Medical Laboratory Sciences Preceptors: Perceptions of Benefits and Challenges in Clinical Education.

Laboratory preceptors are critical to the quality of the clinical educational experience and play a central role in developing competent future laboratory professionals. This study examined preceptor perceptions of benefits and challenges of providing clinical instruction; assessed preceptor development; and explored associations among benefits and rewards, support, development, and commitment to the preceptor role. Data were collected from preceptors across the United States using an online, self-administered, 37-item survey. From 523 preceptors contacted, 74 responded to the survey. Laboratory preceptors associated meaningful benefits and rewards with the preceptor role. Preceptors were committed to their role, but they had an overall low perception of support provided by employers and academic programs. The main challenges preceptors reported were increased workload, longer workday, and stress related to students' behavior and attitudes. Preceptors also felt inadequately developed in their role, with most having little to no knowledge of the available developmental initiatives. Lack of time was reported to be the greatest barrier to development. This study demonstrates that preceptor commitment may be increased by enhancing their development and perceptions of support. Organizations and academic programs have a collaborative role in retaining preceptor talent and increasing their commitment by effectively addressing preceptorship challenges and development.

A Look at Preceptor Challenges within Organizations: The Case for Medical Laboratory Scientists.

The clinical phase of health professions programs encounters certain challenges that need to be dealt with to achieve desired competencies. It is beneficial to both students and clinical educators, or preceptors, when these challenges are identified and addressed. A 48-question survey was deployed by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) to thousands of clinical educators in the laboratory professions over a 6-week period. The response rate was 6.33% (n=207). Respondents included medical laboratory scientists (43%), medical laboratory technicians (8.2%), phlebotomists (21.7%), clinical laboratory assistants (0.5%) and other laboratory professionals (26.6%) including blood bank specialist, lab manager, blood bank manager, supervisor, etc. This paper reviews two survey questions, a multi-select question and an open-ended question, that are aimed at assessing challenges preceptors face while training students. The multi-select question consisted of a list of potential limitations (time, resources, compensation, staffing, other). Results from the multi-select question indicated that nearly 7.7% (16/207) of respondents have no limitations to training students at their facilities; however, 57% (118/207) indicated staffing issues, 56% (116/207) indicated time constraints, 35.3% (73/207) noted resource limitations, 25.1% (52/207) reported lack of compensation, and 7.2% (15/207) selected "other" limitations. The open-ended question asked what challenges they encountered as clinical educators and was analyzed by thematic analysis. Emergent themes included time (23.7%, 49/207), student engagement (13.5%, 28/207), staffing issues (6.8%, 14/207) and resources (2.9%, 6/207). Collectively, the synthesis of these two questions indicate that the most pressing challenges revolve around constraints in time, inadequate staffing, challenges in effectively engaging and maintaining student motivation, and sustaining focus essential for the successful acquisition of expertise required for laboratory professionals. By identifying the major challenges experienced by clinical educators, this research also reveals the areas where clinical educators need health care administrative support and academic support from faculty.

Implementing the organizational readiness for change survey during a novel midwifery preceptor program in Sierra Leone: stakeholder results.

BACKGROUND: Sierra Leone has one of the world's highest maternal and infant mortality rates and suffers from a shortage of well-trained health professionals, including midwives. Prior to engaging in systematic interventions, it is critical to measure organizational readiness to gauge members' psychological and behavioral preparedness to implement change. We aimed to measure the organizational readiness for implementing change and compare results among midwives and administrative leaders at two schools of midwifery in Sierra Leone prior to the rollout of a midwifery preceptor program. METHODS: The Organizational Readiness for Implementing Change (ORIC) survey is a validated 12-item questionnaire designed to assess two domains of organizational readiness for change: change commitment (motivation) and change efficacy (capacity). All survey items begin with the same prompt and a five-item Likert scale response, with seven questions about change commitment and five about change efficacy. Data collection occurred in two schools of midwifery in Sierra Leone during two day-long meetings with stakeholders. Statistical analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon rank-sum test to compare independent samples: School 1 versus School 2 (site), midwife versus other roles (role). RESULTS: Participants included 42 respondents (mean age 41 years, 95% female). Surveys were distributed evenly between the two sites. Occupations included midwifery faculty (n = 8), administrators (n = 5), clinicians (n = 25), and clinical educators (n = 4). Domain 1 (change commitment) had a mean score of 4.72 (SD 0.47) while Domain 2 (change efficacy) had a mean score of 4.53 (SD 0.54) out of a total potential score of five. There were no statistically significant differences between site responses for Domain 1 (p = 0.5479) and Domain 2 (p = 0.1026) nor role responses for Domain 1 (p = 0.0627) and Domain 2 (p = 0.2520). CONCLUSION: Stakeholders had very high overall readiness for change across all ORIC questions for both change commitment and change efficacy. Mean scores for change commitment were slightly higher which is not surprising given the low-resourced settings stakeholders work in while training students. High mean scores across sites and roles is encouraging as this novel preceptor program is currently being rolled out.

