Benefits and Limitations of Preceptorship Model
Introduction
Preceptorship is a planned period of transition for fresh graduates in the field of nursing. This might also include: midwives and persons who are health professionals as they commence their employment in the health care facilities. During this time, a person is usually helped by a qualified practitioner who makes sure that the intern does not make any mistakes at all. The practitioner helps the intern to be able to develop confidence, and be able to behave according to the way the situation requires him or her to behave. Furthermore, the practitioner helps in providing skills to the intern which he or she is supposed to use in case of any complications or in case a patient is in a very critical condition thus avoiding panicking. Through having the practitioners support, one is able to develop courage thus being able to tackle any medical problem that he or she is likely to encounter. Thus preceptorship is very beneficial to both the interns and the patients. This is because it helps in making sure that the health of the patients is not at stake. Through being supported by the preceptors, the new nurses can be able to treat and offer medical support to the patients properly without making mistakes which can lead to serious complications. Hence patients’ health is guaranteed since it is not easy for the nurses to make mistakes after preceptorship thus making it easy for them to understand how to deal with different conditions at ease. This paper is therefore going to talk about the benefits and the limitations of the preceptorship model both to the graduates, patients and health organizations
The preceptorship model has a lot benefits both to new graduates, patients and the health organizations (Sharples, & Elcock, 2011. First and foremost, this is a training which allows the graduates to be able to interact with the medical conditions thus understanding the way different activities are carried out in the health organization. Secondly, they are also allowed to work alongside professional paramedics who help in making sure that the new graduates do not end up making and y mistakes (Danielsen, 2012). This consequently allows them to be able to have self-confidence thus they can be able to deal with any medical issue that requires their attention. Thirdly they can also be able to avoid and any doubts that they have through working with the professional paramedic. Hence they can be able to ask them any questions that they may be having hence doing the job accordingly without encountering any problems at all (Feldman, & Alexander, 2012).
The consistency of the preceptor is very effective in the development of a successful preceptorship model. This is so because, a single preceptor will be capable of working with the intern through the preceptorship stipulated duration. Having the same preceptor is better than changing the preceptors since it requires building up of the relationship and trust between students and the preceptor. Changing the preceptors tends to affect the students since different preceptors conduct their teachings differently. This may therefore confuse the intern if he or she is not careful, on the other hand, changing the receptors is like starting over again as it takes time for the interns to be able to understand the preceptors way f teaching. A research was conducted basing on the importance of the consistency of the preceptors to the students. More than 86% of the nurses who had gone through preceptorship model confirmed that having a single preceptor creates a good relationship between the preceptor and the intern. Furthermore, this leads to the development of a support network whereby the intern consequently asks the preceptor questions at ease without any problems. This relationship also encourages hard work and determination since the intern tends to follow the footsteps of the preceptor.
One of the main requirement of the newly graduated nurses is to be able to interact well with the health facilities and instruments (Fulton, Lyon, & Goudreau, 2010). This really helps since they can be able to use the health instruments easily without having any problem at all. This therefore makes it easy for them to be able to adjust and control the instruments in the departments that they work with. It is therefore the work of the graduate to ask the paramedics to show them how to deal with such instruments (Billay, & University of Alberta, 2010). The paramedics therefore make sure that the intern is able to work and use the instruments effectively without any problems at all. They can also be able to administer a first aid to a patient thus saving lives (Ciocco, 2016). This therefore requires one to be able to pass through the preceptorship model hence he or she can be able to deal and cater for the problems that the patients are facing within the shortest time possible. This model therefore provides the basic nursing knowledge that one requires in order to be able to deal with any medical condition (Sharples, & Elcock, 2011.
