Clinical Preceptor - Department of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences

Objective:

Preceptorship plays an important role in ensuring that students who qualify as registered practitioners are competent and prepared to fulfill their professional responsibilities. Preceptors are responsible and accountable for the decisions they make at each stage of the assessment process.

Preceptors guide students into the real world of specialty practice, providing opportunities to develop and apply new skills while building confidence and receiving valuable feedback and validation.

SGU recognizes that the quality of our clinical programs is directly connected to the dedication and expertise of the outstanding team of Preceptors who partner with us to provide students with high-quality clinical training.

Responsibilities

• As a Preceptor, you are responsible for making objective and critical assessments of a student’s performance to help ensure that students entering the workforce as qualified nurses are competent, safe, and fit for practice.
• As a Preceptor, you serve as a professional role model and demonstrate high standards of practice to students.
• Provide clinical instruction, supervision, and assessment of students in the clinical environment, offering guidance and constructive feedback to enhance their clinical knowledge, practical skills, competence, and confidence.
• Provide guidance, mentorship, and professional support to students during clinical training, fostering their professional development, clinical competence, and readiness to transition into practice as registered nurses.

Essential Functions

• Instruct and assess students in the clinical aspect for credit in their courses.
• Set goals with the student in collaboration with the faculty and curriculum.
• Provide patient care in accordance with established, evidence-based nursing practice standards.
• Maintain mature and effective working relationships with other health care team members.
• Use resources safely, effectively and appropriately.
• Demonstrate leadership skills in problem solving, decision making, priority setting, delegation of responsibility and in being accountable.
• Facilitate the student's professional socialization into the new role and with a new staff.
• Provide the student with feedback on his/her progress, based on preceptor's observation of clinical performance, assessment of achievement of clinical competencies and patient care documentation.
• Document and submit all student encounters. Records should be accurate and timely.
• Plan learning experiences and assignments to help the student meet weekly professional and clinical goals.
• Participate in educational activities to promote continued learning and professional growth.

Essential Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Have a working knowledge of SGU Nursing program requirements, practice assessment strategies and relevant changes in education and practice for the students responsible for.
• Flexibility in working hours.
• Clinically competent
• Enthusiasm for and knowledgeable regarding teaching and assessment
• Provides guidance for problem-solving & clinical judgment
• Confident in own nursing practice
• Gives positive and negative feedback in a constructive manner
• Good interpersonal skills
• Empathetic towards learners
• Promotes student autonomy.

Qualifications

• Must be registered and licensed as a nurse.
• Must have developed own knowledge, skills and competence beyond registration through evidence of continued professional development.
• Must be registered for at least two years and have clinical currency and capability in the field of practice where the student is being placed.
• Must successfully complete the SGU Preceptor program.

Hours of Work

• Simulation/Laboratory Hours: 1–4 hours per week.

• Clinical/Hospital Hours: A minimum of 7.5 hours and up to 12 hours per week.

• Total Hours: Approximately 130 hours per month, per academic term.

• Term of Service: Services are rendered on a term-by-term basis, according to the academic calendar:

• Spring: January–May

• Summer: May–July

• Fall: August–December

• Winter: December–first week of January

Remuneration:

• Compensation is provided at a rate of US$10.00 per hour.