Preceptor to Mentor

Upon completion of a preceptorship you part ways with your orientee and hope you have instilled them with the knowledge, skills, assertiveness, and confidence to aid in their success as a new nurse.  While you may no longer be their main educator and resource, the relationship you have developed may transition you into the role of mentor. In the nursing profession especially it is vital to have the support of those around us. As a mentor you now become a confidant, adviser, and support system for young nurses starting out as independent practitioners.   Remember what it felt like to be a new nurse in the world and use your own experiences to help shape and guide those who look up to you for answers.  Good luck, best wishes, and THANK YOU for committing yourself to educating and shaping new nurses.

Liz

Gokenbach, V. (2012). Nurse mentors and preceptors: Maximizing your learning experience. Retrieved from http://www.nursetogether.com/Career/Career-Article/itemId/1964/Nurse-Mentors-and-Preceptors-Tips-for-a-Positive-.aspx#.UA9PBKMqmSo

Video on Providing Feedback

Hi guys,
Here is a great 2 minute video of providing feedback in the workplace.  It is not specific to nursing, but I find it can be effective applied to precepting!  Let me know your thoughts!

Providing Effective Feedback

As the nurse preceptor it is important to know how to effectively evaluate your orientee’s progress.  Evaluation should be an ongoing process to assess knowledge and progress as well as determine needs of the orientee throughout the preceptorship.  At the end of the preceptorship, a final evaluation will be completed to documents achievement of goals and outcomes and determine readiness for independent practice.

Throughout the preceptorship it is important to establish open communication with your orientee and offer effective feedback that will further the new nurse’s knowledge and skills.

Here are some tips to remember when offering feedback to a new nurse:

1.      Determine where it would be most appropriate for feedback to be offered.  In a private area where conversation cannot be overheard may be the most beneficial to ensure the new nurse does not feel embarrassed.

2.      Offer feedback in a non-threatening tone.

3.      Always give positive feedback first then discuss what the new nurse still needs to work on.

4.      Follow up with suggestions for improvement.

5.      Verify that the learner understands or if you need to re-state information in a different way to ensure comprehension.

6.      Remember to always offer support when needed

Paterniti, T. (2006). The successful nurse preceptor. Retrieved from http://www.hypnosisdfw.com/PULSE0506.pdf

Preceptor as Educator

Hello everyone!

The most common term associated with preceptors is educator.  Education however goes above and beyond supplying information to an individual.  It requires the assessment of needs and learning style, developing a learning plan that fits the needs of the student and outcomes of the course (in this case preceptorship), and evaluating the learner’s progress. Precepting should be focused around the competencies of a nurse clinician which include the following: patient centered care, collaboration among interdisciplinary groups within the healthcare setting, engaging in evidence based practice, applying quality improvement and safety, and utilizing informatics to effectively communicate and document care. How do you evaluate achievement of these outcomes as a nurse preceptor?

Ulrich, B. (2011). The preceptor role. Retrieved from http://rnpreceptor.com/docs/sampleMasteringPrecepting.pdf

Lateral Violence

Lateral violence is term that has been used for years to describe aggression amoung nurses.  This agression may be verbal or nonverbal and is believed to be caused by a number of factors including gender related issues, years of oppression in a male dominated profession, and generational differences to name few.  The effect of lateral violence may lead to decreased job satisfaction, personal depression, high turn over rates, and decreased patient outcomes. Lateral violence is a problem that continues to exist in to the present.  What expereince do you have with lateral violence in the workplace and what are some suggestions as to how we can elimiate or decrease this issue.

Stanley, K. M. (2010). The high cost of lateral violence in nursing. Retrieved from  http://www.nursingsociety.org/STTIEvents/LeadershipSummit/Documents/The%20High%20Cost%20of%20Lateral%20Violence%20in%20Nursing_Stanley_4-24-2010.pdf

Please view the video on Lateral Violence and share your thoughts.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4McGxc6TRk8

Teaching for the diverse learner

Hi everyone,
In an earlier post I challenged you all to determine your own learning style and discuss why knowledge of how you learn will impact the success of of precepting. 
As preceptors we take on the role of educator.  In order to be effective in educating new staff or students it is important for us to recognize our own learning differences. This knowledge will increase our awarness of diversity amoung various learners and help us create learning plans that will fit the needs of our invididual oreintees. Learning styles should be identified early on in preceptorship and utilized to mold your teaching methods in an effort to create a meaningful learning expereinces for your preceptee.
Have a great week!
Liz

Billings, D. M., & Halstead, J. A. (2012). Teaching in nursing: A faculty guide (4th ed.). St. Lois, MO: Elsevier Saunders.

What's Your Learning Style? Why does it matter?

Here are some websites that offer tools to measure your learning style.  Give it a try and share with us what type of learner you are.

http://www.ldpride.net/learning-style-test.html

http://people.usd.edu/~bwjames/tut/learning-style/

I am an auditory learner!

Why do you think understanding your learning style is important to precepting??