And third, there were elements of communication and collaboration between schools and clinical sites/preceptors that could be improved through shared understanding and standardization. Additional themes were inconsistencies across activities before, during, and after students' clinical placement and limited opportunities and confusion around systems of evaluating all components of the clinical placement experience. Conclusions: This study provides insight into the process of midwifery students' clinical placement and highlights facilitators to be standardized and some modifiable barriers to be addressed. As Sierra Leone and many other similar countries in sub-Saharan Africa attempt to strengthen students' clinical education through educating and developing preceptors, processing mapping can be a useful tool.

An academic-health department partnership to expand adolescent access to care and FNP student clinical experiences.

More than 90,000 qualified applicants were rejected from nursing schools in 2021 due in part to the national shortage of nurse practitioner (NP) preceptors and clinical placements. One model that has the potential to address this shortage by enhancing and expanding NP clinical training sites is the academic-practice partnership. In this article, the authors describe the development of a novel academic-practice partnership between a college of nursing and a health department and report the outcomes of a partnership activity that provided wellness visits for adolescents. Through this partnership, the graduate nursing program increased adolescent-focused clinical experiences for family nurse practitioner students by 87.6 h; added one adolescent clinical site for nine NP students; and delivered a total of 34 school and sports physicals, 81 immunizations, and 65 screening tests for adolescent-aged clients. Through this feasible, mutually beneficial, and innovative academic-practice partnership, the graduate nursing program and health department successfully expanded clinical placement experiences for NP students and improved access to wellness care for adolescents. The partnership model can be utilized to not only expand clinical opportunities for NP students but also improve access to care and health outcomes for our local communities.

Highlighting the Benefits of the Clinical Education Resource Nurse for New Graduate Nurses.

Nurse residency programs provide a valuable transition to practice environment for graduate nurses. The Clinical Education Resource Nurse (CERN) role offers continued clinical assistance to graduate nurses who have completed orientation with a preceptor during the 1st year of practice including education and continued clinical oversight when needed. This column defines the role of CERN and provides a description of the clinical application and support provided.

Abertura do Curso de Especialização em Preceptoria no SUS

How early clinical experiences in rural communities influence student learning about rural generalism considered through the lens of educational theory.

Introduction: Rural communities have poorer health compared to urban populations due partly to having lesser healthcare access. Rural placements during medical education can equip students with the knowledge and skills to work in rural communities, and, it is hoped, increase the supply of rural physicians. It is unclear how students gain knowledge of rural generalism during placements, and how this can be understood in terms of place-based and/or sociocultural educational theories. To gain insight into these questions we considered the experiences of pre-clerkship medical students who completed two mandatory four-week rural placements during their second year of medical school. Methods: Data was collected using semi-structured interviews or focus groups, followed by thematic analysis of the interview transcripts. Results: Rural placements allowed students to learn about rural generalism such as breadth of practice, and boundary issues. This occurred mainly by students interacting with rural physician faculty, with the effectiveness of precepting being key to students acquiring knowledge and skills and reporting a positive regard for the placement experience. Discussion: Our data show the central role of generalist physician preceptors in how and what students learn while participating in rural placements. Sociocultural learning theory best explains student learning, while place-based education theory helps inform the curriculum. Effective training and preparation of preceptors is likely key to positive student placement experiences.

Introduction: Les communautés rurales sont en moins bonne santé que les populations urbaines, en partie parce qu'elles ont moins accès aux soins de santé. Les stages de médecine en milieu rural peuvent permettre aux étudiants d'acquérir les connaissances et les compétences nécessaires pour travailler dans les communautés rurales et, on l'espère, augmenter le nombre de médecins y travaillent. On ne sait pas clairement comment les étudiants acquièrent des connaissances sur le généralisme rural au cours de leurs stages, et comment cela peut être compris en termes de théories éducatives socioculturelles et/ou basées sur le lieu de travail. Pour répondre à ces questions, nous avons étudié les expériences d'étudiants en médecine au pré-clinique qui ont effectué deux stages obligatoires de quatre semaines en milieu rural au cours de leur deuxième année d'études de médecine. Méthodes: Les données ont été recueillies au moyen d'entrevues semi-structurées ou de groupes de discussion, suivis d'une analyse thématique des transcriptions des entrevues. Résultats: Les stages en milieu rural ont permis aux étudiants de se familiariser avec le généralisme rural, notamment l'étendue de la pratique et les questions de limites. L'efficacité du préceptorat est essentielle pour que les étudiants acquièrent des connaissances et des compétences et qu'ils aient une expérience de stage positive. Discussion: Nos données témoignent du rôle central que jouent les médecins généralistes précepteurs quant au contenu et modes d'apprentissage des étudiants lorsqu'ils participent à des stages en milieu rural. La théorie de l'apprentissage socioculturel est celle qui explique le mieux l'apprentissage des étudiants, tandis que la théorie de la formation fondée sur le lieu contribue à orienter le programme d'études. Une formation et préparation efficace des précepteurs est probablement la clé d'une expérience de stage positive pour les étudiants.

