Self-efficacy of preceptors in the community: a partnership between service and education

Effectiveness of an online program using telesimulation for academic-clinical collaboration in preparing nurse preceptors' roles

AIM

To evaluate the effectiveness of an online program on nurse preceptors' knowledge and self-efficacy in their roles to support students' clinical education, and to examine their online experience.

BACKGROUND

Professional development of nurse preceptors is paramount to fostering work readiness of future graduate nurses on entering the workforce. The support from academic institutions in developing preceptors' roles in clinical teaching and assessment is pivotal.

DESIGN

This study employed a mixed-methods design.

METHOD

A total of 59 nurse preceptors from six healthcare institutions participated in an online preceptor program by collaborating with academic educators in facilitating student clinical learning and assessment through telesimulation following web-based instruction. Pre-test and post-tests were administered to evaluate the preceptors' knowledge and self-efficacy in their roles. Survey questionnaires and focus group discussions were conducted to evaluate their online experience. SQUIRE 2.0 guidelines were applied.

RESULTS

The preceptors demonstrated significant improvements (p < .001) in knowledge and levels of self-efficacy in their preceptor roles immediately and 1 month after the program. The following four themes emerged from their learning experiences: 'interactive learning approach', 'academic-practice collaboration', 'better understanding of clinical assessment tool' and 'application of teaching strategies'. The preceptors reported positively on their motivation to learn using the web-based instruction and on their telesimulation experience.

CONCLUSION

The study findings demonstrated effectiveness and feasibility of an online preceptor program to enhance preceptors' roles in supporting nursing students' transition to clinical practice, using a mix of web-based technologies to provide preceptors with self-directed and experiential learning approaches.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

This study contributed to the development of an innovative online preceptor program that provided opportunity for academic-clinical collaboration and has broad applicability. The telesimulation created robust remote simulation experiences for preceptors, allowing them to collaborate with academic educators in facilitating students' clinical practice amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Implementation and evaluation of a preceptor educational development programme involving the health cluster colleges at Qatar University

BACKGROUND

'The Practice Educators' Academy Programme' is an innovative educational intervention developed following a preceptor-focussed needs assessment. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the programme's effect on self-efficacy and knowledge amongst multi-disciplinary clinical preceptors who precept students across the Health Cluster in Qatar University. The secondary aim was to assess the preceptors' satisfaction with the programme's comprehensiveness, appropriateness, and relevance.

METHODS

This is a longitudinal study, with the same participants followed at different time points (i.e., pretest-posttest interventional design). The sample size was calculated to represent 10% of the sample expected for the main study, utilising a stratified convenience sampling technique. Preceptor self-efficacy was assessed using the Preceptor Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, a validated 21-item questionnaire. Preceptor knowledge was assessed through a 25-item multiple-choice question test. Satisfaction with programme content and delivery was assessed through a 14-item questionnaire with open comments.

RESULTS

Thirty pretest-posttest respondents for the PSEQ assessment, and 26 pretest-posttest respondents for the knowledge assessment were appropriately matched and analysed. Participation in the self-efficacy questionnaire resulted in a statistically significant increase in their posttest median score (pretest-to-posttest: 3.3-to-3.6, p = 0.001). Participation in the knowledge assessment resulted in a statistically significant increased posttest mean score (pretest-to-posttest: 10.2-to-15.7, p < 0.001). Participants indicated high levels of satisfaction with the programme (average score = 4.42/5).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest the programme is effective as demonstrated through a significant improvement in preceptors' self-efficacy and knowledge. Recommendations for future iterations include placing greater focus on active learning strategies, and inter-disciplinary interactions.

Guidelines for Public Health Practitioners Serving as Student Preceptors

Student fieldwork and service learning are valuable strategies for developing the skills of future public health professionals. Practitioners who serve as preceptors to students often receive little preparation for guiding and evaluating students. Findings from a review of fieldwork and service learning literature and a program evaluation of an undergraduate public health program at a large southern public university were used to construct guidelines for the practitioners supervising students in the field. These guidelines should aid practitioners in their role as preceptors of public health students. The guidelines address assessing student competencies, developing student competencies, writing learning objectives, evaluating students, maximizing the student precept or relationship, and managing problems.

