Precepting - need data

[openheartmom3]

I am currently working in a unit that has a nurse educator liason. She is a staff nurse that has been assigned to help with credentialling and set up new employees with orientation. My problem is that she has be setting up new employees, new staff, new grads , anyone... with multiple preceptors. For all my years of nursing and helping with education .. I have ALWAYS found it better to keep one person with one or two at the most preceptors. I need to find some data to support that this is the best way to facilitate their learning needs...

[purplemania, BSN, RN]

Most facilities do not have enough preceptors to meet the demand and some types of students require less work than others, but in general we can burn out our preceptors by putting too much on them. No EBP, just horse sense.

[purplemania, BSN, RN]

Most facilities do not have enough preceptors to meet the demand and some types of students require less work than others, but in general we can burn out our preceptors by putting too much on them. No EBP, just horse sense.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I doubt there is any solid research on the topic. I assume you have already done a good lit search of the orientation literature.

Based on my experience of about 14 years coordinating NICU orientation programs, I have found that 2-3 preceptors work best, depending on the length of the orientation. With too many preceptors, the new person get "bounced around" too much and has little chance of establishing a good working relationship with a preceptor. However, with only 1 preceptor, the poor orientee becomes "married" not only to that 1 person's schedule, but also to that one person's weaknesses and biases.

Having 2 or 3 regular preceptors seems to be a happy medium -- allowing the orientee to have a little flexibiity in scheduling -- and also giving the orientee a chance to benefit from the strengths of different preceptors. It also gives the orientee a chance to establish positive relationships with more than one person on the unit.

llg