How to Be a Good Preceptor for Nursing Students

Leader, mentor, expert and teacher are a few words to describe the role of a nurse preceptor. New nurses and student nurses are anxious yet eager to learn new information and skills in a very challenging environment. But their patients are sick and do not want to feel like a training mannequin for a "newbie" nurse. An excellent nurse preceptor is able to bring the level of anxiety down in both the patient and the nursing student, while at the same time instructing and monitoring safety.

Instructions

• 1

  Be confident and knowledgeable in your area. A good preceptor is a seasoned professional in his environment. He has experienced and has seen a number of situations and is able to work through many difficult situations.

• 2

  Take a class or course on how to be a preceptor. It is a myth that only a chosen few make good instructors. This is a skill that is learned, developed and practiced. Many hospitals and health systems offer these types of classes as a way for nurses to move up in the organization.

• 3

  Read books on leadership and teaching. There are many books on the market that discuss positive teaching, leadership and mentoring. One example is "The One-Minute Teacher: How to Teach Others to Teach Themselves," is an excellent resource on how to set goals, nurture a learner and give praise.

• 4

  Remember the past. Often new nurses did not care for their orientation period and the nurse preceptor they were assigned to. Memories of poor training, belittling statements and lackluster guidance still surface many years later. Showing how to Insert catheters and IVs is one part of the training. Preceptors also have a responsibility to teach new nurses how to be good co-workers and employees.