Preceptorship Today: Moving Toward Excellence

THE EVOLVING ROLE OF THE PRECEPTOR Traditionally, registered nurse (RN) preceptor roles have included that of expert, role model, coach, and facilitator (Forneris & Peden-McAlpine, 2009). The expert possesses and demonstrates broad knowledge, explains the basis for actions and decisions, answers learners’ questions clearly and precisely, and communicates well-defined goals and expectations. The expert makes learning relevant to the professional role and even makes learning fun! The role model “talks the talk” and “walks the walk.” The role model demonstrates skillful interaction with patients, organizes and controls the learning experience, and articulates thought processes during a realtime clinical encounter. The coach asks the learner to execute a previously modeled skill to accurately and directly assess the learner’s performance. The coach promotes positive behavior while providing necessary guidance through feedback. Finally, the facilitator provides opportunities for systematic practice and self-evaluation while balancing clinical and teaching responsibilities. The overriding goal of each of the four preceptor roles is to provide opportunities for questioning and reflection by the learner to enhance critical thinking and understanding. As in most professional roles that involve clinical practice, the RN can be a more effective preceptor by using context and dialogue to link thinking and doing as novice nurses transition into professional practice or as experienced RNs transition from one area of practice to another (Forneris & Peden-McAlpine, 2009). Currently, the role of the preceptor is undergoing many challenges associated with several factors, including financial constraints, newly developed types of nursing to meet medical advancements, pressure to care for more patients at one time, increasing difficulty in fitting education and teaching into a busy schedule, and varying learning needs to meet highly technical clinical advancements (Hyrkäs & Shoemaker, 2007). On a personal level, preceptors may find themselves in situations where they experience significant inner turmoil and anxiety before calling for assistance or passing judgment on another RN’s performance. Challenges such as these are adding stress and making it more difficult for the nurse preceptor to maintain a positive and enthusiastic approach. Despite these many changes, research continues to show, and comabstract In today’s fast-paced, highly technical clinical environment, preceptor excellence drives nurses in transition to maintain the levels of energy and motivation they had when they first entered the profession. Whether preceptor or preceptee, education that infuses the professional role with new knowledge and practices can inspire nurses to fully engage in their role. Achieving excellence as a preceptor requires dedicated nurturing through continuing nursing education, where educators understand the importance of their involvement in and commitment to enriching the role of the registered nurse preceptor. J Contin Educ Nurs 2013;44(11):482483.