Communities of reflection in nurse education programs: A qualitative multi-methods study.

BACKGROUND: Nursing students often face challenges reconciling theoretical concepts with clinical realities. This study examines a novel concept 'Communities of Reflection' designed and tested to enhance coherency between theory and practice. The concept involves reflection groups comprising students, preceptors, and faculty during clinical placements. AIM: To examine the meaning of 'Communities of Reflection' regarding the coherency between theory and practice as perceived by the involved participants. METHOD: A qualitative multi-methods approach involved nursing students, preceptors, and faculty members who participated in 'Communities of Reflection.' Data collection methods included interviews, focus groups, written reflections, and observations. FINDINGS: The content analysis revealed that 'Communities of Reflection' facilitate a shared engagement in nursing, fostering a deeper level of reflection. Creating a safe space and embracing vulnerability are key aspects of this shared engagement. CONCLUSION: 'Communities of Reflection' offer a valuable framework for promoting coherency between theory and practice. It appears to be crucial to students' outcomes that a well-established, equitable theory-practice partnership is the solid foundation, acknowledging that emotions can serve as a catalyst for the development of professional expertise.

The role, the risk, and the reciprocity: creating positive early rural placements in medical education.

INTRODUCTION: The Northern Ontario School of Medicine University seeks to address rural physician shortages in Northern Ontario. One key strategy the school employs is the use of experiential learning placements embedded throughout its undergraduate curriculum. In second year, students embark on two 4-week placements in rural and remote communities. This study sought to explore the factors that contribute to a positive learning experience from the preceptor's perspective. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five community preceptors who have participated in these placements. Using the information from these interviews a survey was created and sent to another 15 preceptors. Data were analyzed using qualitative methods and frequencies. RESULTS: Three key themes were identified from both the interviews and survey data: the role of early rural and remote placements; the risks of these placements; and the need for a reciprocal relationship between institutions, preceptors, and students to create a positive learning environment. CONCLUSION: Preceptors value the opportunity to teach students, but the aims of these placements are not clear and preceptors and local hospitals need more workforce resources to make these experiences positive.

Adapting and applying student-centered learning in a perfusion clinical rotation.

While the process of teaching student perfusionists has been in development since the 1950s, the publication of the processes to improve perfusion clinical education has been largely lacking. Publications regarding education from other allied health and medical fields have shown the value of student-centered learning. The use of reflective practice to move perfusion students from thinking about actions after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) to reflecting and reacting on actions during CPB is better encouraged by moving from a teacher-centered to a student-centered clinical model. Our institution's teaching process has developed into a multi-point procedure to make our students into reflective practicing clinicians. Student preceptor evaluations were reversed to allow the students to evaluate themselves first, with feedback from the preceptor given subsequently. Additionally, a biweekly student educational session, where the student chooses a topic and reviews current evidence-based practice, was instituted. The clinical program director serves as the moderator and clinical expert to facilitate problem-based learning during the sessions. Students were also given three skill/experience levels with goals to reach and move through during the rotation. These student levels were also helpful to our preceptors in knowing what each student's skill level was throughout their rotation. Overall, moving from a teacher-centered to a student-centered clinical rotation has helped make students familiar with reflective practice, self-evaluation, evidence-based practice, and problem-based learning. The incorporation of these processes will hopefully lead students to become lifelong reflective perfusionists.

Supporting the Nurse Preceptor Role: Implementing the R2C2 Feedback Model.

