Becoming and being a preceptor: a phenomenological study.

Preceptorship is a valuable component of nursing courses today and is seen as vital to the professional preparation of student nurses. Preceptors facilitate the development of knowledge, clinical skills, and professional attitudes in nursing through guidance, supervision, role modeling, and personal development of the student. They also help to orient and socialize the student to the real nursing workplace environment. Being a preceptor in nursing has been identified as time-consuming and requiring clinical teaching skills that many registered nurses (RNs) perceive they do not possess. This article outlines how a small group of RNs from one selected workplace developed their preceptor abilities through undertaking the preceptor program run by Avondale College to prepare them for this important role.