Precepting NP students....any advice???

[christvs, DNP, RN, NP]

Hello! I've been an NP for 5 years now in a diabetes clinic. I feel like an expert in my specialty area, which is a great feeling. In the last two years I've started precepting NP students in my clinic, since I enjoy teaching. Would love to get any advice about precepting students from any of you!! And how you manage a very busy clinical day with having a student.

Thanks!

Christine, NP

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Hats off to you for precepting. It's very challenging and requires a lot of work....I'm precepting a student nod I have to enter info into Tychon everyday. Very difficult to manage with a busy a hedule

[rnsrgr8t]

I precept NP Grad students every semester (except the summer). It depends on the day and how busy I am. When they first start the rotation, I have them just shadow me and I review my treatment plan/rationale with them as we go along. After they get comfortable (after a couple of visits), I have them first go in and get an H&P on my f/u patients then we move on to the new patients. I do warn them that on crazy busy days, I may need them to just shadow me. I do find, that they catch on very quick and they make my day easier b/c they are doing a lot of the work themselves. I love having students and have been very blessed with very good ones. I get very positive feedback from the director of their program (these are FNP students doing their pediatric rotation with me). I make up a packet of info on my specialty (urology) to give them ahead of time. I encourage them to ask questions etc. I am lucky that I pick the days I have them come. There are some days that are way to chaotic to have a student so I do not schedule them on those days. I had some really good preceptors in school and some really bad ones. I try to mimic the good ones I had avoid the things the bad ones did. I think it is important to precept students whenever you can. There is such a shortage of preceptors out there.