Nurse preceptors are key to the successful transition of graduate nurses to practice and experienced nurses to a new organization. Providing ongoing preceptor development is essential to support nurses in this vital role. The evidence-based R2C2 (relationship, reaction, content, coach) feedback and coaching model was implemented to facilitate the delivery of constructive feedback from nurse preceptors to their orientees. Post-intervention survey results suggest an overall positive response to the use of the feedback model in practice.

Midwives views about preceptorship and peer-learning in a birth unit: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Practical training in a birthing unit is an important part of midwifery education. Previous research on the preceptor role predominantly consists of qualitative interview studies and have not explored pedagogical models like peer learning. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to quantitatively describe midwives' experiences, conditions, and needs in their role as preceptors in a birthing unit, as well as their attitudes towards and experiences of peer-learning. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study, using a web-survey. SETTINGS: The survey was distributed to all midwives working in a birthing unit in Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 573 valid responses were obtained. METHODS: A questionnaire consisting of 22 questions, which included background questions, questions to be answered on a four-point Likert scale, and open-ended questions, was sent out from November 2022 to March 2023. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square, and Mann Whitney U test analyses. The open-ended responses were analysed using quantitative content analysis. RESULTS: Midwives with ≤10 years of experience were more hesitant about taking on the preceptor role. They also described a lack of support and found it more challenging to integrate supervision into their working hours than midwives with >10 years of experience. Time for supervision and time for reflection with midwifery students were identified as areas that could improve the quality of supervision. Of the respondents, 42.8 % had experience of peer learning. "Students learn from each other" was identified as the most common advantage of peer learning. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term experience as a midwife plays a crucial role in how midwives perceive their role as a preceptor and the conditions they experience. The midwives in this study had started supervising students earlier than they deemed advantageous. As the preceptor plays a critical role in the midwifery student's learning process, it is important to have experienced preceptors.

Are pediatric practicum experiences a beneficial component of registered nurse education programs? Nursing students and new graduates weigh in: A qualitative descriptive research study.

BACKGROUND: In Canada, the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives requires baccalaureate registered nurse education programs to deliver a generalist curriculum meeting entry-level competencies. To fulfill this requirement, nursing programs ensure the provision of practice opportunities for hands-on experience with patients of all ages through practicum. Current literature suggests the limited availability of clinical placement opportunities in pediatric settings. This may reduce the opportunity for nursing students to become acquainted with the unique needs of infants, children, and adolescents as part of their nursing education. AIM: This study aimed to explore students' and new graduates' experiences of acute and community pediatric clinical practicum as part of their British Columbia nursing education program. SETTINGS, PARTICIPANTS, AND METHODS: This study utilized a qualitative descriptive approach. Fifteen online semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirteen undergraduate nursing students and two recent graduates. Participants in this study were distributed across the province of British Columbia, representing the North, the Interior, and the Lower Mainland. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The key themes of relational practice and exposure to lived experiences (and their related subthemes) are explored in detail. Both themes encapsulate the importance that nursing students ascribe to the pediatric practicum experience as part of their nursing education. CONCLUSION: The result of this study deduced that the pediatric practicum experience provided nursing students with learning opportunities they may not get elsewhere such as: building relationships with children, adolescents, and their families within the context of care and developing awareness of the lived experiences of health and illness with each patient encounters. This unique perspective of nursing students may prove valuable for the planning and delivery of clinical learning in nursing education programs.

The Intersection of Growth Mindset and Accreditation in Pharmacy Education.

OBJECTIVES: To describe existing growth mindset literature within pharmacy and health care education, describe how a growth mindset can be beneficial in the accreditation process, and propose potential ways to promote a growth mindset in faculty, preceptors, students, and staff within pharmacy education. FINDINGS: To help pharmacy learners develop a growth mindset, existing literature emphasizes the need for a shift toward and aligning assessment with a growth mindset, helping to create self-directed adaptive learners, leading to health care providers who can adjust their practice to tackle expected and unexpected challenges throughout their careers. Strategies to create a culture of growth mindset identified include training faculty and learners on growth mindset and developing new assessments that track a learner's growth. Recommendations for pharmacy educators include encouraging educators to assess their own growth mindset and use a variety of teaching methods and provide feedback on learner effort that encourages the process of learning rather than focusing on individual attributes, traits, and results. SUMMARY: Growth mindset intersects with accreditation standards for both professional degree programs and providers of continuing pharmacy education. Continuing professional development process is one way to encourage faculty, staff, and students to develop a growth mindset. While a growth mindset can have many positive impacts on pharmacy accreditation, it is essential to recognize that achieving and maintaining accreditation is a multifaceted process involving numerous factors. A growth mindset can positively influence pharmacy education accreditation by fostering a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, resilience, student-centeredness, data-driven decision-making, collaboration, and effective leadership.