Professional learning partnerships: a collaboration between education and service

Escalating mental health care needs coupled with a decreasing nurse labor force demand a fundamental paradigm shift in undergraduate education and service partnerships among psychiatric-mental health nursing students and practicing nurses. The purpose of this two-group comparative study was to identify factors that contribute to a successful learning partnership between nursing students and practicing nurses engaged in a clinical specialty partnership program within an acute psychiatric-mental health setting. The convenience sample consisted of 51 partners: 33 undergraduate students and 18 practicing nurses. The Learning Partnership Survey was administered to all partners allowing comparison of ranking among factors important to the partner relationship. Contrary to previous research, student and nurse partners were more similar in their factor ranking in the present study. Statistically significant differences were noted in the ranking of 2 of the 15 factors that fostered successful learning partnerships. Implications for professional learning partnerships between nursing academia and service institutions are discussed.

Priorities for midwifery research in Perth, Western Australia: A Delphi study

This paper reports a two-round Delphi study undertaken to identify the research priorities of midwives at five public maternity hospitals in Western Australia's metropolitan area of Perth. In round one, 117 midwives identified 64 different problems or issues for research. Using thematic content analysis, these problems were grouped together and then collapsed to develop 17 specific research topics within four major categories. In round two, 152 midwives were asked to rank how important each of the topic statements were to women, their families and midwives. Research focusing on 'the postnatal experience' was ranked by midwives as the most important to the care of women and their families. From a midwife's perspective, the highest ranked topic was 'examining the professional issues that impact on midwives' clinical practice' (e.g. midwifery and medical collaboration, potential litigation and horizontal violence in the workplace). The results of the study show that Western Australian midwives, like their national and international colleagues, are concerned about the delivery and organization of maternity services, the invisibility of the postnatal experience and how to operationalize evidence-based care in the clinical area.

Preceptorship and the Preparatory Process for Undergraduate Nursing Students and Their Preceptors

The purpose of this article was to research nursing students' and their assigned preceptors' views of preparation in relationship to a 340-hour preceptorship course. Using an author-generated mailed survey, 75 of 191 preceptors and 52 of the 187 students returned questionnaires. The findings revealed just under half of the students and preceptors did not believe that they were well prepared. Twenty-six percent of the preceptors believed they should receive a formal training program. The implications for this research are threefold: students and preceptors have concerns with preparation; a formal preceptorship course for students and preceptors may be warranted; and the evaluation component of the preceptorship experience in particular requires formal preparation, an unexpected finding derived from the open comments of the preceptors themselves.

Preceptor behaviors integral to the promotion of student critical thinking

In the practice setting, preceptors not only contribute to the relational aspect of the preceptorship experience but, through their behaviors, they also effectively promote the critical thinking ability of students. Through the use of a grounded theory method in a recent study, four specific preceptor-generated behaviors were identified as integral to the promotion of the critical thinking ability of basic baccalaureate nursing students in the practice setting: role modeling, facilitation, guidance, and prioritization. In this article, the description and meaning of these four behaviors are explored and their significance to preceptors and nurse educators who wish to ensure that the critical thinking ability of nursing students is fostered in the practice setting is discussed.

Supporting preceptors

For effective teaching of nursing students and management of stress of increased workloads, preceptors require a great deal of support from nursing faculty, peers, and administrative personnel. Through a mailed survey, 295 preceptors reported that they would have appreciated more support. The best support is the continued and visible presence and involvement of instructors, which can be provided in person, by telephone, or via fax. This is best achieved if nurse educators, directors, and deans view themselves as copreceptors.

Creating a climate for critical thinking in the preceptorship experience

The impact of the learning climate on students' ability to think critically during preceptorship cannot be underestimated. The success of students in learning to think critically rests largely with the tone set by preceptors and staff (Myrick 1998). Students must be led gently into the active role of discussing, dialoguing, and problem solving (Meyers 1986). They watch very carefully how respectfully preceptors and staff field their comments, quickly notice nonverbal cues that indicate how open, approachable and supportive the preceptors and the staff are to their questions and contributions, and then discern how valued they are as colleagues. When preceptors genuinely value, support, and work with students in the practice setting and staff accept them as part of the team, a climate that is conducive to learning and critical thinking is established. This is due to the fact that students feel safe enough to question, to challenge and be challenged, and to be creative in their problem solving. The purpose of this paper is threefold: a) to identify key factors in the preceptorship experience that contribute to the creation of a climate that is conductive to critical thinking; b) to provide important insights into the role of the preceptor and the staff within that context; and c) to discuss how nursing faculty can more actively contribute to ensuring that such a learning climate is achieved in the preceptorship experience.