The Nurse Preceptor Toolkit
Preparing Nurses and Advanced Practice Nurses for Clinical Practice

Develop the skills necessary for precepting RN and APRN students and new orientees! The Nurse Preceptor Toolkit is written by and for RN and APRN clinicians and faculty members from a variety of levels, specialties, and settings. Using real-life examples and practical tips, this comprehensive resource answers the questions preceptors often ask when interacting with students of all levels, as well as new orientees. Within its pages, you’ll find everything you need to develop and solidify the clinical teaching skills essential to becoming an effective preceptor.

• This completely new book serves as a comprehensive resource for precepting both RN and APRN students and new orientees.
• Coverage addresses questions preceptors have asked when interacting with students of all levels, as well as with new orientees.
• Content iswritten by and for RN and APRN clinicians and faculty members from a variety of levels, specialties, and settings.
• Real-life examples and practical tips guide the development and solidification of the clinical teaching skills needed to become an effective preceptor.
• Coverage of essential precepting topics includes effective communication, flexibility, time management skills, providing feedback and support, an understanding of different adult learning styles, and the ability to confidently evaluate student knowledge and competencies.
• Chapter objectives serve as “advance organizers” to help prepare you for the content that follows.
• Exemplars model excellence in clinical precepting through contributor-authored stories of successful faculty-preceptor-learner partnerships related to the content of each chapter.
• Boxes highlight tips from successful preceptors.
• Appendices provide ready-to-use tools to enhance the preceptor-learner experience.

PART I: SETTING THE STAGE
1. Introduction to Precepting
PART II: DEFINING THE PRECEPTOR
2. Starting with the Basics
3. Why Precept?
4. Coaching and Mentoring
PART III: FRAMING THE PRECEPTING EXPERIENCE
5. Understanding the Learner and the Learning Process
6. Fostering Effective Preceptor-Learner Communication
7. The Learning Curve: A Parallel Venture for Preceptors and Learners
PART IV: CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS AND PRECEPTING MODELS
8. Special Precepting Tools for Critical Thinking
PART V: TOOLS FOR PRECEPTING
9. Expectations - Preceptors, Faculty and Academic Programs
10. Providing a Well-Rounded Clinical Experience
11. Special Considerations When Precepting Nurse Practitioner Students
12. Precepting the Undergraduate and Graduate Entry Nursing Student
13. Onboarding the New Nurse
14. Orienting the APRN Student
15. Guiding the Nurse Practitioner Student Experience
16. Professional Development for the Preceptor and the Orientee
17. Managing Challenging Behaviors with Learners in Clinical Environments
18. Self-Care for the Busy Preceptor
19. Managing Barriers in the APRN Clinical Site
20. Documentation
21. Evaluation
22. Moving into Leadership Roles Beyond Practice
23. Precepting in Global Health Experiences
24. Precepting in Specialty Settings
25. Bringing Closure to the Precepting Experience
APPENDICES
Appendix A. Mentoring Contract Example
Appendix B. Checklist Beginning the Precepting Experience
Appendix C. Competency Checklist for Nurse Orientee
Appendix D. Developing a Philosophy of Clinical Education Statement for APRN Students
Appendix E. Site-Specific APRN Clinical Experience Checklist
Appendix F. APRN Student Welcome Poster for Clinical Site
Appendix G. How to Be an Amazing APRN Student in Any Clinical Site
Appendix H. Examples of Reflective Journaling
Appendix I. Example of Journaling Rubric
Appendix J. One-Minute Preceptor Exemplars
Appendix K. Sample Letter from Preceptor to Faculty Regarding NP Student Concerns
Appendix L. Sample Learning Plan Addressing APRN Student Concerns
Appendix M. Student Learning Profile
Appendix N. Examples of NP Student Learning Needs and Clinical Objectives
Appendix O. NONPF/AANP Preceptor Expectation Checklist: Faculty Expectations of Preceptors
Appendix P. NONPF/AANP Preceptor Expectation Checklist: Preceptor Expectations of Faculty
Appendix Q. Preceptor Agreement Form Template - Example
Appendix R. Preceptors’ Orientation Competence Instrument (POCI)
Appendix S. Orientation Topics for School Nurses
Appendix T. APRN Student Competency Evaluation Using the PRIME Model
Appendix U. Human Trafficking Resources, Referrals, and Responses to Guide Patient Care
Appendix V. Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Question Development Tool
INDEX

Dr. Heuer is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) and Associate Professor of Clinical Instruction at Temple University College of Public Health/School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA. She has extensive experience in neurology and developmental behavioral pediatrics. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Pittsburgh and her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at Robert Morris University. She has 34 years of pediatric nursing experience and has been a PNP for more than 19 years. She has given presentations on pediatric health issues at the local, state, and national levels. She has authored and co-authored several book chapters as well as peer-reviewed journal publications and consumer publications. She is the recipient of the Association of Faculties of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (AFPNP) 2019 Outstanding Preceptor Award. She is the current National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) Executive Board secretary and is a past president of the Three Rivers Chapter of NAPNAP, and former chairperson for NAPNAP's Professional Issues Committee.
Dr. Danford is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) who has extensive experience in pediatric primary care and family nursing. She is currently a Nurse Scientist II at Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio and an Assistant Professor at University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA. She has worked in academia and practiced as a certified PNP for more than 30 years. She has taught at graduate and undergraduate nursing levels and worked with supporting preceptors for more than 20 years. Dr. Danford earned a PhD from the University of California, San Francisco, an MSN from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, and a BS from St. Mary's College, Notre Dame. She currently serves as co-chair of the International Family Nursing Association (IFNA) Research Committee and is the Association of Faculties of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (AFPNP) liaison to the Research Committee of th