Nurse Preceptorship: Guiding and Mentoring New Nurses

Whether you are interested in reenergizing your nursing career or hoping to benefit from the wisdom of an experienced RN, you may want to start exploring the concept of a nursing preceptorship.¹

The idea took hold in the 1980s and has since become a vital component in training new nurses for the rigors of the profession.² Broadly defined as a program in which veteran nurses provide structured guidance to newly graduated nurses, nursing preceptorships help ensure green RNs know what to expect, and do, when they officially enter the workplace.³ Below, you will find the basics behind nursing preceptorships, the benefits they offer—and why they are essential to mentees and mentors alike.

What is Nurse Preceptorship?

A nurse preceptorship is, in its purest sense, a mentorship supplied by an experienced nurse to someone entering the medical field. This could be a newly registered nurse, a nursing student, or anyone just starting in healthcare.

Preceptorships may last anywhere between six weeks and five months (or longer), depending on your healthcare facility and department.⁴ All are designed to help new nurses gain the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to work independently within a clinical practice.

For new nurses, a nursing preceptorship may show them how to be a better nurse, applying what they have learned from textbooks and fieldwork into the real world of nursing practice. For nurse preceptors, it might allow them to “give back” to the next generation of nurses. And for healthcare as a whole, a nursing preceptorship may pave the way to enhanced patient care and better patient outcomes through interprofessional collaboration in nursing.

The Role of a Nurse Preceptor

The exact obligations of a nurse preceptor might vary by relationship and organization, but the goal of all nursing preceptorships remains the same: to teach, nurture, and empower newly registered nurses in any clinical setting. This is sometimes broken down into four main roles:⁵

• Role model – A nurse preceptor first and foremost acts as a role model to novice nurses. For example, they may demonstrate safe and effective nursing practice (and urge their mentees to mirror their actions) and show new nurses how to apply evidence-based protocols to their care plans.
• Socializer – It is certainly no secret that nurses are part of a larger operation. To this end, nurse preceptors introduce new nurses to a healthcare facility’s culture and values, just as they may introduce them to other care members within the organization. They may also provide advice on how to communicate with other medical professionals and tutor them on when to speak up.
• Coach – Nurse preceptors also assume the role of an educator. They might identify what a newly registered nurse must learn before he or she works without supervision, encourage critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and offer constructive feedback (a topic we will look at in depth below).
• Protector – Last but not least, a nurse preceptor protects new nurses and patients. A good nurse preceptor will actively aim to create a secure, nourishing environment that supports learning while simultaneously ensuring patient safety. They might also shield new nurses from bullying (and other forms of incivility), and instruct them on handling conflict within the workplace.

Responsibilities and Duties

Many nurse preceptors offer daily, on-site supervision and support to new nurses. In addition to the four primary roles outlined above, a nurse preceptor may show new nurses how to:

• Effectively communicate with patients, friends, and family members
• Design a nurse practice plan
• Identify the signs of a critically ill patient and when they ought to intervene
• Hone in on time management skills
• Address task delegation
• Follow a healthcare facility’s protocols
• Handle unfamiliar care procedures
• Provide compassionate and meaningful patient education
• Evaluate the reasoning behind treatments
• Review medications and their potential side effects

Additionally, nurse preceptors may help new nurses boost their psychomotor abilities. This is key: Nurses (as you likely know) must be able to perform common procedures—like operating medical machines and injecting medications intravenously—swiftly, safely, and accurately.

Qualities of an Effective Preceptor

You might be searching for a nurse preceptor who will guide you through the nuances and demands of healthcare. Or perhaps you want to advance your nursing career and hope to become a nurse preceptor yourself. Either way, it is crucial to understand the characteristics of an effective nurse preceptor. These may include:

• Strong communication skills – Powerful communication skills are fundamental to valuable mentor/mentee relationships. As a new nurse, you will probably want to feel comfortable and safe enough to express your concerns and doubts and ask questions when they pop up. As a mentor, you will most likely want to be able to articulate critical nursing advice in a warm but memorable way.
• Patience – New nurses are precisely that: New. They may need assistance with everything from organizing their paperwork to speaking with a patient who has trouble communicating. A sound nurse preceptor will demonstrate patience throughout the relationship while also modeling the importance of working quickly, confidently, and safely.
• Empathy – Some nurse preceptors may feel overwhelmed and burdened by their role and, accordingly, fail to show empathy to their mentees. Search for a nurse preceptor who consistently displays empathy, and, if you’re shooting to become a nurse preceptor, try to remember what it was like when you first started in the medical field.

Other qualities to look for (in yourself or others) are trustworthiness, outstanding decision-making skills, and comprehensive knowledge of nursing principles.

Nursing Programs

Benefits of Nurse Preceptors

Nursing school is radically different from nursing itself. As such, new nurses need a helping hand until they obtain the self-assurance and skills they need to treat patients without round-the-clock supervision.

That said, a nursing preceptorship does not just benefit the mentee. Let us look at the perks of a nursing preceptorship for both new nurses and their mentors.

