While nurse education migration into the Higher Educational sector has been a feature of
virtually all developed countries, there are jurisdiction distinctions in terms of programme
structure and integration of clinical teaching. Approximately half of a BSc nursing programme is
clinically based. While in Australia there is a strong emphasis on simulated clinical environ- ments
to deliver this element of the education, in Ireland and the UK, this is predominantly supported by
real clinical placement experience. To provide some continuity of the learning environment, students
on clinical placement in Ireland are 'supervised' by nurses charged with a preceptorship role. This
is a derivative of the more traditional 'mentor', with a greater focus on the teaching and learning
aspects of the relationship. With little objective evidence to date of how preceptorship is working or
how it supports the integration of theory and practice, a preliminary survey was conducted of
midlands based preceptors, to be followed by a matched analysis of student perceptions. The survey
was delivered in hard copy and electronic form and though analysis to date has generated baseline
data on preceptor profiles, role and organisational support, it has also raised many additional
questions, amongst them being:
� Differential benefits/dis- advantages of preceptorship v mentorship?
� Need for greater recognition and reward of preceptorship?
� Value of separating 'mentoring' role from assessment?
� Value of greater integration of HEI based clinical assessment ?
Other significant findings of the study, include - evidence that preceptors have a difficulty
with recording student failure, potential conflicts between delivery of preceptorship and health
service needs and the fact that a significant proportion of nurses who undertake preceptorship
training don't subsequently take on the role.
Contact: Aideen O'Connor, and Elaine Fallon, Department of Nursing & Health Science,
Athlone Institute of Technology,
and Pauline Coughlan, Centre/or Nurse Education, HSE, Tullamore.
Email:
[email protected]
Email:
[email protected]
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