Preceptorship provides the interns with a very good place where they can be able to earn how to conduct their activities. Since the lessons take place in a hospital, this allows interns to be able to exercise effectively because they work under a very creative environment. The learning space is also secure making students to be free while learning without any pressure whatsoever from external areas. The learning place is also full of answers to the questions that they are likely to ask thus nothing seems new since they are in a very comfortable place. Thus learning in such an environment is significant in the creation of self confidence among the interns as they were learning in a hospital hence making them to get used to such conditions. Moreover, working in such a condition helps in making the students to think critically in the way that they will be going to undertake different tasks. Through the creation of an intern patient relationship, this allows the interns to be able to work freely with the patients and understand them. This is because of learning clinical skills which allow them to be capable of working even in critical conditions.
The model allows the intern to work alongside a qualified paramedic who can be able to provide information to him or her when need be. This is one of the major benefits of this model as it allows the intern to work accordingly since he or she will definitely follow what the professional medic does. This therefore makes it easy for the intern to adapt with the medical conditions thus being able to provide medical support at ease (Sharples, & Elcock, 2011. Furthermore, this also helps the interns to be able to avoid making mistakes as they will be able to confirm whatever they want to do hence being able to work effectively and according to the medical problem that they might be supposed to deal with (Feldman, & Alexander, 2012). On the other hand, they can also be able to gain the medical speed that is required of them particularly when dealing with very critical medical conditions. As a nurse, one needs to be able to work very first without making any mistakes particularly when the condition is very serious (Billay, & University of Alberta, 2010). The mode therefore allows the intern to be able to learn how he or she can be able to work effectively without making any mistakes and at a very first speed. Moreover, the intern can be able to clear the doubts that he or she has thus working effectively. The preceptor also acts as a role model of the intern thus making it easy for the intern to follow the way that he or she is working (Ciocco, 2016). The preceptor therefore boosts the working morale of the intern since they will be motivated to work under very critical conditions. The intern can be able to learn new ways of dealing with terrible situations hence making it easy for him or her to be able contain such a situation even when he or she is unable to do it other than giving up.
This model is also beneficial to the patients, as it makes sure that their lives and health is safeguarded (Fulton, Lyon, & Goudreau, 2010). This is because, before the intern becomes employed, he or she must have passed through the preceptorship model which provides him or her with the knowledge of dealing with the patients. The new graduates are therefore able to provide the best medical attention to the patients hence making sure that they are not in any way negatively affected by their support. Hence only a qualified nurse is employed and the safety of the patients is guaranteed since the nurses know how to provide the best medical care (Danielsen, 2012). On the other hand, the nurses are able to understand and avoid making mistakes hence providing the best medical care to the patients (Feldman, & Alexander, 2012).
The health care organizations are able to save the costs of executing different objectives (Sharples, & Elcock, 2011. This consequently allows the health organization to be able to better its performance through the funds earned from the preceptorship models. In addition, the health organization can be able to have qualified nurses who will be able to provide quality services to the patients after passing through the model (Billay, & University of Alberta, 2010). The model boosts the morale of the interns thus they can be able to work with other nurses peacefully without any problems hence providing the best end results. The nurses can also be able to work with the health organization’s instruments effectively thus making sure that the patients are treated according to the way they are supposed to be treated (Ciocco, 2016). Through having qualified medical practitioners, it makes it easy for the health care organization to be able to reach its goals since it has qualified nurses who can be able to work together in order reach a common goal.
On the other hand, the preceptor model has different limitations both to the graduates, patients, and the health organization (Danielsen, 2012). This is consequently because the effectiveness of the preceptor depends on the preceptor. Thus for a graduate to be hardworking and determined, he or she must have a preceptor who is hardworking and determined (Fulton, Lyon, & Goudreau, 2010). This is consequently because the receptor is the role model of the graduate, thus the graduate needs to work according to the way the preceptor works. This consequently limits the way the graduate is supposed to work since they are supposed to follow the footsteps of their role models. The preparation of the preceptors is very significant in making the preceptorship effective, but the preceptors do not prepare themselves adequately. This consequently leads to poor training since the preceptors work without a good working plan. In addition, the preceptors are not involved in the students’ evaluation process. This consequently limits them from being able to provide the best skills to the interns.