A Cycle of Reinforcing Challenges and Ideas for Action in Experiential Settings.

Evidence suggests that both pharmacy students and preceptors are struggling in the experiential setting. Underlying this phenomenon is a potential interconnected and cyclic set of behaviors being reinforced between students and preceptors. These behaviors can contribute to or are the result of higher levels of burnout and a decrease in the development of student clinical skills and subsequent performance on rotation. In this review, the authors investigate various challenges commonly encountered in the experiential environment. These challenges can range from an observed decrease in student engagement, motivation, and critical thinking skills to an increase in preceptor burnout and culture shifts in the clinical practice environments. These factors all ultimately impact patient care and overall student performance. For each challenge identified, strategies will be presented that can be implemented by students, preceptors, and pharmacy programs to break the cyclic pattern identified.

How Should We Answer the Preceptor Invitation?

When asked to serve as a preceptor, it is not uncommon to wonder: What should I consider when trying to decide if this is the right time for me to be a preceptor? How can it benefit me and my future career? Should I do it? These are some of the questions we are going to answer.

What does the literature say about preceptorship and mentorship in radiography: A scoping review of the current research and identified knowledge gaps.

OBJECTIVES: Effective transition into radiography practice for newly qualified radiographers (NQR's), radiographers returning to practice after career breaks, and internationally trained radiographers requires support inclusive of preceptorship and mentorship. The purpose of this scoping review is to evaluate the literature pertaining to preceptorship and mentorship support in radiography to identify knowledge gaps. This is timely in view of the health and care professions council (HCPC) recently published preceptorship guidance. KEY FINDINGS: A scoping review methodology underpinned by Arksey and O'Malley framework was undertaken, which employed a systematic search using combined keywords and Medical Subject Heading terms (MeSH) related to preceptorship and mentorship, of electronic databases: CINAHL, Pubmed, Embase, Scopus and Google scholar. A predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to screen by three independent reviewers, the titles, abstract and full text of articles using Covidence software (www.covidence.org). 10 articles in the English language were selected for the final review. 1574 articles were retrieved and assessed for eligibility, and 10 articles published between 2006 and 2022 met the inclusion criteria. Most of the research was conducted in the United Kingdom and only one study was published in Australia. The studies mainly focused on experiences of NQR, and experienced radiographers' perspectives on preceptorship and mentorship in diagnostic and radiotherapy radiography. It was established from the studies that there is variation in approaches to the transition process in terms of types of programmes, duration, and quality. Self-reported increase in confidence and competence was noted as a central objective, and barriers to implementation were identified to include lack of awareness and accessibility to available programmes, lack of clarity on aims and intended benefits, and lack of employer support pertaining to protected time. CONCLUSION: The paucity of research renders current preceptorship and mentorship practices in radiography inadequate for effective transition of different radiography groups into their role. Further research is required to evaluate the models of preceptorship and mentorship, their impact and intended outcomes on radiography practice. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The identification of knowledge gaps in this area can support employers and researchers in the development of effective models of preceptorships and mentorship which can be evaluated for implementation for specific radiography groups.

Stressed and Short: Creating a Balanced and Innovative Preceptor Model in a Medical Intensive Care Unit.

An innovative preceptor model (IPM) was developed to transition newly graduate nurses (NGNs) to practice. The imbalanced number of experienced nurses to NGNs during COVID-19 demonstrated a need for an "out-of-the-box" solution, one preceptor to two nurse residents, in the medical intensive care unit. The IPM was evaluated through surveys, postclinical immersion debriefs, and feedback sessions with the preceptors and NGNs. The IPM helped preceptors guide NGNs in their journey to independent practice.