Thank you for your interest in precepting! As a preceptor, you鈥檒l play an essential role in preparing our nurse practitioner students for the real-life challenges of the healthcare field. You鈥檒l collaborate with faculty members and students to enhance the depth of the student鈥檚 nurse practitioner education.

Serving as a role model, you鈥檒l provide students with the opportunity to observe and experience the daily responsibilities of a seasoned clinician. You will help the student understand the practical realities of the practice environment. While topics like time management and prioritization are emphasized in the classroom, the clinical environment allows these skills to come to life.

These experiences help students develop the ability to prioritize patient and family needs while integrating caring and learning into their daily routine, making the dynamic environment more manageable. Your support and guidance are crucial for students as they prepare to be entry-level nurse practitioners.

To create a successful precepting experience, it鈥檚 important to clearly define roles for preceptors, faculty, and students. Specific responsibilities are outlined in the Preceptor Handbook, but in general these fall into the following categories:

Preceptor Roles and Responsibilities

• Clinical Teaching: Provide hands-on clinical instruction and supervision to nurse practitioner students.
• Role Modeling: Demonstrate professional behavior and clinical expertise.
• Feedback and Evaluation: Offer regular, constructive feedback and formally evaluate the student’s clinical performance.
• Learning Environment: Create a supportive and conducive learning environment.
• Collaboration: Work collaboratively with faculty to ensure the integration of theoretical knowledge with clinical practice.
• Patient Safety: Ensure patient safety and quality care during student-patient interactions.
• Documentation: Maintain accurate records of student progress and performance. Verify student clinical hours.

Faculty Roles and Responsibilities

• Student Support: Provide academic guidance and support to students.
• Assessment: Develop and implement methods for assessing student progress and clinical competence.
• Collaboration with Preceptors: Coordinate with clinical preceptors to align clinical experiences with academic learning objectives.
• Evaluation: Conduct regular evaluations of both student performance and preceptor effectiveness.

Student Roles and Responsibilities

• Professional Behavior: Exhibit professionalism in all clinical and academic settings.
• Active Learning: Engage actively in the learning process, both in the classroom and in clinical settings.
• Preparation: Come prepared for clinical experiences and classroom activities.
• Feedback Utilization: Use feedback from preceptors and faculty to improve clinical skills and knowledge.
• Patient Safety: Prioritize patient safety and provide high-quality care under supervision.
• Documentation: Maintain accurate and thorough documentation of clinical experiences and patient care.
• Communication: Communicate effectively with patients, preceptors, faculty, and the healthcare team.
• Self-Assessment: Continuously self-assess to identify areas for improvement and seek additional learning opportunities.

WCU provides career guidance and assistance but cannot guarantee employment. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or position of the school or of any instructor or student.