Precepting a Student

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Outline

Overview

  1. The preceptor role for student
    1. Role model
      1. Resource
      2. Educator
      3. Demonstrator
    2. Even new nurses are preceptors
  2. Preceptor role characteristics
    1. Knowledgeable
      1. Desire to teach
    2. Patient
    3. Enthusiastic
    4. Encouraging

Nursing Points

General

  1. Steps to success
    1. Assess learning needs of student
      1. Collaborate
        1. Set goals/outcomes
        2. Provide ongoing assessment
    2. Create a good learning environment
      1. Share personal experiences
    3. Provide timely feedback
      1. Honest
      2. Respectful
    4. Demonstrate nursing actions
      1. “Think out loud”
        1. Problem-solving visualized
    5. Be open to questions
      1. No stupid questions
      2. Provide clarification

Assessment

  1. Tips for new nurse preceptor
    1. Let your student help you!
      1. Know your states regulations/restrictions
        1. What a student can/can’t do
        2. There are limitations
    2. Take inventory of own practice
      1. Use evidence based guidelines
      2. Abide by regulatory guidelines
      3. Follow facility policies
    3. Remember being a student
      1. Have compassion
    4. You can’t teach everything
      1. Limited time with student
      2. Know current level of education
    5. Make an impact
      1. Demonstrate the right way
      2. Do not complain about being preceptor
      3. Do not teach negative behaviors
      4. Be professional
    6. This role is important
      1. You are influencing the nursing future

Nursing Concepts

  1. Clinical judgement
  2. Communication
  3. Professionalism

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Transcript

Hey guys!  So today I want to talk to you all about what it mean to precept a nursing student.  You are probably thinking to yourself that you’ve barely been a nurse long enough to even worry about this!  But believe you me you will go into work one day and your nursing manager will tell you that you will have a student for the day!  So lets talk a little bit about what that will look like for you. So guys I just want to point out this lesson is regarding a nursing student but we also have a lesson on precepting a new nurse which is a little bit different so be sure to check that out too!

Ok so what is a preceptor to a student nurse?  So for a nursing student you are serving as a their role model, their resource, an educator, and also as a demonstrator of skills.  Keep in mind this may be the first time they have been out of the class room and into the clinical setting where there are real, live, sick patients!

What are the best characteristics that a preceptor can have to be an awesome preceptor? So of course knowledge is super important, having a desire to teach is also helpful, being patient, enthusiastic about nursing in general, and encouraging as this student is embarking on a new adventure in their life!  So I think it is safe to say we all in nursing school had that preceptor that we could tell was really not thrilled about having a student….don’t be that nurse! Try to remember how that felt and break that “nurses eat their young” reputation!

So what are some steps you can take to be a great preceptor to a nursing student?  Assess the learning needs of your student, collaborate with them to set goals and expected outcomes of their time with you.  With these goals make sure you are continuing to assess these outcomes throughout your time together. Provide feedback to your student whether its good or not-so-good be honest and respectful and do this in private as you don’t want to embarass them.  Demonstrate nursing actions and when you do this “think out loud” when you do this this can help the student to understand the thought process that you are taking in providing care. Of course be open to questions from your student…again this could be the first time they are experiencing anything outside of the classroom.  And with that do not ever, every make them feel like their question is stupid!  

What are some tips you can take in becoming the best preceptor?  So guys its ok to let your student help you…provided that they are only doing tasks that they are allowed to do!  Be sure you are extremely familiar with the laws in your state, they are all different, and there are limitations….so it is critical that you know them!  And guys just to add you really need to care about this because you have the nursing license at this point and your student doesn’t! To help in your own confidence as a preceptor take a look at your own practice, are you falling evidence based guidelines, regulatory guidelines, and your facility’s policy….have strong grip on these things to give the best information to your student.  This next tip is simple but effective….try your best to remember how you felt as a student and be compassionate and understanding. This might include wanting to teach absolute everything that you didn’t know as a student….guys you can’t teach everything and that’s ok…you have limited time with a student maybe only one shift and they might not be at the education level in their nursing program to learn certain things yet.  Make an impact on your student. Demonstrate the right way to do things, don’t create poor habits, do not complain about being a preceptor or having a student, and of course be professional in everyway especially with communication. Guys this role is so important in fact you could make or break your student’s thoughts on nursing!

Ok lets review!  A preceptor is a role model, resource, educator, and demonstrator.  Even though you are a new nurse you still may be appointed as a preceptor.  Characteristics that can help you to be amazing as a preceptor to a nursing student include being knowledgeable, having a desire to teach, enthusiastic about nursing, and encouraging to a student.  Steps to being successful are assessing the needs of the student, providing feedback in an honest and respectful way, demonstrating nursing actions while talking about it out loud, and create a positive learning environment.  Tips for a new nursing preceptor include letting the student help while following the nursing laws in your state, looking at your own practice, making a positive impact on your student by being professional and doing things the right way, and finally remembering what it was like to be a student yourself!


A few nursing concepts that we can apply to precpting a student are communication, clinical judgment, and professionalism.  Being professional and have appropriate clinical judgement are crucial when in this role. Communicating with your student is so important to aid in their education.

We love you guys! Go out and be your best self today! And as always, Happy Nursing!

