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Assessment of clinical competence plays a pivotal role in the education of undergraduate nursing students in preparation for registration. The challenges that face preceptors are represented in the international literature yet few studies have focused on the factors that influence the decision-making process by preceptors when students under-perform or appear to be borderline status in relation to clinical practice. This study explored the lived experiences of the preceptors during the assessment process using a phenomenological approach. This was a qualitative study that utilised a phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of the preceptors in relation to student assessment of those students who were incompetent and underperformed in clinical practice. Three categories emerged from the findings: First impressions, Emotional turmoil of failing a clinical assessment and competing demands in the workplace. It is proposed that employing a tripartite approach would enhance the assessment process to ensure a more robust and decision-sharing mechanism. This would support decisions that are made in the cases of incompetent or borderline nursing students and increase the objectivity of the competency assessment to ameliorate the emotional turmoil that is experienced by preceptors. •Many emotional, difficulties exist for preceptors in the assessment of competence processes.•Innovative, supportive and collaborative mechanisms are recommended to incorporate a tri-partite approach to enhance the accountability and responsibility the decision-making processes.•A review of the preceptorship education programme to enhance confidence and competence among preceptors in the assessment process.

Background Education is an important part of the work of most doctors. Clinical preceptors act as role models and supervisors. Preceptors’ quality of supervision strongly influences the learning quality of clinical interns (Bartlett et al. BMC Med Educ 20:165, 2020). To ensure a consistent approach to every preceptorship experience, the competency of clinical preceptors should be assessed to ensure that the desired outcomes are achieved. This study aims to evaluate clinical preceptors’ competency in learner-centered teaching, to provide constructive feedback to develop the preceptors’ competency and improve supervisory skills and internship quality at Kunming Medical University (KMU) in Kunming of China. Methods This is a cross-sectional study with a quantitative self-administered online questionnaire. The convenience sampling technique was employed. In the undergraduate internship stage of KMU, clinical preceptors ( N  = 340) and interns ( N  = 487) were invited to use the augmented Stanford Faculty Development Program questionnaire (SFDPQ) (Stalmeijer et al. Med Teach 30:e272–e277, 2008), to (self-) assess the preceptor’s competency of learner-centered teaching on a five-point scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). Results Two hundred twenty-eight preceptors and two hundred thirty-six interns completed the questionnaire correctly. Overall, the assessment was positive, but the preceptors’ self-assessment significantly higher than the interns’ ( p  < 0.00). The overall mean of each category of preceptors’ self-assessment was greater than 4.5, with no difference based on educational qualification. Male preceptors scored significantly higher in two categories than female preceptors. Preceptors under 30 years of age with less than 5 years of teaching experience rated “Teacher’s knowledge and attitude” lower than those over 40 years of age with more than 5 years of experience ( p  < 0.05). There were statistically significant differences in the four categories across disciplines ( p  < 0.05). Undergraduate interns rated “Teachers’ knowledge” as the highest category and “Learning climate” as the lowest, and interns of different genders are evaluated without distinction in all categories of SFDPQ. Conclusions Employing the augmented SFDPQ to evaluate learner-centered teaching competency of clinical preceptors, offers potentially useful information for delivering constructive feedback. Combining self-evaluations with learner evaluation data can contribute to exploring preceptor competency development framework to guide them in targeted learner-centered teaching skill and acquisition and improvement, finally improving the overall quality of internships.

Student competency assessment is a pillar of education, as it is necessary to determine students’ learning needs, including clinical judgment skills. This study aimed to compare self‐rated clinical judgment assessment results from students with those of their preceptors using the Indonesian version of the Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric (LCJR‐INA). The research employed a comparative quantitative study design involving 210 final‐stage students actively enrolled in the nursing program at a university in Indonesia, using purposive sampling. The instrument used was the LCJR‐INA. Clinical judgment scores were compared using the Wilcoxon signed‐rank test, and to account for the nested data structure of students within preceptors, a linear mixed‐effects model with a random intercept for preceptors was applied. The results reveal a significant difference between student and preceptor scores, with students rating their clinical judgment abilities higher than their preceptors. Preceptor scores were not significantly related to student self‐assessment scores, and a sensitivity analysis using linear regression yielded similar results. A combination of assessments by both preceptors and students is recommended to provide a more realistic representation of students′ clinical judgment and to help preceptors identify additional support for students.

