Preceptorship and Return to Practice for Nursing

Preceptorship is a term used for a consolidation period following Registration with the NMC. It will help ease your transition back into and develop your clinical practice

The aim of the Return to Practice programme is to support nurses on their journey back into a nursing career.

The Return to Practice programme was initiated as a response to the national shortage of nurses across the NHS leading to increasing concern regarding expensive agency nurse bills and increased pressure on NHS service providers. This document will help to explain and provide information to nurses who are returning to practice as to what Preceptorship is and what the returning nurse’s role is when participating in a preceptorship programme.

We hope you find this information useful, please also see our video at the link below around Preceptorship and Returning to Practice :

http://learning.wm.hee.nhs.uk/resource/preceptorship.https://vimeo.com/115880179 Delivered in partnership with Health Education England and West Midlands Regional Preceptorship Group Nov 2016.

An introduction to the elements of PreceptorshipPreceptorship programmes have been designed to support the Newly Registered Practitioner in accordance with the existing Preceptorship framework issued by the Department of Health (2010). Newly Registered Practitioners will receive supervision in practice from a registered practitioner during the first year of appointment. As nurses who are returning to practice, this programme will be tailored to your individual needs.

A Preceptorship Programme provides:

• Integration of prior learning into practice• Application in accordance with evidence-

based practice • Development of confidence • Adherence to the Codes of Professional

Conduct• Update and enhance knowledge and clinical

skills• Adherence to policies and procedures • Reflective practice• Giving and receiving feedback• Advocacy• Interpersonal skills

• Clinical Risk Management and Governance• Equality and Diversity• Negotiation and conflict resolution • Leadership and management development• Develop a strategy for Continued Professional

Development• Team working within the multidisciplinary

team• Clinical judgement and decision making• Enhancement of self-awareness: Provides

training and education around use of medical devices, medicines management, documentation and electronic systems

ObjectivesPreceptorship is provided in accordance to local policy with the overall objective that patients/clients/service users receive safe care and treatment.

To ensure Preceptors (experienced nurse) and newly registered practitioners understand their roles in the Preceptorship process.

To ensure completion of competencies to develop knowledge, skills and professional attitudes, values and behaviours, which are evidence based.

To support and guide the newly registered practitioner in their transition back into clinical practice during their first year of appointment

Competency based

• Completion of department specific competency based document• Use of medical equipment • Mandatory Training / updates• Completion of Role specific training

Normal Learning Cycle of a Preceptorship Programme

A Preceptor

Is a named experienced practitioner who offers guidance and support. The preceptor will be involved in the implementation of learning and assessment to meet your bespoke training needs and will ensure you as the preceptee receives adequate supervision.

The Preceptor must have been registered for at least 12 months and have experience in their clinical area.

Clinical Competencies

These form a large part of the preceptorship programme, they identify specific skills that are relevant for nurses working across the Trust and some skills for working in their own clinical areas.

Competencies are designed with the expectation that the preceptees (newly registered practitioners) will take responsibility for their own learning and development. They are advised to meet with their Preceptor at regular intervals to discuss their aims and objectives, learning outcomes and progress towards achieving them and for signing off their completion when ready.

General Objectives

These objectives relate to safety issues and the general ‘getting to know’ your clinical area and the Hospital or Community area you are working in.

Personal Objectives / Action Plan

These are not set objectives and learning outcomes; they should be tailored to reflect the specific development and learning needs of each individual nurse returning to practice. They will be discussed and decided between the preceptee and their preceptor following completion of a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis Pearce,C. (2007) Ten steps to carrying out a SWOT analysis. Nursing Management 14(2),pp25.

A SMART Action Plan should be compiled together. http://nursing-matters.com/smart-goals/

• To be a good role model for delivering high quality patient care

• Professional involvement in the teaching/learning process

• Validates and reinforces professional value and practice

• Stimulates innovative and improved practice• Opportunity to step back and appreciate own

contribution to the profession• Contributions to future health care through

influencing a student’s practice• Opportunity to network with other

preceptors within and across agencies• Form a positive bond with the preceptee• How can this be used for evidence for

revalidation• Provide a supportive learning environment

• Employ a range of learning styles that fit the task and the preferred learning style of the preceptee

• Adopt a non-judgmental learning environment

• Employ active listening skills• Be open to new ideas and ways of working• Be familiar with the documentation for

preceptorship/PDR’s• Maintain the preceptee’s confidentiality• Know and understand the practice, policies,

procedures and protocols for best practice• Know the limits of their own practice• Seek advice when required• Understand the importance of learning from

clinical incidents and near misses, and the process involved in their documentation

