An Interpretive Description of Registered Nurses’ Experiences as Preceptors for Newly Hired Registered Nurses in Acute Pediatric Clinical Settings

Abstract

Background: In clinical practice, the responsibilities of frontline registered nurses (RNs) include providing patient care as well as precepting students and new staff nurses. The role has been acknowledged as demanding and challenging in acute healthcare settings and the importance of the preceptor role for the ease of the new nurses’ transition to clinical settings has been discussed in the literature. However, less is known about the nurses’ experiences as preceptors in the pediatric acute clinical setting. The purpose of this research was to explore and describe the experiences of RNs as preceptors when they precept newly hired registered nurses in pediatrics settings. Method: An interpretive descriptive design was used to guide the research process. Semi-structured one-on-one interviews, both in-person and virtual, were carried out with five preceptors who are registered nurses in an Ontario hospital. The real-life experiences of these participants are reported using their rich descriptions of events. Data collection and analysis were conducted concurrently and informed by the Braun and Clark (2006) framework. Results: Findings were grouped under the following three themes: the duality role of pediatric nurses; experiences of preceptor pediatrics nurses; and pediatric nurse preceptors’ needs. Implications: This study demonstrates that the role of the registered nurse as a preceptor is diverse and demanding, and that preceptors need to be supported by various stakeholders to ensure that they can carry out their role effectively. Recommendations are made for future practice, education, and research. Keywords: Preceptor, preceptorship, precepting, registered nurses, newly hired registered nurses, newly graduated nurses, acute healthcare, pediatrics