Preceptor Experience

You will receive your assigned preceptor in advance of your Capstone course so that you can arrange a schedule with your preceptor. Once the schedule is determined, you are expected to adhere to those hours. You may need to modify your personal schedule to accommodate your preceptor. When setting up your schedule, please work with your preceptor to plan one make-up day in advance, should your preceptor need to adjust the schedule. If you are sick or otherwise unable to attend a scheduled day with your preceptor, you must notify your preceptor and clinical course instructor immediately.

You will be required to complete 90 clinical hours with your preceptor in your Capstone clinical course. Please make every effort to complete all 90 clinical hours prior to the end of Unit 9 of the Capstone term.

In addition, before starting your rotation with your assigned site, it is your responsibility to complete any site-required training or compliance documents and review the course learning

If you are terminated from a preceptorship experience, you must meet with the School of Nursing academic leadership to review the situation. Termination from a preceptor experience may result in course failure and/or disciplinary action under the Code of Student Conduct.

Communication must occur between you, your course instructor, preceptor, and faculty to ensure that the clinical activities are arranged and occur in a manner that facilitates your achievement of the course outcomes.

Code of Student Conduct and Nursing student expectations:

• Demonstrate professionalism in appearance, behavior, and communication.

• Perform all invasive nursing procedures and medication administrations in the presence of your preceptor. Some examples of invasive nursing procedures include, but are not limited to, foley catheter insertion, IV insertion, wound care.

• Maintain confidentiality and privacy while demonstrating awareness of age, cognitive deficits, spirituality, cultural differences, emotional/mental status, functional deficits, and environmental/social influences of patients.

• Create a climate of mutual trust while interacting with patients.

• Demonstrate knowledge of common lab values and diagnostic studies, and accurately interpret results.

• Demonstrate sound judgment in developing the treatment plan including pharmacology and non- pharmacological therapy.

• Accurately document assessment findings.

• Deliver safe care.

• Act as a guest in the facility.

• Seek opportunities to enhance knowledge and skills.

• Accept and respond to performance feedback in a professional manner.

• Accept personal responsibility for professional development.

• Document evaluation of clinical site, clinical experience and preceptor and submit documents to assigned faculty each shift.

• Be punctual for all scheduled clinical sessions.

• Orient students and preceptors to clinical roles and responsibilities.

• Identify clinical objectives with the student and preceptor.

• Communicate periodically with the preceptor and student about progress in meeting goals and provide feedback. A minimum of three meetings through phone, virtual meeting, or in-person conferences per term is required.

• The first meeting should occur during the first two weeks of an academic term.

• The second meeting should occur at approximately mid-term (week 4 or 5).

• A final meeting for the end of the term (week 9 or 10).

• Assess selection of patients within the preceptor environment to ensure adequate learning experiences through periodic review of clinical logs.

• Respond to concerns of the student and preceptor in a timely manner.

• Evaluate student’s clinical progress through communication with the student and preceptor, review of clinical log and documentation, and written evaluation by preceptor and faculty.

• Introducing the student to the facility staff and providing orientation to the clinical setting.

• Providing guidance to the student, serving as a professional role model, and demonstrating clinical expertise in the area of practice.

• Assuring there is appropriate space and room within facilities for the student’s clinical experience.

• Selecting and overseeing appropriate clinical experiences to meet the student’s course objectives and clinical expectations.

• Assessing the student’s knowledge and skills on an ongoing basis, providing timely formative and summative feedback.

• Participate in scheduled phone calls, virtual meetings, and in-person meetings with the student and faculty member to discuss the student’s progress.

• Immediately notifying the designated faculty of any concerns related to the student’s behavior or performance.

• Providing the student and faculty with formative and summative evaluation of clinical performance.