Nursing is one of the most important and rewarding careers to follow. Of course, it requires the right training and the right people to help you along the way. Mentorship is particularly vital to becoming a nurse and this is where nursing preceptors come into play. In simple terms, a preceptor in nursing is an experienced, licensed practitioner who gives guidance to trainee nurses in a clinical setting.
Becoming a nursing preceptor is actually pretty easy as many top universities around the country are crying out for them. Starting as a mentor at Wilkes university faculty is certainly straightforward and sees you fulfilling a vital role in healthcare training. Along with the chance to train new nurses, you also get to work with a supportive, world-class provider in Wilkes.
But why is this role still so important in training nurses and what benefits does it bring to the preceptor?
Why are preceptors as valuable as ever now?
Preceptors in nursing have always played a vital role in helping the healthcare sector produce new generations of nurses. It is also true that preceptors improve trainee nurses learning outcomes. This is critical to the ongoing longevity of the whole healthcare system. Without newly qualified professionals coming into nursing each year, there would not be anyone to replace those who were retiring.
The above explains why nursing preceptors are still as relevant as ever to the healthcare system. But what is so great about being one?
Satisfaction of paying it forward
Any qualified nurse will remember their own preceptor who helped them when training and will realize how important is to pass on their knowledge. In simple terms, deciding to become a preceptor allows you to pass on the help you got and to share your expertise with a new generation of nursing professionals.
Reinforce your knowledge through teaching
In addition, fulfilling the role of a nursing preceptor also helps to strengthen your own knowledge. This is because the very process of teaching involves having to explain treatments to trainee nurses. By having to mentor them in tasks like this, you can often find your nursing knowledge is refreshed and made stronger.
Exchange of ideas
The last major benefit to being a preceptor in nursing is the exchange of knowledge between you and your student. As you would expect, students are taught the latest ideas and best practices to bring into a clinical setting. These may be ideas you have not heard about before that you pick up from mentoring them.
Nursing mentors are hugely important
Training is key to being successful in most sectors. Finding out what you need to know before starting an online business for example is wise before investing any money into it. As the above shows, preceptors in nursing are also very important still. Not only do they provide the real-world guidance which trainee nurses require but they also help in the transfer of key skills from one generation to the next.
