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What Is a Nurse Preceptor?

Date
August 30, 2023
Image
A nurse preceptor sits on a hospital bench discussing an x-ray with a new nurse.

Today’s health care industry is constantly changing and evolving. This fast-paced progress affects nurses, who adapt to new technologies, methodologies, regulations, payment structures and more, all while maintaining a focus on delivering the highest standards of patient care. To guide nurses as they continue to meet this challenge, many hospitals and health systems employ nurse preceptors.

What is a nurse preceptor’s role? These nursing professionals mentor other nurses, particularly less experienced ones. Nurse preceptors play an essential role in developing strong nursing teams, helping train and coach the next generation of caregivers, and helping veteran nurses stay flexible in response to change.

For those with advanced nurse training, the nurse preceptor role can be a deeply rewarding way to nurture and develop a resilient nurse workforce.

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What Does a Nurse Preceptor Do?

The basic function of nurse preceptors is to offer support, resources, and educational opportunities to both nursing teams and individual nurse professionals.

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Nurse Preceptor Duties and Responsibilities

While the specific duties and responsibilities of a nurse preceptor can vary from one health care facility to the next, typical tasks include:

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Setting SMART Goals

One of the most significant tasks of a nurse preceptor is setting goals for new nurses, giving them a sense of direction as they transition into health care work. Often, nurse preceptors set goals using the SMART framework — goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.

While SMART goals may look different from nurse to nurse, some typical examples include:

Ultimately, nurse preceptors may deploy SMART goals to help other nurses develop skills, enhance clinical knowledge, and strengthen confidence.

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Nurse Preceptor Skills

Succeeding as a nurse preceptor includes mastering and applying many valuable core competencies. Important nurse preceptor skills include the following.

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What Is a Nurse Preceptor Salary?

Nurses are typically drawn to the preceptor role because they are passionate about professional development and because they are enthusiastic about helping new nurses adapt to this challenging yet rewarding vocation.

Aspiring nurse preceptors should establish pay expectations early. What is a nurse preceptor's salary, on average? The median annual salary was approximately $78,000, according to November 2022 information from the compensation website Payscale.

Many factors can affect the nurse preceptor's salary, including years of experience, level of education, geographic area, and more.

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Lead the Next Generation of Nurses>

Nursing is an invaluable profession, helping patients reap the benefits of excellent clinical care. It can also be fast-paced and swiftly evolving. To transition into a new nursing role, or to continue to receive professional development, mentorship is a must. That’s exactly what a nurse preceptor offers.

One way to prepare for a nurse preceptor position is to obtain an advanced nursing education. Hawai’i Pacific University’s online Master of Science in Nursing to Doctor of Nursing Practice program supplies nurses with the training to pursue diverse career goals, including the crucial role of nurse preceptor.

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Sources

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