The Premier Medical Education Model: Improving Preceptor Recruitment in Underserved Areas.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Building on research highlighting the success of tribal, rural, and underserved clerkships to increase students' intention to practice family medicine in these areas, we explored the perspectives of prospective precepting physicians and administrators to develop an optimal structure to facilitate recruitment of external preceptors. METHODS: We conducted semistructured interviews with family physicians (N=14) and health system administrators (N=14) working in tribal, rural, and underserved areas. Discussions were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded independently by two researchers. Applying rapid assessment qualitative research methods, we used a framework method to identify emergent themes that were applied to improve the recruitment of external preceptors. RESULTS: Physicians identified key facilitating factors and barriers to serving as a preceptor, which paralleled those common within the existing literature. However, administrators were motivated to serve as a precepting site to increase the potential of recruiting future physicians. We developed the Premier Medical Education Hub model to align these different but compatible interests with the goal to increase preceptor participation. In this model, each host site dedicates staff and adopts standardized procedures to manage rotations, hosts at least five students annually, provides housing, has procedures to facilitate electronic health record access, and offers student immersion experiences. CONCLUSIONS: As practice ownership shifts from physician-owned to health system ownership, administrators become the gatekeepers for prospective preceptors. Our findings demonstrate that integrating the compatible interests between physicians and administrators allows for the creation of a synergistic model that facilitates preceptor recruitment.

The role, the risk, and the reciprocity: creating positive early rural placements in medical education.

INTRODUCTION: The Northern Ontario School of Medicine University seeks to address rural physician shortages in Northern Ontario. One key strategy the school employs is the use of experiential learning placements embedded throughout its undergraduate curriculum. In second year, students embark on two 4-week placements in rural and remote communities. This study sought to explore the factors that contribute to a positive learning experience from the preceptor's perspective. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five community preceptors who have participated in these placements. Using the information from these interviews a survey was created and sent to another 15 preceptors. Data were analyzed using qualitative methods and frequencies. RESULTS: Three key themes were identified from both the interviews and survey data: the role of early rural and remote placements; the risks of these placements; and the need for a reciprocal relationship between institutions, preceptors, and students to create a positive learning environment. CONCLUSION: Preceptors value the opportunity to teach students, but the aims of these placements are not clear and preceptors and local hospitals need more workforce resources to make these experiences positive.

Design and Implementation of a Nursing Capstone Across a Multisite Health System.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic created profound effects in nursing education. Using a robust academic-practice partnership, a college of nursing and a health care organization collaborated to launch Jefferson Capstone Experience (JCE), an education delivery model that included a one-to-one, 108-hour clinical preceptorship between an experienced RN and an undergraduate nursing student. METHOD: The expedited design, implementation, and evaluation of JCE is described. The mixed-method program evaluation included surveys, interviews, and focus groups with students, faculty, and preceptors. RESULTS: Students and preceptors reported high levels of satisfaction with JCE. All parties emphasized the importance of clear and timely communication, academic practice collaboration, and organization. A significant number of capstone graduates accepted a position with a capstone clinical partner. CONCLUSION: Although the logistics of planning and implementation were challenging, an immersive and largely positive experience was created for undergraduate students, which created a robust hiring pipeline of new-to-practice nurses. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(5):292-297.].

