Looking back on my nursing career, some of my most memorable moments as a nurse have involved other nurses and the precepting and mentoring moments that have taken place. I clearly remember my preceptors, their names, what they did that was good, what they did that wasn’t so good, and what I learned from them as a result. I remember the first time I made a mistake and had to tell my preceptor I did so. That was a pivotal moment for me, as it is with all new nurses. Their response said to me whether it was safe to admit an error and greatly influenced my practice then and continues to shape the way I act in similar situations even today. Had my preceptor responded differently, I wonder how that would have changed my career trajectory.
I never had the chance to take a class or learn about being a good preceptor before I was filling that role for other nurses. I find myself in mentoring situations nearly every day and wonder if I am handling the situations well. This is not uncommon. Allison Wild and I had the opportunity to discuss this and more in the podcast this month. Preparing preceptors and mentors for growing, nurturing, and supporting nurses new to practice and various roles is often done by whoever is available. We have emphasized the importance of preparing the work environment for newly graduated nurses and how we do this through our IONRP Academy. In this month's blog post, we shift our focus to preparing a key aspect of the environment: the people.
Precepting and mentoring in nursing have been deeply rooted traditions over the last several decades. The concept of precepting dates back to the 1960s in the United States, with the term 'preceptorship' first being used in the 1970s to describe how nursing students were being taught4.Its primary aim was to socialize novice nursing graduates into specific clinical practice areas by teaching, leading, facilitating, and evaluating job performance2. On the other hand, mentoring has been around for a lot longer, but ultimately, embraced by the nursing profession around the same time1. Mentors provide guidance and support for nursing professionals and help to foster career growth and development.
Over time, precepting and mentoring have become integral components of nursing education and practice. This is especially true for new graduate nurses. These support roles significantly impact the transition to practice experience for new graduate nurses. While it is common practice to let anyone fill these roles with this type of responsibility, we must consider what we are doing to prepare these nurses for the role.
Preceptors must be competent in skills needed to teach the new graduate; not only should they be skilled clinically, but they also need skills related to communication, adult teaching and learning, and even skills related to emotional intelligence. Preceptors guide new nurses in learning their role; they bridge theory and practice gaps, make or break confidence, and play a vital role in patient safety. The time they spend shapes the competence and compassion of those entering the profession. Mentors are just as critical. They provide career guidance, build self-confidence, and contribute to a nurse’s professional identity. Organizations can even leverage mentors to improve the sense of belonging to the profession and the organization. Influential mentors in nursing possess excellent communication skills, problem-solving abilities, empathy, and authenticity3.
I have learned from first-hand experience that not everyone is cut out to do this. It is crucial for organizations to not only assign a new graduate nurse to a preceptor during their orientation and facilitate mentoring relationships but also ensure those filling the roles have been trained. We have been emphasizing the value of preparing preceptors and mentors for years. You can learn more about these best practices in our blog post "6 Best Practices for Learning Champions." This is also why we offer the Supporting Nurses course, which provides comprehensive training for preceptors and mentors. By enrolling in this course, your organization can ensure that those nurses supporting your new hires receive the support they need to excel in their roles. To learn more, please visit our website or contact us directly.
Nicole Weathers, MSN, RN, NPD-BC
Iowa Online Nurse Residency Program Director
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- Stewart, B. M., & Krueger, L. E. (1996). An evolutionary concept analysis of mentoring in nursing. Journal of Professional Nursing 12(5), 311 - 321.
- Ulrich, B. (2012). Mastering Precepting: A Nurse’s Handbook for Success. Indianapolis, IN: Sigma Theta Tau International
- Venant, K. (2018, October 9). Nurse mentorships: A two-way street. https://www.myamericannurse.com/nurse-mentorships-two-way-street/
- Webb, M. (2019, October 3). Preceptorship: An effective model for orientation and onboarding of all new staff. Teleios Collaborative Network https://www.teleioscn.org/blog/preceptorship-an-effective-model-for-orientation-and-onboarding-of-all-new-staff