Benefits for Preceptors

Benefits for nurses returning to practice

• Participate in nursing practice in a variety of settings• Experience the ‘real world’ of nursing practice• Gain competence and confidence• Ease the transition back into clinical practice

• It will help meet the requirements of revalidation

• Commit to the preceptorship programme• Ensure that reflection becomes part of

everyday clinical practice• Be proactive in learning• Take steps to identify and act on areas that

need development• Accept guidance and feedback from the

preceptor and clinical manager eg, Ward Sister

• Continuously record learning• Become proficient at self-evaluation• Evaluate their own practice against best

practice• Supports other preceptees/preceptors• Deliver safe, high quality patient care

Returning nurses will enter into a Learning agreement with their Preceptor.

What will this mean?

The preceptorship programme includes the following elements:

• Accountability

• Career development

• Communication

• Dealing with conflict/managing difficult

conversations

• Delivering safe care

• Emotional intelligence

• Leadership

• Quality Improvement

• Resilience

• Reflection

• Safe staffing /raising concerns

• Team working

• Medicines management (where relevant)

Prior to employment: • The organisation should have a preceptorship policy, which has been formally approved by

Education Governance structures• There will be an organisational lead for Preceptorship• The structured preceptorship programme will be agreed by the organisation’s Executive Nurse or

equivalent• The preceptor will have undertaken training and education, which is separate from mentorship

training in preparation for the Preceptorship role• The returning nurse will have been identified as requiring preceptorship

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ewly

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itio

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et f

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rust

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d

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enta

tio

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pre

cep

tor

and

pre

cep

tee

sho

uld

m

eet

for

a 1:

1 cl

inic

al

sup

ervi

sio

n

sess

ion

.

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t w

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ract

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on

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arn

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rou

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on

.

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ave

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ple

ted

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ant

to t

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role

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tee

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l in

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n a

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ew s

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rust

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tee

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epen

din

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on

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ivid

ual

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eed

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tor

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pte

e sh

ou

ld m

eet

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1 cl

inic

al s

up

ervi

sio

n

sess

ion

.

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the

end

of

the

firs

t ye

ar, t

he

retu

rnin

g n

urs

e (p

rece

pte

e) s

ho

uld

hav

e su

cces

sfu

lly t

ran

siti

on

ed

bac

k in

to c

linic

al

pra

ctic

e an

d w

ork

as

an

ind

epen

den

t au

ton

om

ou

s p

ract

itio

ner

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th

is h

as n

ot

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n

ach

ieve

d, i

den

tify

p

rob

lem

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as; d

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op

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tio

n p

lan

an

d s

et d

ates

fo

r fu

rth

er in

terv

iew

s.

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hin

th

e cl

inic

al s

etti

ng

, dep

end

ing

on

p

revi

ou

s ex

per

ien

ce t

he

pre

cep

tee

may

be

sup

ern

um

erar

y. T

his

sh

ou

ld b

e n

ego

tiat

ed

at t

his

po

int

bet

wee

n t

he

pre

cep

tor

and

p

rece

pte

e.

The

pre

cep

tor

and

p

rece

pte

e sh

ou

ld

mee

t fo

r a

1:1

clin

ical

su

per

visi

on

ses

sio

n.

The

pre

cep

tor

sho

uld

dis

cuss

loca

l an

d

Tru

st s

up

po

rt n

etw

ork

s an

d m

ech

anis

ms

in

pla

ce f

or

the

pre

cep

tee.

The

pre

cep

tee

is

read

y to

un

der

go

an

org

anis

atio

nal

p

erfo

rman

ce a

pp

rais

al.

The

pre

cep

tor

and

pre

cep

tee

sho

uld

id

enti

fy o

ther

new

ly r

egis

tere

d

pra

ctit

ion

ers

to

fo

rm a

n a

ctio

n le

arn

ing

se

t fo

r g

rou

p r

eflec

tio

n.

The

pre

cep

tee

giv

es

360

deg

ree

feed

bac

k o

n t

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r ex

per

ien

ce

du

rin

g t

he

pre

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tors

hip

p

erio

d t

o s

hap

e fu

ture

d

evel

op

men

t o

f th

e p

rece

pto

rsh

ip f

ram

ewo

rk.

The

pre

cep

tor

and

pre

cep

tee

sho

uld

set

d

ates

fo

r su

bse

qu

ent

inte

rvie

ws.

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pre

cep

tors

hip

pro

gra

mm

e in

clu

des

th

e fo

llow

ing

ele

men

ts:

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cco

un

tab

ility

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r d

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Co

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icat

ion

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g w

ith

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g d

iffi

cult

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2017

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0121

695

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1. E

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