"You and Me Do It for the Love of Teaching": Exploring the Expansion of Clinical Training Opportunities for Midwives.

PURPOSE: To better understand the barriers and facilitators to precepting midwifery students from across the healthcare ecosystem in New Jersey. BACKGROUND: Growing the midwifery workforce is a crucial step to alleviating disparately poor perinatal health outcomes and expanding access to care. Difficulty recruiting and retaining preceptors has been identified as a barrier to graduating more midwives. METHODS: In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 19 individuals involved in different stages of the clinical training process: midwives, physicians, and administrators. Transcripts were coded using the tenets of qualitative description and thematic analysis. Analysis was guided by the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services framework. RESULTS: The following themes were identified and organized within the domains identified by our conceptual framework. Evidence: (mis)understanding the benefits of midwifery care and impacts on patient care. Context: the time and energy it takes to precept and practice considerations. Facilitations: developing the next generation of healthcare providers and the quiet and ever-present role of money in healthcare. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study support the importance of approaching midwifery precepting as a multifaceted endeavor, one that necessitates the full support of individuals within many different roles in an organization. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND RESEARCH: Getting buy-in from various levels of the healthcare ecosystem requires a flexible approach but must include a targeted effort toward showing the value of midwifery care in terms of patient outcomes, satisfaction, and cost.

Preceptor Development: Using the American Nurses Credentialing Center Outcome-Based Continuing Education Model©.

Preceptors play a vital role in shaping the growth of every nurse. Effective preceptors lead to better patient outcomes as new nurses are better equipped to deliver high-quality care under the guidance of experienced mentors. Providing a supportive preceptor experience increases job satisfaction and retention rates among new and tenured nurses, ultimately benefiting health care organizations. When designing preceptor development programs, health care institutions should incorporate the Outcome-Based Continuing Education Model© (OB-CE Model©) from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. This column explores how to use the OB-CE Model© to enhance the competency and human skills of preceptors as learners, thereby fostering their development effectively. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(5):212-216.].

Preceptor Boot Camp: Basic Training for Novice Preceptors.

BACKGROUND: A clinical preceptor (CP) provides the vital link to apply didactic learning in clinical practice for nurse practitioner (NP) students. A nationwide shortage of CPs continues. The goal of this pilot project was to evaluate a model for developing preceptors from the school of nursing alumni that addressed modifiable academic barriers to precepting. METHOD: Six NP alumni from the school of nursing participated in a comprehensive novice CP training program based on Kolb's experiential learning theory and unparalleled faculty support through regularly scheduled contact. Pre- and posttests, site visits, and focus groups were used to assess the participants' progress. RESULTS: Participants' self-reported ability to teach and manage time when working with NP students improved, and 83.9% showed improved knowledge of precepting skills. CONCLUSION: Foundational skills and communication are essential elements to support novice CPs. This support may enhance both student and CP experience as well as increase retention of CPs. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(6):283-288.].

A integração ensino-serviço-gestão-comunidade na percepção de preceptores de graduandos na Atenção Primária à Saúde / The teaching-service-management-community integration in the perception of undergraduate students' preceptors in Primary Health Care

Resumo Orientações, normativas e incentivos nacionais como as Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais, o Pró-Saúde e o PET-Saúde, contribuíram para fomentar um importante arranjo formativo conhecido como "integração ensino-serviço-gestão-comunidade". Nesse contexto, a preceptoria na atenção primária à saúde (APS) se destaca. Assim, é relevante conhecer, sob a ótica de preceptores, qual é a participação de cada ator desta integração e quais são as barreiras antipedagógicas e de processo de trabalho que dificultam a preceptoria. Este estudo teve como objetivo compreender fatores facilitadores e dificultadores da integração na perspectiva de preceptores de graduandos no âmbito da APS no município de São Paulo-SP. Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo, do tipo descritivo-exploratório, que utilizou entrevistas semiestruturadas com 14 preceptores, interpretadas pela análise de conteúdo temática. Como barreiras principais foram identificadas: sobrecarga de trabalho, desvalorização da saúde pública, falta de apoio pedagógico e distanciamento da comunidade no processo formativo. Entre as contribuições, destacam-se o trabalho interprofissional e a aproximação entre as instituições de ensino e a gestão quando planejam o estágio. A integração tem importantes questões a serem aperfeiçoadas ao olhar dos preceptores, tendo em vista facilitar a articulação entre os atores e transpor as barreiras formativas.

