Leadership in Nursing Preceptorship

The problem of this study explores the lack of understanding of the leadership training experiences that students have while undergoing a preceptorship program. Students experience various challenges that originate from preceptor roles and their leadership skills (Dube, 2018; Schober, 2019). Being a skilled and experienced professional, which is a trait highly valued by students, is not related to being a skilled educator as the teaching of a subject is a completely different view from the student’s perspective. Other studies indicate that, though preceptorship is increasingly being utilized in clinical settings’ programs, students reveal that, the leadership trait that mentors demonstrate in teaching them varies and enhances the experience of students during the mentorship (Quek & Shorey, 2018; Ryan & McAllister, 2017). Most of the issues that students raise concerning perception are linked to the traits of the preceptor being a leader in the clinical setting. However, the studies indicate that preceptors lack significant skills, which makes them inappropriate for their task in leading and guiding students in the clinical setting (McClure & Black, 2013; Valizadeh et al., 2016). Therefore, an understanding of leadership training experiences for students during preceptorship should be examined to inform a more coherent framework with national standards for preceptor training and implementation.

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study is to examine the understanding of leadership training experiences for students during preceptorship to inform a more coherent framework with national standards for preceptor training and implementation. This will be achieved through interviewing students currently in the preceptorship programs to collect qualitative data. This data will mainly be the students’ views concerning their experiences in their preceptorship programme and the significance of the mentor as a leader in clinical practice programs. Descriptive statistics to be generated by analysing this data will inform policy and practice in the nursing sector by ensuring that prospective preceptors are chosen according to their leadership traits. Besides, it will ensure that nursing education institution possesses orientation programs that focus on the development of desirable characteristics of a tutor. Similarly, the study will promote quality in nursing preceptorship and education hence resulting in high-quality nursing care. The study will also increase the preceptor’s capability in educational and leadership processes and roles, thus enabling preceptors to work in meaningful and productive ways.

Dube, A., 2018. A preceptorship model to facilitate clinical nursing education in Botswana (Doctoral dissertation, North-West University).

Quek, G.J. and Shorey, S., 2018. Perceptions, experiences, and needs of nursing preceptors and their preceptees on preceptorship: An integrative review. Journal of Professional Nursing, 34(5), pp.417-428.

McClure, E. and Black, L., 2013. The role of the clinical preceptor: an integrative literature review. Journal of Nursing Education, 52(6), pp.335-341.

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Ryan, C. and McAllister, M., 2017. Enrolled Nurses’ experiences learning the nurse preceptor role: A qualitative evaluation. Collegian, 24(3), pp.267-273.

Valizadeh, S., Borimnejad, L., Rahmani, A., Gholizadeh, L. and Shahbazi, S., 2016. Challenges of the preceptors working with new nurses: A phenomenological research study. Nurse Education Today, 44, pp.92-97.