Preceptor Development Course

Preceptor Development Course

Nursing Wills Eye Hospital April 2026

Learning Objectives

1. Define the role and responsibilities of a preceptor.
2. Apply adult learning principles to clinical teaching.
3. Utilize Benner’s Novice to Expert framework to guide orientation.
4. Demonstrate effective coaching and feedback techniques.
5. Identify strategies to support psychological safety and learner confidence.
6. Manage performance challenges and difficult conversations.
7. Document and evaluate clinical competency and progression.

The Role of the Preceptor

• The role of the nurse preceptor is to guide, teach, and support a staff member during orientation or transition into a new role, ensuring they develop the clinical competence, confidence, and professional behaviors needed for safe patient care.

Why Preceptors Matter

• Improve staff retention
• Increase patient safety
• Strengthen clinical competency
• Support positive unit culture

Preceptor Responsibilities

• Clinical teaching and supervision
• Role modeling professional behavior
• Supporting orientee confidence
• Evaluating competency and readiness, weekly written feedback.

How Adults Learn

• Adults are self‑directed learners
• Experience shapes learning
• Learning must be relevant to practice
• Problem‑based learning works best
• Action

How Adults Learn

• Learning must be relevant
• Adults need to understand why something matters to their role.
• In Practice:

• Always explain the “why”
• Link skills to patient safety

• Clinical Example:
• “We verify the correct eye every time to prevent wrong-site surgery.”

How Adults Learn

• Adults are problem-oriented (not content-oriented)
• Adults learn best through real-life situations and problem solving, not lectures.
• In Practice:
• Use case studies and scenarios
• Ask critical thinking questions

• Clinical Example:
• “If this patient suddenly reports vision loss, what would you do first?”

Adult Learning Principles

• Self Directed Learners:
• Adults prefer to take ownership of their learning rather than being told what to do.
• In Practice
• Involve the orientee in planning their learning.
• Ask:
• “What would you like to focus on today?”
• “What are you still unsure about?”
• Clinical Example
• Instead of:

“Today you’ll just watch me.”

• Try:

“Would you like to try this skill with guidance today?”

Adult Learning Principles

• Adults bring prior experience.
• Learners come with past knowledge, habits, and experiences that influence how they learn.
• In Practice:
• Assess baseline knowledge early.
• Connect new learning to past experience

• Clinical Example:
• “You mentioned working in med-surg—how does this compare to what you’ve done before?”

Adult Learning Principles

• Adults learn best by doing.
• Hands-on practice is more effective than passive learning.
• In Practice:
• Use the Clinical Teaching Model:
• 👉 Teach → Demonstrate → Practice → Observe → Coach → Validate

• Clinical Example:
• Show how to administer eye drops
• Then have the orientee perform it
• Provide feedback immediately

Knowledge Check

Knowledge Check

Knowledge Check

Clinical Teaching Strategies

• Demonstrate clinical skills
• Allow guided practice
• Ask clinical reasoning questions
• Debrief after patient care events

Clinical Teaching Model

• Teach the concept
• Demonstrate the skill
• Observe orientee performance
• Coach and guide improvement
• Validate competency

Benner's Novice to Expert Model

• Novice
• Beginners with no experience, relying heavily on rules and context-free instructions to function.

• Advanced Beginner
• Demonstrates acceptable performance after having prior experience in actual situations; begins to identify recurring patterns.

Benner's Novice to Expert Model

• Competent
• Typically, 2–3 years of experience in similar situations. These nurses act intentionally, with efficiency and organized planning.

• Proficient
• Perceives situations holistically rather than in separate pieces. They

understand what to expect and can modify plans based on long-term goals.

• Expert
• Operates with a deep understanding of situations, using intuition rather

than relying on rules, guidelines, or maxims.

Communication and Feedback

Effective Feedback Principles

• Give feedback in real time

• Focus on behaviors not personality

• Be clear and objective

• Balance positive and corrective feedback

SBI Feedback Model

• Situation – when the event occurred

• Behavior – what was observed

• Impact – why it matters

• Clinical example:

• (SBI Model)
• Situation: “During medication administration…”
• Behavior: “You didn’t verify the patient ID…”
• Impact: “This could affect patient safety…”

Clinical Judgment Coaching

Questions Preceptors Should Ask

• What are you noticing about the patient?

• What concerns you most right now?

• What do you think is happening?

• What is your next action?

Clinical Judgment Steps

• Recognize cues

• Analyze cues

• Prioritize hypotheses

• Take action

• Evaluate outcomes

Psychological Safety

Creating a Safe Learning Environment

• Encourage questions

• Normalize learning mistakes

• Avoid shaming language

• Promote respectful communication

Managing Challenges

Performance Concerns

• Identify concerns early

• Provide coaching and clear expectations

• Document observations

• Collaborate with educator or leadership

Competency Evaluation

• Direct observation

• Return demonstration

• Simulation exercises

• Competency checklists

Interactive Activity

Think about the best preceptor you ever had. What behaviors made them effective?

Scenario Discussion

A new nurse becomes overwhelmed during a busy shift. How would you support them as a preceptor?

Knowledge Check

Knowledge Check

Knowledge Check

Thank You

Great preceptors build confident clinicians and safer patient care.

References

• Adult Learning Theory (Knoles)
• American Nurses Association
• From Novice to Expert (Benner)
• Just Culture and Psychological Safety Principles