Abstract National guidelines, regulations and incentives such as the National Curricular Guidelines, Pró-Saúde and PET-Saúde, contributed to fostering an important training arrangement known as "teaching-service-management-community integration". In this context, preceptorship in primary health care (PHC) stands out. Thus, it is relevant to know, from the perspective of preceptors, what is the participation of each actor in this integration and what are the anti-pedagogical and work process barriers that make preceptorship difficult. This study aimed to understand factors that facilitate and hinder integration from the perspective of preceptors of undergraduates within the scope of PHC in the city of São Paulo-SP, Brazil. This is a qualitative, descriptive-exploratory study, which used semi-structured interviews with 14 preceptors, interpreted by thematic content analysis. As main barriers were identified: work overload, devaluation of public health, lack of pedagogical support and distance from the community in the training process. Among the contributions, interprofessional work and the approximation between educational institutions and management when planning the internship stand out. Integration has important issues to be improved from the point of view of preceptors, with a view to facilitating articulation between actors and overcoming training barriers.

A 1-Year Accredited Nurse Residency Program's Effect on Intent to Leave.

OBJECTIVE: This article describes the evaluation of a system-wide program to enhance new graduate nurse resident (NGNR) experience, enculturation, and commitment to the organization. BACKGROUND: Structured nurse residency programs support NGNR transition to the work environment and increase retention and organizational commitment. METHODS: The study used a descriptive, comparative design measuring NGNR perceptions of affective commitment, job satisfaction, job stress, and other variables over 3 times from baseline to 24 months. RESULTS: Findings demonstrated a reduction in affective commitment and an increase in nursing stress from baseline to 12 and 24 months of employment. The highest mean in intent to leave occurred at 12 months, highlighting the vulnerability of the NGNR at that time. CONCLUSIONS: Nurse leaders must consider resources supporting NGNRs beyond the traditional 12 months to ensure retention and organizational commitment, thereby decreasing intent to leave.

Addressing the Challenges of Precepting Students Enrolled in Remote Research Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences.

As a result of restrictions imposed by COVID-19, many researchers have responded to the call for remote, advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) that do not involve direct patient care. The influx of materials on online pedagogy may be difficult for new preceptors to digest while familiarizing themselves with the APPE program. To complement the available guidance on remote learning for new preceptors, we describe our experiences with implementing a remote, research-focused APPE during COVID-19. Common challenges are discussed and potential solutions that may help new preceptors anticipate and overcome barriers to achieving the educational outcomes of research-focused APPE are proposed.

Perspectives, experiences, and opinions precepting advanced practice registered nurse students.

BACKGROUND: Significant growth in advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) student placements for clinical practicums have forced APRN preceptors, hospitals, and clinics to restrict the volume of APRN students they can accommodate. PURPOSE: Describe the experiences and opinions of APRNs regarding their precepting experiences of APRN students in three main areas; placement antecedents, placement postcedents, and preceptor incentives. METHODS: Quality improvement study conducted via electronic survey that contained quantitative short answer and a qualitative open-ended question of APRNs licensed in the State of REDACTED in June, 2019. FINDINGS: A total of 757 surveys were quantitatively analyzed. Qualitative thematic analysis resulted in identifying one overarching theme, the need for shared responsibility and accountability, and six unique primary themes. DISCUSSION: Our findings indicate that APRN preceptors recognize their critical role but lack support and preparation to fully execute academic and profession strategic goals and objectives. There is the need for academic and professional ownership of APRN education at every level.

The relationship between clinical placement duration and students' satisfaction with the quality of supervision and learning environment: A mediation analysis.

