Learning and Support Needs of Novice Nurse Preceptors on a Hospital-Based Collaborative Learning Unit

Abstract

Context: The limited presence of experienced nurses forces health care settings to seek out junior nurses with little experience to act as preceptors. In an attempt to address the difficulty in recruiting preceptors, the collaborative learning unit (CLU) was implemented in 2003 in British Columbia. The CLU is a model of teaching and learning where a student is assigned to a unit rather than a specific preceptor.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the learning and support needs of novice nurses who have assumed the role of preceptor on an CLU.

Method: An exploratory qualitative design was used to address the research purpose and questions. Five novice nurses who participated in the CLU pilot at a metropolitan teaching hospital in Eastern Canada in February 2019 were recruited. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews and the writings of Paillé and Mucchielli (2012) guided the thematic analysis steps.

Results: The results of this study highlighted the dual role as the central challenge for novice nurse preceptors on the CLU, that is, the coexistence of the novice nurse role with the preceptor role, the tensions induced by the challenges encountered in this dual role, and the needs and expectations of preceptors to restore balance in this dual role.

Conclusion: A more coherent understanding of the needs of novice nurse preceptors on an CLU could lead to necessary preparation regarding the expected role of a preceptor on this type of unit and the specific support required by these nurses to assist them in continuing their professional development in this role.