Preceptor Resources

Grad Nursing Preceptor Orientation

Resources for Graduate Nursing Clinical Experiences

2023 NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN - UTA Graduate Preceptor of the Year:

What is the UTA Graduate Preceptor of the Year Award?

Graduate nursing preceptors offer their services on a voluntary basis and are committed to assisting the College of Nursing and Health Innovation with delivering a high-quality educational experience. The Graduate Nursing Department will recognize a Preceptor of the Year in each graduate nursing track that includes precepted clinical experiences (AGACNP, ACPCNP, FNP, NNP, PACNP, PPCNP, PMHNP, MSN education). Preceptors who demonstrate excellence may be nominated for the award.

Nomination Details

Persons interested in nominating a preceptor will complete the nomination form online. The form must be submitted by the stated deadline. The Preceptor Recognition Task Force (PRTF) will choose award recipients and they will be recognized at the “All Graduate” meeting each fall. The deadline for current nominations is April 30, 2023.

To qualify for nomination, preceptors must meet the following criteria:

  • Hold an active, unencumbered provider license (NP, PA, DO, MD, LCSW, therapist) in the state in which the precepting experience occurred
  • Have a minimum of 1 year experience in the clinical practice setting role of the clinical program specialty
  • Serve as a UTA Preceptor for at least 2 semesters in the past 2 years
  • The nominee has not received the award in any category in the past 5 years

An online nomination form will be made available to all students, faculty, and staff. A separate nomination form must be completed for each nominee. All nominees will receive a letter letting them know of their nomination and the awardee will receive a personalized award.

Preceptors will be recognized at an event in the Fall 2023.

Precepting with CONHI Graduate Programs

UTA CONHI offers several graduate nursing programs and certificate offerings including seven distinct Nurse Practitioner specialty tracks and a Nursing Education program. Clinical practice requirements are aligned to the NP population focus and are used by the clinical coordination team to ensure that the settings and preceptors are appropriate to each student’s NP population focus prior to clearing a student for clinical.

You may click on each of the program/specialty track links to view the associated clinical practice course requirements, course description, and student learning outcomes.

Preceptor Requirements

All preceptors are required

  • to hold active, unencumbered provider license in the state in which the Precepting experience will occur.
  • have a minimum of one-year experience in the clinical practice setting role of the clinical program specialty.
  • have a graduate level education
  • clinical experience setting must align with the respective graduate nursing MSN Education program or MSN NP specialty track clinical requirements.
  • MSN Education program, a preceptor must have a minimum of one year of experience in Nurse Education with two years of experience in nursing. The primary responsibility of the preceptor must be in nursing education, and the preceptor must teach nurses or nursing students directly in the clinical (hospital) or didactic (academic) setting.

Contact

For communication during a clinical preceptorship, please contact the faculty member as first line of correspondence. You may also contact the program director or the graduate administration team for matters requiring more immediate assistance or for questions about becoming a preceptor.

Contact Information

Program/Track-Specific Core and Clinical Course Outcomes

You may click on each of the following program/specialty track links to view the associated clinical practice courses and course outcomes.

You will be offered:

  • A honorary title of Graduate Nursing Clinical Education Specialist for the academic year you are a preceptor
  • Access to our electronic resources for the academic year
  • Access to the University Library
  • An opportunity to participate in free continuing education courses

In addition to traditional library resources, UTA College of Nursing is excited to offer preceptors access to McGraw Hill Access Medicine and Case Files. This online resource includes:

  1. A prescribing drug database
  2. Patient teaching handouts
  3. A large library of textbooks, some with CMEs
  4. Access to Harrison’s Internal Medicine with updated chapters published online
  5. Access to Case Studies, some with CMEs available

Once you have your NETID, we will send more information on how to access the UTA library as well as Access Medicine and Case Files.

Consider the “Ask, Tell, Ask” Method:
Ask students how they performed on a specific task (ex. Presenting the case) This promotes self-reflection. 
Tell them your observations and offer specific, guided methods for improvement. 
Then Ask how their behavior will change going forward.