Multiple factors that influence the learning experience of nursing students while they are in clinical training have been identified, such as the clinical learning environment, the supervision provided by supervisors, and the level of cooperation with the nurse teacher. The objective was to examine whether the relationship between the clinical placement duration and overall satisfaction with clinical training is mediated by the supervisory relationship and learning environment. A secondary analysis was conducted using the data from a cross-sectional study conducted in 17 higher educational institutions in nine European countries with the Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher scale (n = 1903 pre-registration nursing students). Satisfaction with the supervisor and a good learning environment mediated the relationship between clinical placement duration and overall satisfaction as perceived by the students. Nursing students with longer clinical placement durations were more satisfied with clinical training as a result of both their satisfaction with their supervisor and their perceptions of good learning environment. The optimal duration a nursing student should remain in the different practice settings is approximately 7 weeks.

Strategies for Managing Pharmacy Experiential Education During COVID-19.

In recent months, the coronavirus pandemic has significantly affected almost every industry in the United States, including health care and higher education. Faculty and students at colleges and schools of pharmacy nationwide have needed to quickly adapt as the delivery of curricula has shifted to primarily online format. Additionally, experiential rotations have been significantly affected as practice settings such as hospitals and outpatient clinics have limited students' interactions with patients or stopped allowing students on-site altogether. Our commentary will explore strategies that have been employed by experiential education coordinators and pharmacy preceptors from various settings to navigate experiential education during these difficult times while ensuring students successfully meet requirements for graduation. These will include descriptions of transitioning advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) to virtual format, how to safely involve students in the care of COVID-19 patients, and managing scheduling issues.

Crisis and continuity: Rural health care students respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The COVID-19 outbreak in Winter (2020) has caused widespread disruption for health sciences students undergoing clinical placements-vital periods of experiential learning that cannot be substituted with distance alternatives. For students placed in rural areas, already coping with isolation, precarious supply chains and shortages of essential personnel, the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak may have far-reaching implications for psychosocial wellness, self-efficacy and clinical judgment. Four nursing and eight medical students (n = 12) supplied photographs and commentary documenting the experience of withdrawing suddenly from clinical sites in rural Alberta. Collaborative, thematic analysis revealed continuities between pre- and post-outbreak life, both for the students and their rural hosts. Social determinants of health such as seclusion, environmental hazards, and health-seeking behaviors carried over and compounded the effects of the outbreak on the placement communities and clinical sites. Other continuities included the reliance on technology for clinical and social connectivity, and capitalizing on natural settings to cope with isolation and confinement. Prolonged liminality, lack of closure, and the loss of team identity were the greatest stressors brought on by the suspension of clinical activities. However, the participants felt well equipped to deal with these circumstances through the resilience, adaptability, and community ethos acquired during their placements.

Residency Practice Transformation: Implementation of Team-Based Care in an Academic Continuity Clinic.

BACKGROUND: Team-based primary care has the potential to improve care delivery. However, residency scheduling and precepting models make creating functional ambulatory teams challenging. OBJECTIVE: We describe the team-based care transformation at a large academic internal medicine residency practice. METHODS: On July 1, 2016, the program transitioned to a 6+2 schedule and the clinic was divided into teams. Residents were precepted by 2 team preceptors, social work and care coordination needs were met by team-specific staff, and front desk staff were trained on maintaining primary care physician (PCP) and team continuity. Weekly team meetings provided opportunities for proactive patient and panel management, and preclinic huddles incorporated staff into team functions. Pre-transformation (June 2016) and post-transformation (June 2017) surveys were distributed to residents (n = 131), faculty (n = 14), and staff (n = 65) to assess team functioning. Patient-PCP continuity was monitored on a quarterly basis. RESULTS: Three hundred sixty-two of 420 surveys were returned (86%). The intervention was associated with significant improvements in resident satisfaction (from 3.05 baseline to 4.07 of 5, P < .001) and perceptions of teamwork (4.14 to 4.61 of 6, P < .001), with moderate to large effect sizes. Patient-PCP continuity significantly increased (45% to > 70%). While domain-specific improvements were seen for faculty and staff, no overall changes were noted in their perceptions of teamwork or team-based care. CONCLUSIONS: Team-based care was implemented with significant improvements in continuity and resident satisfaction and perceptions of teamwork; however, the impact on faculty and staff was limited.