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May 22, 2012 (Cleveland)

Hospital Nurse Preceptors Prepare to Mentor Pre-Licensure Nursing Students

The Practice-Gap Pilot Project, Mentoring the Next Generation of Nurses for Professional Practice, continues to move along. Over the next few weeks, 10 of the 20 nurse preceptors from four hospitals including Mercy Regional Medical Center, EMH Regional Medical Center, University Hospitals and Lake Health will complete the Indiana University School of Nursing web-based preceptor course focused on general teaching concepts.

This pilot project, developed by The Center for Health Affairs workforce initiative, NEONI, and financially supported through a grant from the GCHA Board, is intended to assist in addressing the nursing practice gap and ensure that new nurses entering the workforce are prepared to deliver competent care to patients. Included as part of the pilot project is a toolkit specifically developed to address identified low-scoring competencies, including:

• understanding the principles of evidence-based practice
• utilization of clinical technologies
• ability to anticipate risk
• conflict resolution
• ability to keep track of multiple responsibilities
• ability to prioritize
• delegation of tasks
• completion of individual tasks within expected time frames

In addition to the online course and toolkit, a weekly blog, facilitated by nursing educators from Ursuline College and Lorain County Community College, will also be utilized to discuss the identified competencies and teaching strategies with peers. 

Following the completion of the education process, participating nurse preceptors will precept five pre-licensure nursing students from LCCC and five students from Ursuline for eight weeks in mid-June. Upon graduation and nine months of work experience, participating students’ core competencies will be evaluated through a survey to measure the effectiveness of a proper preceptor experience, and in turn improve the nursing practice gap and ensure new nurses are prepared to deliver competent care.

In the fall 2012 semester, 10 more pre-licensure students will work with 10 more hospital nurse preceptors. If you have questions regarding NEONI’s Nursing Practice-Gap Pilot Project, please contact Pam Waite at 216.255.3650 or pamela.waite@chanet.org.