Effective Nurse Preceptorship: A Step-by-Step Guide for Novice Preceptors

By BC Ciocco, Maggie, MS, RN

As a novice nurse preceptor, you play a vital role in orienting new nurses to the hospital environment, ensuring staff retention, job satisfaction, and improved quality of care. However, without proper guidance, this task can be daunting. Fast Facts for the Nurse Preceptor, Second Edition is here to help, providing you with the essential tools and knowledge to successfully mentor and guide new nurses.

The Importance of Nurse Preceptors

Nurse preceptors are crucial in promoting patient safety, delivering evidence-based care, and facilitating a smooth transition to practice. As a novice preceptor, it’s essential to understand your primary responsibilities, including demonstrating, guiding, and mentoring new nurses.

A Comprehensive Guide for Novice Nurse Preceptors

This comprehensive guide covers the fundamentals of nurse preceptorship, including shift organization, prioritization, communication, delegation, and conflict resolution. You’ll learn how to:

• Recognize the warning signs of a struggling preceptee
• Work through a preceptee’s transition shock
• Help new nurses develop critical thinking skills
• Acclimate to various teaching and learning styles

New to the Second Edition

This updated edition includes five new chapters, addressing the following critical topics:

• Selection, Education, and Retention of the Preceptor
• Preceptee Learning and Preceptor Teaching Styles
• The Challenging Student
• Precepting the Accelerated BSN and Advanced Practice Nurse (APRN)
• The Unsafe Preceptee and How to Avoid Failure to Fail

Key Features

This valuable resource offers:

• Quick-access, step-by-step guidance with short paragraphs and bulleted information
• Case studies highlighting common and challenging precepting scenarios
• Evidence-based content throughout
• Competency assessment and evaluation forms

By following the guidance and principles outlined in Fast Facts for the Nurse Preceptor, Second Edition, you’ll become an exceptional role model, mentor, and teacher for new nurses, ultimately contributing to improved patient outcomes and a stronger healthcare system.