Nurses' perceptions of preceptorship of undergraduate students in clinical context

Abstract

Background: Nurses' perceptions of preceptorships for undergraduate nursing students are crucial for designing effective and tailor-made strategies to improve nurses' involvement, motivation, commitment, and satisfaction in preceptorships. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine nurses' perceptions of preceptorships for nursing students in two hospitals located in northern Spain. Settings: This study was conducted in two highly specialized, medium-large, university tertiary care hospitals, including one public and one private hospital, located in northern Spain. Participants: The participants of this study were clinical nurses in private and public health centers who had been preceptors for at least one year. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out between October 2021 and April 2022, with a total sample of 307. The validated “Involvement, Motivation, Satisfaction, Obstacles and Commitment” (IMSOC) questionnaire was used. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis were carried out. The variables included sex, age, educational level, preceptorship training, professional experience, work sector, work setting, and type of contract. Results: The mean global questionnaire score was 115.25 ± 33.86 (95 % CI: 111.62–123), with the highest score obtained for the “Involvement” dimension (29.96; SD: 9.23; 95 % CI: 29.01–34.87). Age showed statistically significant negative correlations with the overall and dimension scores (p < 0.05). Comparisons by work sector and type of contract reflected that nurses working in the private sector and those with permanent contracts had higher motivation and commitment scores. Conclusions: Preceptors had positive perceptions of their role in undergraduate nursing students' education. Age, work sector, type of contract and time allocation should be considered when designing strategies to enhance the involvement, motivation, commitment, and satisfaction of nurses in their experiences as preceptors for undergraduate nursing students. Improving the preceptorship experience will benefit both nurses and students by improving preparation, satisfaction, and retention.