When I landed my first job on the Med-Surg Telemetry unit, I was over the moon. It was the same floor where I’d done my med-surg clinicals and later my preceptorship. I already knew the layout, the routine, and more importantly, the nurses. It felt like coming home. What I didn’t recognize or realize was…
Let’s be honest, nurse preceptors are often expected to be unicorns: wise, patient, clinically flawless, and available 24/7 with the perfect answer. But much of what we think we know about nurse preceptors is… let’s just say, not entirely accurate. Some things are kinda true, but not really. We assume they are just really experienced…
Task-oriented preceptors shape the way new graduate nurses function in the workplace but are they preparing them to think critically or just complete a checklist? When preceptors focus solely on getting through a shift, they risk creating nurses who lack the confidence and clinical judgment needed for independent practice. The Problem: When “Just Get It…
It’s never easy to be the new orientee, let alone a new nurse on the job. Remember the jitterbugs you felt? That fear of the unknown. The fear of making a mistake? No matter how long ago it was for you, the feelings are universal. We were all nervous wrecks anticipating what was to come….
The preceptor is an important role that provides the foundation to prepare your new staff member to practice independently. As a preceptor, you have the power to influence the rest of their career. You will either be the reason they become enthusiastic about nursing, or the reason they question their practice. The role requires you…