The meaning of preceptorship: nurses' lived experience of being a preceptor

Kerstin Öhrling, Ingalill Rahm Hallberg

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

AIM OF THE STUDY: This phenomenological study is aimed at illuminating nurses' lived experience of the process of preceptoring and the meaning of preceptorship in a Swedish context. METHODS: Seventeen nurses from the North of Sweden with varied previous experience of preceptorship volunteered to participate. Their narratives, describing their experience of being a personal preceptor for a student nurse during practical training on a hospital ward in the third year of a 3-year diploma programme within a university college of nursing in Sweden, were transcribed verbatim. A phenomenological-hermeneutic interpretation disclosed the themes 'sheltering the students when learning' and 'facilitating the students' learning', together with eight sub-themes, which created an understanding of the meaning of preceptorship. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION: The meaning of preceptorship was understood as reducing the risk of the students learning helplessness and empowering the students when learning in practice. The meaning of preceptorship highlighted the need for further preceptor support and development of the role of the preceptor. On the basis of the findings, suggestions were made to increase the preceptors' awareness of values in nursing practice and use of pedagogical strategies in the process of preceptoring. Through such strategies a reciprocal development of the preceptors' and the faculty's knowledge may take place, to the best advantage of the students' learning and the development of the profession.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)530-540
JournalJournal of Advanced Nursing
Volume33
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2001

Bibliographical note

The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015.
The record was previously connected to the following departments: Caring Sciences (Closed 2012) (016514020), The Vårdal Institute (016540000)

Subject classification (UKÄ)

  • Nursing

Free keywords

  • preceptorship
  • preceptor–preceptee relationship
  • nursing practice
  • nurses
  • student nurses
  • nursing education
  • lived experience
  • phenomenological-hermeneutic analysis

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