Ask a Nurse: What Should I Expect From My Nursing Preceptorship?

In our Ask a Nurse series, experienced nurses provide an insider look at the nursing profession by answering your questions about nursing careers, degrees, and resources.

Congratulations, you did it! You graduated from nursing school and are now on the path to your nursing career. Starting as a new nurse is very different from nursing school. You will be responsible for monitoring and caring for patients on your own. But first, before flying solo, you will be assigned a nurse preceptor.

A nurse preceptor is an experienced nurse who will work with you during your orientation for a certain amount of time. Orientation or preceptorship usually lasts for a minimum of six weeks, or longer depending on the department. For example, if you work in the intensive care unit or the emergency room, your orientation can last up to four or five months.

Most preceptors are chosen and accept the role. If you are working on a floor short of nurses, a preceptor may be selected, involuntarily, to work as your preceptor.

Your nurse preceptor’s role is to, first and foremost, support, teach, and be a nurse mentor to you as a new nurse. If that isn’t their intention, you can and should switch preceptors if possible.

A preceptor’s role is to teach and guide you to:

Since you may only have a few weeks or several months of preceptorship, you have to make the most of it. You will learn how to manage and care for your patients during this time.

Look at your preceptorship like mastering the belt levels in jiu-jitsu or karate. As a new nurse, your goal is to achieve the first level of nursing and earn your “white” or “orange belt” during orientation. It’s your preceptor’s responsibility to get you to this level successfully.

To make the most from your nursing preceptorship, you want to:

Before starting your orientation with your preceptor, it is important to establish goals between you and your preceptor. Make sure you are on the same page. You can ask questions like:

There is an unfortunate saying in nursing: “Nurses eat their young.” There is some truth to this. Some nurses can take their preceptor role as if they are your boss rather than your teacher. Some nurses are also burnt out or overwhelmed by postpandemic nursing shortages and treating patients with COVID-19.

To combat this reality:

Remember, your preceptor may not always be a great match for you. If you’re worried you’ll hurt your nurse preceptor’s feelings, the best thing is to communicate with your preceptor that things aren’t working out.

If that feels uncomfortable, have your nurse manager or nurse educator hold a meeting with you and your preceptor. Having an extra person mediate the conversation may help the situation.

Some new nurses naturally have the skills to stand up for themselves. Others feel intimidated or shy. To perform the best care for your patients, not only do you have to advocate for them, you should feel empowered to advocate for yourself, too.

At the beginning of your orientation, you may not recognize when you are doing something wrong. After time and practice, you will feel competent and confident in completing certain tasks.

When this happens, let your preceptor know you are ready to do specific tasks by yourself. Your preceptor should be keeping track of your progress through your orientation packet, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise.

However, if you’re feeling tension or frustration from your preceptor, you can raise the issue with your preceptor or nurse manager. Your preceptor may be projecting frustrations onto you because of the current circumstances with COVID-19, nurse burnout, and the nursing shortage. It’s important that you and your preceptor manage expectations.

The key way to navigate issues with your preceptor is through effective communication. Here is how to navigate common issues:

In our Ask a Nurse series, experienced nurses provide an insider look at the nursing profession by answering your questions about nursing careers, degrees, and resources.