Let Us Greet our Young, Not Eat our Young: Nursing Preceptors
Creators: name: Carrington, Kendra Adele Smith
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2018
Subjects: subject: nursing student
subject: preceptor
subject: attributes
subject: clinical learning environment
subject: satisfaction
subject: preceptorship
subject: Education
subject: Nursing
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: Background: During the final term of nursing education programs, students are placed in clinical learning environments (CLE) with assigned registered nurses (RN) commonly known as preceptors. The experiences within a preceptorship are related to students’ satisfaction, job recruitment and, in the long term, retention in the profession. Despite having participated in preceptorships as students, new nursing graduates often report feeling unprepared to enter the profession. In 2010, Willemsen-McBride estimated 35-65% of new Canadian graduates leave their place of employment within their first year. Students who experience unsatisfactory preceptorships are thought likely to leave the profession altogether. Attributes of preceptors which foster positive CLEs contribute to students’ satisfaction and success in preceptorship experiences. Such attributes include: kindness, patience, commitment, support, effective communication skills, clinical competence, providing clinical exposure, role modeling, and positive coaching. Objective: To investigate nursing students’ perceptions of preceptor attributes as these attributes relate to their satisfaction in the CLE, expectations from before and after their preceptorship, and their perceived preparedness for licensure and nursing practice. Method: A pretest-posttest study was conducted during the 2017 fall term of the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta. Students were recruited from the final term course (NURS 599). Participants (n=74) were tested prior to commencing their preceptorship experience and 55 participants were tested at the end of their preceptorship. Demographic data were gathered and participants were asked to complete the Preceptor Attributes survey, the Clinical Learning Environment Inventory (CLEI), and the My Preceptorship tool. Results: Two attributes of preceptors were identified as contributing to students’ satisfaction with their preceptor and with the CLE. The attribute of providing exposure significantly affected students’ satisfaction when compared to the influence of the preceptor in the CLE (t = 3.77, p = .000, [CI 95%: 4.57, 14.91]). Providing exposure also significantly affected students’ satisfaction when compared to the influence of the CLE (t = 3.59, p = .001, [CI 95%: 3.86, 13.64]). The attribute of clear communicator significantly affected students’ satisfaction when compared to the influence of the preceptor in the CLE (t = 3.56, p = .001, [CI 95%: 3.21, 11.47]). Clear communicator also significantly affected students’ satisfaction when compared to the influence of the CLE (t = 3.04, p = .004, [CI 95%: 2.05, 9.99]). Students’ expectations pretest to posttest were not met for CLE aspects of innovation (t = 3.36, p = .002, [CI 95%: 0.85, 3.38]), student involvement (t = 2.96, p = .010, [CI 95%: 0.43, 2.98]), task orientation (t = 2.82, p = .007, [CI 95%: 0.56, 3.33]), or satisfaction (t = 2.64, p = .011, [CI 95%: 0.42, 3.07]) as measured by the CLEI. Approximately half of the students (41%, n=25) reported they did not feel prepared for their licensing exam. Many students reported feeling prepared to practice (92%, n=56) because of their preceptor. Most students were satisfied with their preceptor (95%, n=58) and 53 (87%) wanted to return to the CLE to work post-graduation. No significant difference was reported in students’ perception of preceptor attributes (t = -0.06, p = .956, [CI 95%: -4.59, 4.53]) or of the six CLE aspects (p&gt;.05) for students having two preceptors as opposed to those having only one. Discussion: Students’ satisfaction with their preceptorship in the CLE is highly dependent upon specific attributes of preceptors. Preceptors with effective communication skills who provide exposure to learning opportunities in the CLE are highly prized by students and contribute to their satisfaction throughout preceptorships.