Tips for successful nursing preceptorship

[blaaveispiken]

I tried posting this thread under the general nursing discussion, but unfortunately didn't receive any replies. I thought I would try this discussion group since many of you are new grads and your student nursing preceptorship is still fresh in your minds.

During our lunch hour at clinicals this quarter we are each assigned a week to lead discussion during our lunch break -- mine is next week. Since we will be doing our nursing preceptorship next quarter (our final quarter) I thought it would be a good topic for discussion. I'm looking for any tips from experienced nurses, new nurses, and especially from nurses who precept and student nurses currently in their preceptor program (or just completed).

Thank you!

[micco]

I am doing my preceptorship at the moment and will acutally finish on Monday. Anyway, be very selective about choosing a preceptor. I wanted to do my preceptorship at a hospital that I had not done clinicals at before and I really didn't know the nurses on the floor except from other students. Anyway, the clinical manager for the unit make 2 suggestions for possible preceptors. one was too busy and so I opted for the other one who likes to tell dirty jokes and does not offer any feedback other than thanks for the help today.

another suggestion might be to not specialize too much when choosing a preceptorship. If you want to do yours in OR, what happens when you graduate and no one will hire you for a OR job. the time you spent in precetorship has been wasted. i know someone who is doing theirs in wound care. without certification, that is a hard field to work in.

[FutureRN2005]

My suggestion would be for each student to have his/her own personal list of things you want to work on during your preceptorship and share this with your preceptor at the begining of clinicals. Also it helps if you can be paired up with a nurse who likes to teach and wants to be a preceptor. :)