Nursing Preceptor / Residency Supervisor Information
Welcome and thank you for choosing to be a preceptor for our Graduate, Post-Graduate Certificate, and Doctoral Nursing Students. This page provides essential information and links that will clarify and expedite the clinical preceptor experience.
Our graduate students will need preceptors with backgrounds as Clinical Nurse Specialists in Adult Health (CNS), Family Nurse Practitioners (FNP), and Nurse Administrators. Our doctoral students will need preceptors with backgrounds in Community Behavior, Direct Practice, Leadership/Administration, or Practitioner/Educator roles.
Duties of a Preceptor-Residency Supervisor
The nursing faculty member carries the responsibility for overall leadership, coordination, and supervision, and evaluation of the designated practicum. The primary functions of the faculty member are as follows:
- Select or assist the student to select the sites for graduate student practica.
- Select or assist the student to identify the adjunct clinical faculty who will cooperate with the university.
- Interpret the practicum experience to the health care agency and/or the prospective adjunct clinical faculty.
- Coordinate and communicate schedules, deadlines, and other information in fulfilling the practicum goals.
- Supervise and evaluate the graduate student’s development, progress, and overall performance.
- Arrange for periodic conferences with the graduate student and the adjunct clinical faulty (if applicable), as needed.
- Prepare evaluation criteria, and provide the criteria to the students in writing.
- Provide feedback after observation of the student’s performance of a clinical assignment.
- Serve as liaison during the practicum experience that involve adjunct clinical faculty.
- Assist students to obtain affiliation agreements between clinical agency and GSU.
In addition to university faculty, two categories of clinical agency personnel may be involved in student clinical learning experiences. These roles are preceptor/residency supervisor and clinical resource person. Following are the requirements, roles, and responsibilities ascribed to these positions.
Requirements:
- Registered Nurse – depending upon program/degree of the student, the preceptor/residency supervisor must have a Clinical Nursing Master’s Degree, a Family Nurse Practitioner Master’s Degree
- DNP students consult with the faculty for requirements for the residency supervisor
- Excellence in specialty area chosen by student
Roles/Responsibilities:
- Meet with the graduate student prior to the beginning of the practicum.
- Discuss the graduate student’s clinical objectives for the practicum.
- Plan the activities needed to meet the clinical objectives with the student.
- Orient the nursing staff to the graduate student’s purpose and objectives for the clinical experience.
- Provide the student with the opportunities to design his/her own teaching strategies and evaluation tools.
- Review appropriate materials with the student.
- Assist the student in developing and using self-evaluation techniques.
- Participate in three-way evaluative conference(s) attended by student, professor, and the adjunct clinical faculty regarding the student’s progress.
- Notify course faculty immediately of any concerns.
Requirements:
- Registered Nurse, preferably with a B.S. or M.S. in nursing
- Competency in specialty area or leadership role at clinical site.
Roles/Responsibilities:
- Meet with the student prior to the beginning of the practicum.
- Discuss the student’s clinical objectives for the practicum experience.
- Orient the nursing staff to the student’s purpose and objectives for the clinical experience.
- Participate in conferences with the student and the course professor as needed regarding student progress.
- Facilitate contacts with other appropriate resource people
The student should meet with the preceptor to review the student’s learning objectives before the practicum starts. The student should have previously met with the course instructor to discuss and select potential objectives. The preceptor may want to adjust the objectives to what is feasible in the practice setting. At some point in the practicum, the student, preceptor, and instructor should meet at least twice to discuss student progress. If the student is not progressing successfully, a remediation plan should be mutually agreed upon by all three parties. The final grade will be determined by the course instructor with input from the preceptor.
Benefits
While students are the main beneficiaries of working with the preceptor, there are some rewards for the preceptors themselves.
- Preceptors receive CEU credits for supervising students. The ANCC form is to be filled out and returned to the instructor for the course in which you are precepting a student.
- Library privileges (use of databases) may be accessed through our library liaison.
- As a preceptor, you have the option of a tuition waiver for one credit hour at Governors State University. Please fill out the Preceptor Tuition Waiver Form and return to Dr. Nancy MacMullen, Chair, Department of Nursing, Governors State University, 1 University Parkway, University Park, IL 60484.
Resources
Downloadable PDF handbooks are available for both the Master's Graduate Nursing program and the Doctoral program. Each handbook covers program details and clinical requirements in depth.
Reviewing the core competencies for your level, undergraduate, graduate or doctoral, will help you understand the standards you'll be expected to meet throughout the program.
Preceptor Orientation:
Handbook Link below: