Preceptor Modules

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The student orientation helps to create a positive learning environment for the student and generates excitement about the placement experience. The preceptor is responsible for instructing and developing the capabilities of the student through their engagement with the educational process. Preceptors guide the student in identifying and locating resources for information, including speaking with other members of the clinical team as well as researching books and journals. Preceptors set a positive example through an inquisitive approach that values seeking out new knowledge, and helps the student interact with other health care professionals.

• Engage in the educational process by knowing the course and what’s expected of the student.
• Facilitate the student’s engagement in the formative evaluation process.
• Guide the student in identifying and locating resources for information.
• Set an example of best practice in your discipline.
• Demonstrate an inquisitive approach.
• Provide a big-picture view of the organization and of professional practice in the relevant community of care.

As a preceptor, you can function as a role model and motivate the student when you lead by example. Take the time to introduce the student to colleagues who inspire you, and recognize opportunities within the facility that may engage the student and spark their interest in participating. Set the bar for performance beyond merely acceptable and be clear about your expectations of the student.

• Lead by example.
• Introduce the student to colleagues who inspire you.
• Be aware of unique opportunities within the facility that may engage the student, and facilitate their participation.
• Set a high bar for performance.

Another responsibility of the preceptor is to give effective feedback to the student. To facilitate a smooth feedback process, discuss expectations with your student early in the placement regarding the content that will be assessed and the process that will be used to give feedback. Ask your student what feedback methods work best for them. Making the effort at the start of the placement to clarify what you and your student expect of each other will ultimately save you time.

When giving feedback, it is important to be honest and focus on behavior and actions using concrete examples. Provide suggestions the student can utilize during their placement, and offer to be a resource for them when they have questions or concerns. Choose a comfortable, private location and schedule the feedback session in a timely fashion. Setting the stage for the feedback process by preparing your student and yourself for what to expect will help make the most of these sessions.

• Focus on behavior and actions using concrete examples.
• Be honest with students.
• Offer suggestions to the student and function as a resource for their questions and concerns.
• Give feedback in private and in a timely fashion.
• Create the greatest possible opportunity for student success.

Being a preceptor is an additional duty, however, you still have a responsibility to the patients under your care. It is important to identify potential risks and encourage the development of judgment and actions in the face of these risks. Preceptors can do this by modeling how they prepare for and manage risk while remaining an advocate for the patients and the student.  Though we want our students to do as much as possible, preceptors are still responsible for their patient assignment.

• Assist in risk identification.
• Encourage development of judgment and actions in the face of risk.
• Model risk preparation and management.
• Be an advocate for clients and the learner.

Seek chances to assist students in making connections to learning opportunities within the placement agency, and be flexible enough to facilitate learning opportunities that arise throughout the placement.

Provide appropriate introductions to others who may influence the student’s professional or career development, and promote awareness of contributions made by the learner to the placement agency.

• Assist the student in making connections to learning opportunities within the placement agency.
• Be flexible in an effort to facilitate learning opportunities that arise throughout the placement.
• Provide appropriate introductions to others who may influence the student’s professional or career development.
• Promote awareness of contributions made by the learner to the placement agency.

If you know who your student will be and are able to contact them, reach out the night before their first shift and discuss the following:

• What is appropriate to wear
• Where to park, what entrance to use, and which elevator to take
• The location of the on-site cafeteria or if they will need to bring their own food for their break(s)

Try to meet the student when they arrive and give them a tour or orientation to the floor/unit.  Introduce them to other staff members and show them where certain items are located.  If not done prior to the first day, take some time to get to know each other.

It is useful for the student and the preceptor to share information regarding their preferences in the areas of communication strategies, teaching and learning styles, learning objectives, how feedback will be provided, and time management issues related to the specific placement. This provides the preceptor and student with an opportunity to share something about themselves with each other, preemptively identify areas where possible problems may arise, and negotiate key aspects of the relationship at the beginning of the placement prior to the first client encounter.

The kinesthetic learner uses their body and sense of touch to learn about the world around them. They like sports and exercise, and other physical activities. They like to think through issues, ideas, and problems while they’re in motion. They would rather go for a run or walk if something is bothering them, rather than sitting and thinking about it.

They like to get their hands dirty, typically make large hand gestures, and use other body language to communicate.

When they are learning a new skill or subject, they prefer to jump in and engage the material in a physical, tactile way. They prefer to pull things apart and put them back together, rather than reading about how something works. Writing, drawing, and diagramming can be utilized effectively to reach a kinesthetic learner.

Use physical objects whenever possible to engage the kinesthetic learner who relies on physical interaction to understand function. Flashcards can aid memorization because they can be held and reordered, and role-playing can be employed to practice skills and refine behaviors.

Although kinesthetic learners can absorb information through lectures or discussions, these aren’t their preferred methods of instruction.

They respond to or use statements such as:

• That feels right to me.
• Stay in touch.
• I have good feelings about this.
• My gut is telling me…

Visual learners prefer using images, pictures, colors, and maps to organize information and communicate with others. They can easily visualize objects, plans, and outcomes in their mind’s eye. They have good spatial awareness and a strong sense of direction that allows them to easily orient themselves using a map.

Instead of text, visual learners prefer drawing pictures (often using multiple colors) as a modified storytelling technique to more easily visual content and internalize concepts.

Diagrams, charts, and maps can help these learners visualize the links between parts of a system, such as a major body system. Replacing words with pictures and using color to highlight major and minor links are methods that can be used to engage the visual learner.

They respond to or use statements such as:

• Let’s look at it differently.
• See how this works for you.
• I can’t quite picture it.
• Let’s draw a diagram or map.

Auditory/Logical learners prefer logical and mathematical reasoning, and respond to verbalized descriptions. They can recognize patterns easily, as well as connections between seemingly meaningless content. This also leads them to classify and group information so they can learn and understand it.

They typically work through problems and issues in a systematic way, and like to create procedures for future use. They are happy setting numerical targets and track their progress towards these. They like creating agendas, itineraries, and to-do lists, and typically number and rank them before putting them into action.

Their scientific approach to thinking means they often support their points with logical examples or statistics. They pick up flaws of logic in other’s words, writing, or actions, and may even point these out.

They like using mnemonics when learning new skills, often talk themselves through the steps of a task, and are aware of their voice during this process.

They respond to or use statements such as:

• Follow the process, procedure, or rules.
• There’s no pattern to this.
• Let’s make a list.
• We can work it out.
• That seems logical.

Learners with a strong social style are able to communicate well with others, both verbally and non-verbally. People seek out and accept their advice, and these learners listen well and understand the views of others.

They typically prefer learning in groups or classes, and like to spend significant one-on-one time with their teachers and instructors. Their learning is heightened by bouncing thoughts off other people and listening to how they respond. They prefer to work through issues, ideas, and problems with a team, and enjoy functioning within a synergistic group setting.

They like to stay after class and talk with others and prefer social activities to being alone. Providing social learners the opportunity to work with others whenever possible is beneficial to their learning process. Practicing behaviors or procedures in a group setting helps them understand how to adapt to variations, and seeing other’s mistakes helps them avoid those same errors.

They respond to or use statements such as:

• Let’s work together on this.
• We can work it out.
• Tell me what you are thinking.
• Help me understand this.
• Let’s pull some people together to discuss.
• Let’s explore our options.

Other learners are more solitary, private, introspective, and independent. They are very aware of their own thought process, and excel at concentrating their insights and feelings on the topic at hand.

Solitary learners self-analyze and reflect on how they approached and reacted to past events. They may take time to ponder and assess their accomplishments and challenges. They often keep a journal, diary, or personal log to record personal thoughts and events.

They like to spend time alone and prefer traveling or taking holiday in remote places, away from crowds.

They prefer to work on problems by retreating to somewhere quiet and working through possible solutions. They may sometimes spend too much time trying to solve a problem that could be more easily solved by talking to someone. They like to make plans and set goals.

They respond to or use statements such as:

• I’d like some time to think it over.
• This is what I think or feel about that.
• I’d like to get away from everyone for a while.
• I’ll get back to you on that.

Feedback is typically less formal and is best when it is done immediately, or as soon as possible, after the task or situation. If this is not possible, set aside 10-15 minutes each day to review cases and go over feedback and teaching points in greater detail. Remember, feedback does not necessarily need to be provided on every client interaction; however, it should be given on a regular basis.

Allow the student to complete their task uninterrupted, if possible. Keep observations short and focused. Observing one part of an assessment rather than the whole thing can be less intimidating. Going over the task prior to the patient interaction can be helpful and assists the student to be more comfortable when they are working with the patient.

Following the interaction, let the student speak first. Reflection and self-assessment are powerful feedback techniques.

• What went well?
• What would you do differently next time?
• What did you notice?

Focus on what is relevant to the task or situation. Ask the student and yourself questions such as:

• What was done right?
• What needs to be improved?
• What needs to be done or considered next time?

Then, validate observations and identify specific actions that could be improved.

If it is not possible to give immediate feedback, it might be helpful to write down some notes about the topics you want to cover during the feedback time.

Remember that feedback is most effective when presented in the student’s learning style.  If improvement is needed, providing resources and assistance in the learning style that best fits the student generally enhances their ability to learn and comprehend what is necessary to improve their patient care.

Evaluations are different than feedback. They can be given around the middle of the placement and at the conclusion, or only at the conclusion of the rotation. Evaluations should provide information regarding continuation of the placement, or how the placement went overall. The final evaluation should elaborate on areas for future learning.

Prior to the evaluation, it is important to review the academic program’s evaluation tool and the list of goals and expectations that were developed at the beginning of the clinical placement.

Write down statements that relate to the student’s progress in their learning objectives. If possible, it is helpful to provide clear examples.

Mark students according to their performance over the entire clinical placement, rather than a single event. Single events can be used as examples of total growth, but should not be used as the entire evaluation.

It is important that the preceptor and student share the same understanding with respect to the evaluation form. Is the preceptor rating the student’s performance against his/her own objectives and experiences, or against what one would expect of a new graduate?

If possible, it is beneficial to schedule the evaluation during the day and to work with your student to place the evaluation on your calendars as far in advance as is feasible. This way it can be given thoughtful consideration, rather than trying to complete it the night before it is due. It is also helpful to obtain feedback from other staff members who may have observed the student.

We use the term “Evaluation” in this module.  In some programs the preceptor can not evaluate the student but can provide feedback to the instructor.  Please substitute feedback for evaluation as necessary in your program.

• Include specific areas for improvement and expectations for accomplishment.
• When meeting to discuss the evaluation, explain the rationale behind the comments; clarify by providing examples.
• Maintain a positive approach to evaluation, and provide areas of improvement balanced with areas of strength.
• Keep improvements realistic so the student can focus on these areas.
• Recognize that each placement is unique and so is each student. Try not to compare the current student to past students.

• Were their expectations met?
• Did they receive feedback often enough?
• Did the feedback provide them with the information they needed to improve?
• Did they feel comfortable during the clinical rotation?
• Are there areas where the clinical site might improve to make the experience more conducive to learning for the student?

The formal evaluation can be an intimidating event for both student and preceptor. Yet, it is extremely important as this process can have a lasting impact on the student’s professional and clinical development. It is also a defining moment that will remain with the student when they reflect on their placement experience. Preparing for the evaluation allows the preceptor to transform this closing task of the placement into a positive and rewarding experience for themselves and the student.