Regulation and Accreditation Requirements for Preceptor Use in Undergraduate Education
Authors: Lewallen Lynne Porter , DeBrew Jacqueline Kayler , Stump Maria Rivera 
Published: August 2014

How to Obtain Contact Hours by Reading this Issue

Instructions: 1.1
contact hours will be awarded by Villanova University College of Nursing upon successful completion of this activity. A contact hour is a unit of measurement that denotes 60 minutes of an organized learning activity. This is a learner-based activity. Villanova University College of Nursing does not require submission of your answers to the quiz.

A contact hour certificate will be awarded once you register, pay the registration fee, and complete the evaluation form online at
https://villanova.gosignmeup.com/dev_students.asp?action=browse&main=Nursing+Journals&misc=564
.

In order to obtain contact hours you must:

1.
Read the article, “Regulation and Accreditation Requirements for Preceptor Use in Undergraduate Education,” found on pages 386–390, carefully noting any tables and other illustrative materials that are included to enhance your knowledge and understanding of the content. Be sure to keep track of the amount of time (number of minutes) you spend reading the article and completing the quiz.

2.
Read and answer each question on the quiz. After completing all of the questions, compare your answers to those provided within this issue. If you have incorrect answers, return to the article for further study.

3.
Go to the Villanova website to register for contact hour credit. You will be asked to provide your name, contact information, and a VISA, MasterCard, or Discover card number for payment of the $20.00 fee. Once you complete the online evaluation, a certificate will be automatically generated.

This activity is valid for continuing education credit until
August 31, 2016.

Contact Hours
This activity is co-provided by Villanova University College of Nursing and SLACK Incorporated.
Villanova University College of Nursing is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Objectives

Identify issues related to the use of preceptors in prelicensure nursing education.

Describe the regulatory and accreditation standards of Boards of Nursing and national accrediting bodies to enhance the use of preceptors in undergraduate nursing education.

Disclosure Statement
Neither the planners nor the authors have any conflicts of interest to disclose.

Background:
Nurse preceptors are widely used in pre-licensure RN education to facilitate the educational process. Often, these preceptors are staff nurses employed by clinical agencies. Currently, there are no standardized guidelines for qualifications, roles and responsibilities, or best practices.

Method:
Systematic website review was conducted of all Boards of Nursing and nursing accrediting bodies in the United States and Canada.

Results:
Seven categories of information were identified: preceptor qualifications, faculty and nursing program role, curriculum placement, written policies, ratios, orientation, and preceptor availability.

Conclusion:
Research is needed to document issues and current practices to create a model of best practices in preceptor orientation and use, as well as faculty supervision in prelicensure nursing education.

J Contin Educ Nurs.
2014;45(9):386–390.