Centralizing a registered nurse preceptor program at the institutional level.

New nurses are traditionally oriented into their professional role by a registered nurse preceptor. This article describes the process of renovating and centralizing RN preceptor programs within the Department of Nursing in a multispecialty medical center in the Midwest. Outcomes of centralizing the preceptor program included involvement of nursing leaders, identification of methods of RN preceptor recognition, implementation of methods of improving institution-wide RN preceptor professional development, identification of opportunities for specialized RN preceptor classes and forums, creation of a tool to measure workload productivity, and finally, the formulation of a database to track performance and completion of orientation programs.