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Transitions HESI Prep

Concepts Covered:

  • Documentation and Communication
  • Preoperative Nursing
  • Legal and Ethical Issues
  • Communication
  • Studying
  • Prioritization
  • Postoperative Nursing
  • Fundamentals of Emergency Nursing
  • Intraoperative Nursing
  • Emergency Care of the Cardiac Patient
  • Delegation
  • Perioperative Nursing Roles
  • Community Health Overview
  • Factors Influencing Community Health
  • Integumentary Disorders
  • Concepts of Mental Health
  • Neurological Emergencies
  • Test Taking Strategies
  • Basics of NCLEX

Study Plan Lessons

Admissions, Discharges, and Transfers
Advance Directives
Advocating For Your Patient
Barriers to Health Assessment
Caring Licensed Practical Nurse Nursing Mnemonic (CLPN)
Charge Nurse
Climbing the Clinical Ladder
Collaboration for Progressive Care Certified Nurse (PCCN)
Communicating with Family Members
Communicating with Other Departments
Communicating with Other Nurses
Communicating With Other nurses
Communicating with Patients
Communicating With Pharmacy, RT, OT, PT
Communicating with Providers
Communicating With Providers
Communicating with UAPs
Communication Course Introduction
Communication of Patient Outcomes (Continuum of Care) for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Confidence Building as a New Grad Nurse
Confidence in Communication
Confidence in Communication – Live Tutoring Archive
Conflict Management (Patient, Perioperative Team, Family) for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
CRNA
Daily Charting
Day in the Life of a Community Health Nurse
Day in the Life of a Labor Nurse
Day in the Life of a Med-surg Nurse
Day in the Life of a Mental Health Nurse
Day in the Life of a NICU Nurse
Day in the Life of a Peds (Pediatric) Nurse
Day in the Life of a Postpartum Nurse
Day in the Life of an ICU (Intensive Care Unit) Nurse
Day in the Life of an Operating Room Nurse
Delegation
Delegation and Personnel Management for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Delegation of Tasks to Assistive Personnel for Certified Emergency Nursing (CEN)
Documentation Basics
Documentation Course Introduction
Documentation Pro Tips
Documenting Escalation (Chain of Command)
Ethical and Professional Standards for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Facilitation of Learning for Progressive Care Certified Nurse (PCCN)
Fall and Injury Prevention
Finding Your First Nursing Job as a New Grad
Fire and Electrical Safety
First Year in Nursing Course Introduction
Flight Nurse
Forensic Nurse
Function Within Scope of Practice for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Fundamentals Course Introduction
Giving Handoff Report
Giving the Best Patient Education
Handling Job Rejection
Handoff Report
HCIR Management (Healthcare Industry Representative) for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Healthcare Team Member Supervision and Education for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
HIPAA
How to Give a Perfect Nursing Report (plus report sheet)
How to Take Nursing Report
How to Write A Nursing Progress Note
ICU Nurse Report to Floor Nurses
Impaired or Disruptive Behavior Reporting (Interdisciplinary Healthcare Team) for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Implant Records and Tracking for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Interdisciplinary Healthcare Team Collaboration for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Interdisciplinary Team Member Functions for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Interdisciplinary Team Participation for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Interviewing with Behavioral Questions
Interviewing with Nurse Manager
Introduction to the Electronic Medical Record (EMR)
Invoicing Process
Joint Commission
Legal Aspects of Documentation
Legal Considerations
Legalities of Charting
License Maintenance
Linen Change
Live Bedside Report OB and PACU
Live Bedside Report Medsurg (Medical surgical)
MSN (Masters) vs. DNP (Doctorate)
Networking 101
NRSNG Live | From Student to Real Nurse
NRSNG Live | Avoiding Legal Issues as a Nurse
NRSNG Live | So You Want to be a Surgical Nurse?
NRSNG Live | The Successful State of Mind
Nurse Educator
Nurse-Patient Relationship
Nursing Care Delivery Models
Nursing Interviews & Resumes Course Introduction
Nursing Report & Communication Course Introduction
Nursing Skills (Clinical) Safety Video
Nursing Skills Course Introduction
OB (Labor) Nurse Report to OB (Postpartum) Nurses
Oncology nurse
Patient and Family Teaching (Per Procedure) for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Patient Communication Techniques for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Patient Confidentiality for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Patient Consent for Treatment for Certified Emergency Nursing (CEN)
Patient Education
Patient Privacy and Dignity Maintenance for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Patient Records and Care Documentation for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Patient Rights Advocacy for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Patient Satisfaction for Certified Emergency Nursing (CEN)
Patient Status Communication for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Patient Status Evaluation (Transfer of Care) for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Patients with Communication Difficulties
Portfolio
Precepting a New Nurse
Precepting a Student
Prioritization
Prioritization
Prioritizing Assessments
Professional Organization Participation for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Provider Phone Calls
Radiation Safety for Nurses
Remaining Calm
Safety Checks
SBAR and How to Give Handoff Report like a BOSS – Live Tutoring Archive
SBAR Communication
SBAR Communication Nursing Mnemonic (SBAR)
SBAR Practice Scenarios
The Top 5 Things You Need To Know About Documentation 1 – Live Tutoring Archive
The Top 5 Things You Need To Know About Documentation 2 – Live Tutoring Archive
Therapeutic Communication
Time Management
Transition To Practice
Transition to Practice Course Introduction
Trusting your Gut
Why CEs (Continuing education) matter