THE EXPERIENCES OF PRECEPTING NURSES IN THE PRIMARY HEALTHCARE SETTING: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Abstract

Background: Preceptorship is commonly used in nursing education and it involves the appointment of a nurse preceptor to a nurse preceptee. The demand for preceptors in the primary healthcare setting is on the rise and there is a huge responsibility placed on them on top of their workload. To ensure that preceptors are well-equipped in their role, it is important that they are understood and supported in their preceptorship journey. Research Aim: The aim of this study is to understand primary healthcare nurse preceptors’ experience in precepting nurses. Method: A descriptive qualitative approach was adopted to explore the experiences of 14 nursing preceptors across six polyclinics over a three-month period. Individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted, and thematic analysis was used to analyse the data collected. To ensure scientific rigour and trustworthiness of the study, credibility, dependability, confirmability and transferability have been applied during the study process. Findings: The analysis revealed four themes: (i) Importance of knowledge transfer; (ii) Fulfilling experience of preceptor role; (iii) Challenges faced from preceptorship; and (iv) Lack of recognition and opportunity. Implications to practice: Nurse preceptors should be given the opportunity to attend courses or talks to enhance their knowledge on educational and research developments as well as teaching seminars to maintain and build effective relationships with their preceptees. Nursing managers should prioritise the professional development of their nurse preceptors and consider strategies to recognise the substantial contributions of preceptors to ensure that preceptors are appreciated. Conclusion: Nurse preceptors have an important role to play in guiding, inspiring and supporting the future generation of nurses and the experiences of nurse preceptors cannot be undermined. More research should be done to support nurse preceptors and improve their experience.