For New Nurses

Nurse preceptors help novice nurses bridge the gap between theory and practice. In doing so, a new nurse may experience:

• Enhanced critical thinking skills
• Improved adaptability and flexibility
• Enriched integration within a healthcare organization

For Experienced Nurses (Preceptors)

Nurse preceptors might have a full plate (more on this soon) but the role also has its advantages, such as:⁶

• Higher nursing retention rates – The American Nurses Association (ANA) estimates that 18% of new nurses leave the profession within their first year of practice. Taking a new nurse under your wing may help ensure recent graduates remain committed to their career goals. In turn, you may contribute to fewer nursing shortages and better healthcare overall.
• Professional development – Put simply, nurse precepting may help you become a better nurse. How? By acting as a role model, you may hold your actions and practices to a higher standard. Your healthcare organization might also ask you to complete special training to become a preceptor, which may supply you with advanced knowledge, new skills, and a stronger sense of leadership.

Choosing to become a nurse preceptor might also prepare you well to enter nursing education, whether you are called to work as a clinical instructor or drawn to the idea of serving as a community health educator.

And above all? You might simply feel more fulfilled by sharing your wealth of knowledge with new graduates. After all, there are few better feelings than helping someone else fly solo—and succeed.

Preceptorship Programs and Models

There are a handful of nursing preceptorship program options and models, ranging from on-the-job training to simulation-based training.⁷

For example, Sarasota Memorial Hospital and the College of Nursing at the University of South Florida-Tampa recently teamed up to create the Excellence in Nursing Preceptorship-to-Hire (P2H) program to smooth the transition from nursing school to working directly with patients in a healthcare facility.⁸

Whether you want to become a preceptor or hope to find someone to shadow, your best bet is to check with your organization or school.

Effective Preceptorship Strategies

So, what helps a nursing preceptor and their mentee?

Generally speaking, it involves:

Building a Positive Learning Environment 

Learning is at the core of successful nursing. Nurse preceptors and their “students” should have a healthy, open rapport where questions are welcome and answers are offered in a balanced, timely, and professional manner. New nurses should also be encouraged to engage in organized learning through additional seminars and workshops.

Providing Constructive Feedback

One of the biggest benefits of working one-on-one with a mentor is receiving informed, valuable feedback. This can help you see where you may be falling short in your patient care and overall actions; plus, it may teach you how to accept constructive criticism and apply it thoughtfully.

Challenges and Best Practices

Nursing preceptorships are not without challenges. A nurse preceptor may feel burnt out and incapable of supplying their mentee with the guidance they need, or a mentee may feel that their personality does not quite match their preceptor’s.

Fortunately, there are dozens of ways to overcome these barriers—mainly, by adhering to preceptorship best practices, like:

• Managing time constraints
• Dealing with personality conflicts kindly and openly
• Clearly communicating your preferred learning (and teaching) styles
• Creating measurable objectives
• Demonstrating respect

And no matter which side of the coin you are on, it is just as critical to “debrief” with your preceptor or mentee after each shift. This may help ensure you are both on the same page—and have not left anything unturned.

Get Your Nursing Degree at Alliant International University

Nursing preceptorships can be exceptionally helpful for preceptors and new nurses alike. Nurse preceptors may fine-tune their nursing and communication skills, and discover the joy that often arrives with teaching. Meanwhile, fresh graduates may walk away from a nursing preceptorship with the hands-on knowledge they need to succeed in the profession.

Wherever you may be in your nursing career, Alliant International University is here to guide you. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Alliant provides nursing students with contemporary skills and training techniques. Further down the road in your career? The Master of Science in Nursing, Nurse Executive at Alliant prepares graduates for leadership roles and helps them expand their business experience.

Discover the lasting power of knowledge at Alliant International University.

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Sources: 

1. “Mentorship in Nursing: Benefits & Why It’s Essential.” ANA, February 14, 2024. https://nursingworld.org/content-hub/resources/nursing-resources/benefi…. Accessed October 29, 2024.
2. Upmc. “The Urgent Need for More Nurse Preceptors: UPMC.” UPMC HealthBeat, May 14, 2024. https://share.upmc.com/2024/05/need-for-nurse-preceptors/. Accessed October 29, 2024.
3. What is a nurse preceptor? (and how to become one) | Indeed.com canada. https://ca.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/nurse-preceptor. Accessed October 30, 2024. 
4. “Ask a Nurse: What Should I Expect from My Nursing Preceptorship?” NurseJournal.org. https://nursejournal.org/ask-a-nurse/what-should-i-expect-from-my-nursi…. Accessed October 30, 2024. 
5. Sara Angelilli, DNP. “The Four Primary Roles of the Preceptor.” Aorn.org, January 5, 2024. https://www.aorn.org/article/the-four-primary-roles-of-the-preceptor. Accessed October 30, 2024. 
6. Team, NCC News and Content. “Pros and Cons of Becoming a Nurse Preceptor.” Nursing CE Central, July 1, 2024. https://nursingcecentral.com/nurse-preceptor/. Accessed October 30, 2024.
7.  Williams, Charlene R, Robert Hubal, Michael D Wolcott, and Abbey Kruse. “Interactive Narrative Simulation as a Method for Preceptor Development.” Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland), December 28, 2021. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8788483/. Accessed October 29, 2024.
8. “Nursing Preceptorship Helps Recruit, Retain Nurses.” NurseJournal.org. https://nursejournal.org/articles/nursing-preceptorship-recruit-retain/. Accessed October 30, 2024.