Strategies to develop and inspire preceptors

Evaluate your preceptor program

Not sure where to start? This tool will help you identify your preceptor program's greatest opportunity for improvement.

Tool 1: Preceptor program diagnostic (see page 6)

Resources:
Fillable preceptor program diagnostic form

Focus on new preceptor development

While most organizations provide some type of preceptor training, it is often long, didactic, and includes too many topics. Start with Tool 2 to create or update your organization’s training for new preceptors to ensure it focuses on the most important skills. Then use Tool 3 to make the training interactive.

Tool 2: How to develop effective training for new preceptors (see page 12)

Resources:
Preceptor training topic checklist

Tool 3: Guide to preceptor role-play (see page 21)

Resources:
Editable participant role-play handout: Delivering actionable feedback

Editable participant role-play handout: Developing clinical reasoning in new graduate nurses

Editable participant role-play handout: Communicating preceptee performance to nurse leaders

Editable facilitator’s guide to running role-play exercises

Reinforce skills with ongoing preceptor support

Few organizations provide development opportunities for preceptors beyond initial training. As a result, some preceptors find it challenging to continue developing their skills. The following three tools help provide ongoing support and development to preceptors. Each tool can be used independently. However, we recommend implementing these tools in order, starting with Tool 4, which is the simplest to implement.

Tool 4: Give preceptors teaching cheat sheets (see page 30)

Resources:
Editable preceptor cheat sheets

Tool 5: How to select the right advanced training for experienced preceptors (see page 37)

Resources:
Editable preceptor training survey

Tool 6: Identify expert preceptors to provide peer support (see page 44)

Resources:
Legacy Health’s nursing preceptor rubric

Expert preceptor audit

How to run a “dots” exercise

Case profile of Legacy Health’s tiered precepting model (see page 86)

Case profile of Indiana University Health’s targeted skills intensive preceptor model (see page 28)

Maximize the impact of preceptor recognition

Preceptors do not always receive the appreciation they deserve—which can contribute to burnout. The following tool helps create a meaningful preceptor recognition strategy that is feasible to implement at your organization.

Tool 7: Select the right recognition tactics for your preceptors (see page 50)

Resources:
Editable starter list of preceptor recognition tactics

Editable preceptor recognition survey

Raise the bar on preceptor recruitment

With a growing number of new-graduate nurses entering the workforce, preceptors are in high demand and many organizations struggle to recruit enough staff into the role—let alone the right staff for the role. The following two tools can help improve preceptor recruitment at your organization.

Tool 8: Help unit leaders pitch the preceptor role (see page 58)

Resources:
Editable unit leader’s guide to recruiting effective preceptors

Editable talking points to introduce the guide to unit leaders

Editable preceptor recruitment flyer

Tool 9: Screen for high-quality preceptors with behavioral-based interviewing (see page 65)

Resources:
Editable BBI preceptor interviewing guide

Special Resource: Nurse preceptor competency reference guide