Consider the ONE MINUTE PRECEPTOR (OMP) Method

  1. Get a commitment from the student: Encourage the articulation of thoughts, diagnoses, and management plans. Amplify the clinical setting is a safe, learning bridge site between knowledge and practice. “What do you think is going on with the patient?”
  2. Probe for supporting evidence/observations: Promote students to verbally work through or “think out loud” and provide rationales for diagnosis, treatment, and plan of care interventions. “What findings led you to this diagnosis? Any differential diagnosis?”/li>
  3. Teach a general principle: Students can examine one encounter to understand how a guideline can be applied to future encounters. “When a patient presents with dysuria, we must rule out urinary tract infection.”
  4. Reinforce what was done well: Detailed, positive, behavior-based feedback should be provided at least daily and when appropriate. This aids in building a student’s self-esteem. “I like how you…”
  5. Correcting mistakes/Conclusion: Use sensitive language for correction. Avoid stating this is wrong and state “it may be best” or “this is not the best”. Encourage self-assessment and self- reflection. This allows students to identify their shortcomings. If the preceptor must point out errors be timely, direct, and positive. “a x-ray is not the best test for this patient, a MRI would be appropriate”

Precepting Highlights

  • Prepare for the clinical day.
  • Stay current on skills and guidelines.
  • Keep the lines of communication open.
  • Meet with the student before, during, and after the clinical rotation about their goals.
  • Assess if they have met their goals.
  • Appraise the student, meet students where they are, and cultivate their skills.
  • Foster a safe educational environment.
  • Provide clear, concise feedback.
  • Use strategies such as “Ask, Tell, Ask”and “One Minute Preceptor”.
  • Peruse the NONPF “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)” for a quick reference on precepting.
  • Use the “AANP/NONPF Preceptor Checklist” as a reference.
  • NONPF website addresses encountering different student personalities.

Office Based One Minute Preceptor

One Minute Preceptor (OMP) – Neher, J. & Stevens, N. (2003). The one-minute preceptor: Shaping the teaching conversation. Family medicine, 35(6), 391–393.

AANP/NONPF Preceptor and Faculty Expectation Checklist. – Pitts, C., Padden, D., Knestrick, J., & Bigley, M. B. (2019). A checklist for faculty and preceptor to enhance the nurse practitioner student clinical experience. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 31(10), 591–597. https://doi.org/10.1097/jxx.0000000000000310

National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) Preceptor Portal

Quick Tips/FAQs Reference from NONPF 

If you are new to precepting or seasoned, it is always good to meet students where they are and help UTA grow the Advanced Practice Nurses of tomorrow.

Be…

  • A mentor and role model
  • Current in skills and guidelines
  • Willing to work with a beginner to an advanced student
  • Supportive of the student’s evolution and program of choice
  • Willing to provide productive feedback
  • Willing to devote the time
  • Eager to share the joy of precepting with your peer. If a colleague has an intriguing practice, be an advocate for precepting.

Effective Clinical Teaching Strategies

  • Communicate with the student and identify their goals for the clinical rotation
  • Identify teaching strategies to meet the individual student’s learning needs
  • Assess student performance, clinical reasoning, and deduction
  • As an alternative to answering questions encourage the students to answer their inquiry first. Guide towards the correct answer, if incorrect.
  • Provide case studies constructed from former patient encounters or articles for the student to complete and return. Require a diagnosis and treatment plan, at minimum, upon return to clinic
  • Provide current information on noteworthy studies or articles and require an overview on return to clinic.

Daily Clinical Operations

  • Prepare for the day with your preceptee and scheduled patients list.
  • Assist in the introduction between the student and patients.
  • Prepare for the patient encounter with the student prior to entering the room.
  • If the student is a beginner, focus on problem-based issues with patients, such as ear assessments or acquiring history. This provides opportunities for growth.
  • Provide concise, daily feedback. This can be completed once at the end of the day.
  • Encourage students to write down nonemergent questions to discuss over break and at the end of the day to improve time management.