Preceptor - Frequently Asked Questions

Is the preceptor course just for ANMC employees?

No. We encourage participants for all hospitals.

Is the preceptor course just for nurses?

No. The course is for all professionals in the clinical setting who wish to improve their mentoring skills.

How do I participate in the preceptor course?

Check with your supervisor first and then contact us to register for the course.

Where are the forms I need, when I am working with an intern?

At ANMC, look on the nursing web site under programs. Below are some forms you might find useful.

Do your best to resolve the issue, but feel free to contact us for help or feedback. We may have dealt with a similar situation in the pas or have some insight or information to help you.

How do I know if I'm doing a good Job?

We get feedback from the interns at the end of each class. For privacy reasons, we can not show you individual feedback forms. We do, however, compile aggregate data and we would be happy to go over that with you. You also might consider asking the intern what they consider your strengths and areas for improvement, kind of hard to do sometimes, but often very helpful. The preceptor evaluation tool can be utilized for you to consider areas you might want to get feedback on.

What can I do to keep my precepting skills up?

Our program will be offering continuing education and networking sessions twice per year for preceptors. Please forward your feedback and suggestions to us regarding needs you perceive.

What about interns going to rural sites? Are the goals different?

Absolutely. Those that are staying in your unit will need your complete orientation. The nurses that are here before going to a rural site don??‚??„?t need every detail of your floor orientation. They will only be with you a short time (usually 3 weeks) and the focus will be to get them functioning fairly independently while exposing them to a wide variety of clinical experiences. A major part of the focus for rural interns is to point out their resources and help them gain confidence. They will be out working, usually on the night shift, with much less staff than we have here. Try to put yourself in their place and think of things that may come up related to your specialty area. Attempts to tailor the experience to the needs of the rural site are appreciated.