Most of the preceptors may be busy and this may be hard for them to guide the graduates according to the way they are supposed to work (Billay, & University of Alberta, 2010). An example is if the health organization has patients with very serious conditions, it makes it hard for the preceptors to help the graduates in conducting different activities. Furthermore, if the preceptor is lazy, then it means that it will be hard for the graduate to learn much from this model thus he or she may not be a good nurse (Fulton, Lyon, & Goudreau, 2010). Thus the services that the nurse might be able to offer may not be effective at all and may lead to deaths or otherwise confusion at work which may easily lead to avoidable deaths. Moreover, it is required of the receptor to plan for the preceptorship but due to a huge workload it may be hard for him or her to plan effectively (Ciocco, 2016). This therefore limits the amount of knowledge that is supposed to be passed. The preceptor consequently passes to the graduate very little information thus making it hard for the graduate to be able to provide the services that are required of him or her.
Preceptorship has been turned into a business since most health organizations only employ health care practitioners who have passed through the model (Billay, & University of Alberta, 2010). This has therefore made it hard for one to be able to identify a qualified preceptor from one who is not qualified (Sharples, & Elcock, 2011). Thus a graduate may have a preceptor who is not qualified since one needs to pass through the model in order to get employed as a qualified nurse in a health organization (Feldman, & Alexander, 2012). The time allocated for the model may also be limited since the preceptor might not have planned well for the model. Furthermore, due to the shortage of staff in health organizations, it may be hard for the preceptors to carry out very effective preceptorships. This therefore makes the graduates vulnerable as they may not be able to provide different services effectively hence putting the lives of the patients at stake. The effectiveness of the preceptorship may not be guaranteed and this makes it hard for the patients to receive quality services (Ciocco, 2016). The nurses may not be able to work accordingly thus offering poor services to the patient which may lead to complications in the future. Moreover, the nurse may make mistakes which may affect the patient thus leading to death. Thus the health organization might not be able to provide effective services to the patients since nurses might not be able to provide the best services to the patients. The criteria which is used in selecting interns and the preceptors is not clear at all, thus any preceptor can be given any intern regardless of the needs of the intern. This consequently makes it hard for the intern to be capable of gaining since the preceptor given to him or her might not have specialized in the areas of weakness of the intern. Thus the intern cannot be able to gain fully from the preceptor.
Conclusion
Preceptorship model is very effective in providing qualified medical personnel who can be able to provide medical services effectively. Graduates, patients and the health organizations enjoy the benefits of this model as it safeguards them all. This model consequently allows the patients to be able to receive quality medical services since the nurses are well trained. The health organization is also able to offer the best services since the nurses are qualified. On the other hand, the preceptorship model as its limitations. This limitations are mainly influenced by the shortage of nurses in the health organizations which leads to an increase in workloads. Thus professional nurses may not be able to offer preceptorship services effectively to the graduates. The graduates may not therefore be able to carry out the services that they are required to carry out effectively hence putting the lives of the patients in danger. Furthermore, preceptorship has been taken as a business thus making it hard for the lessons offered to be effective hence graduates may not be able to deal with very critical medical conditions.
References
Sharples, K., & Elcock, K. (2011). Preceptorship for newly registered nurses. Exeter: Learning Matters.
Fulton, J. S., Lyon, B. L., & Goudreau, K. A. (2010). Foundations of clinical nurse specialist practice. New York: Springer.
Ciocco, M. C. (2016). Fast facts for the nurse preceptor: Keys to providing a successful preceptorship in a nutshell.
Danielsen, R. (2012). The preceptor's handbook for supervising physician assistants. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Feldman, H. R., & Alexander, G. R. (2012). Nursing leadership: A concise encyclopedia. New York: Springer.
Billay, D. B. W., & University of Alberta. (2010). Preceptorship and nurse practitioner education: Navigating the liminal space.