To examine the effectiveness of a web-based clinical pedagogy program on nurse preceptors’ clinical teaching competency, self-efficacy, and attitudes toward web-based learning in comparison to face-to-face course. Preceptorship is a dynamic educational process that requires designing, and implementing various teaching strategies, evaluation, assessment and feedback. Web-based learning has been recognized as an effective learning approach for nursing professional development. A prospective quasi-experimental approach with two-group pre-test and post-test repeated measures was adopted. The web-based clinical pedagogy program was provided to the preceptors in the experimental group, while control group received the face-to-face preceptorship course. Clinical Teaching Competence Inventory (CTCI), Preceptor Self-efficacy Assessment Instrument (PSEQ), and Attitudes toward Web-based Continuing Learning Survey (AWCLS) were used to evaluate preceptors’ learning outcomes. Data were collected at three time points – before, immediately after the learning program, and after 6 months of the clinical teaching experience. A total of 150 nurses (75 participants/group) were recruited from a tertiary hospital in Singapore from July 2018 to June 2020. The results from the repeated measures analysis of covariance showed that there was a significant interaction effect (group x time) on the overall CTCI score after adjusting for covariate (F = 5.390, p = 0.005). However, there were no significant interaction effect (group x time) on PSEQ (F = 2.693, p = 0.070) and overall AWCLS score (F = 1.341, p = 0.264) between the two groups across the three time points. The web-based clinical pedagogy program produced outcomes comparable to the face-to-face program in terms of preceptors’ clinical teaching competence and self-efficacy. The innovative and cost-effective web-based clinical pedagogy program provided professional development and the flexibility to accommodate preceptors’ busy work schedules. Online learning has become increasingly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic and the web-based clinical pedagogy program was implemented when face-to-face workshop was not feasible.

Nurse preceptors play an important role in supporting newly qualified nurses during transition periods. However, limited attention is given to the needs and experience of nurse preceptors with expected responsibilities. This study aimed to examine the perceived needs of nurse preceptors in three public acute hospitals by using a sequential mixed method approach conducted between March and August 2017. A questionnaire that comprised socio-demographic data, Clinical Teaching Behaviour Inventory (CTBI), and RN Preceptor Learning Needs Assessment, was distributed to all nurse preceptors. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 10 informants to complement the quantitative findings. We received 260 completed questionnaires, giving a response rate of 78.8%. The highest mean CTBI domain score was “Using appropriate teaching strategies” (Mean = 3.65, SD = 0.56), whereas the lowest was “Providing feedback and evaluation” (Mean = 3.51, SD = 0.60). The top five topics identified as the most important in nurse preceptor training were critical thinking, prioritising, teaching techniques, conflict management and teamwork. Qualitative findings revealed that the informants experienced tension with their dual roles and strained relationships with co-workers. The expectations of the informants for support were recognition from management level and highlighting coaching tactics, reciprocal learning and collegiate support.

To explore how postgraduate critical care nursing students and preceptors experience the assessment of students’ competence in placement. Assessing postgraduate critical care nursing students` competence in placement is a complex and essential part of precepting students. Explorative qualitative study. Four focus group interviews and four individual interviews were employed with 15 postgraduate critical care nursing students and 12 preceptors in Norway. Data were analysed by inductive content analysis. The critical care nursing students felt vulnerable due to constantly being assessed despite their previous work experience as nurses. They experienced the need to appear humble and self-critical when assessing themselves. The “chemistry” between students and preceptors could influence the assessment. The preceptors experienced that it was a great responsibility to assess whether the students had sufficient competence and struggled to balance their roles as critical care nurses and preceptors. Clear assessment criteria including both technical- and non-technical skills, regular assessment meetings and support from teachers were regarded valuable. Placements with competence assessment contribute to both students´ and preceptors’ professional development. Clear frameworks and constructive feedback from preceptors are crucial for students’ learning process. The preceptors should build on the students’ previous competence as nurses to create a safe learning environment. How students are met in the community of practice can be of importance for their learning outcomes and desire to stay in the profession. Given the need for highly qualified critical care nurses, prioritizing quality education for students in placements is essential. •Placements are crucial components of nursing education, and competence assessment is essential part of precepting students.•Assessment of critical care nursing students’ competence in placement is challenging due to the complex environment.•Clear assessment criteria are important to ensure fair assessment and highly skilled future critical care nurses.•Preceptors regard the assessment of critical care nursing students’ competence as a great responsibility.•Constructive feedback is important for critical care nursing students’ learning process and professional development.

Nursing students' learning process during clinical practice is dependent on the quality of their assessment, and the feedback that is given, however an issue that is very little examined. The aim of this study was to investigate student–preceptor dyads and their experiences of mid-course discussions and final assessment. Data were collected through repeated semi-structured individual interviews with 13 dyads close in time to the assessment discussions, and were analyzed by searching for similarities and differences in their experiences. Both students and preceptors shared the view that the preparations before the discussions caused uncertainty, but they described different reasons. Both students and preceptors meant that the assessment tool was used in a structured way. The feedback mediated to students emphasized what was important to concentrate on in the next part or next period, but less about the individual students' progress. The student-preceptor dyads did not share the view of what content had been in focus in the discussions and there were variations in the details. Conclusions can be drawn that one of the crucial elements of an assessment discussion, to give students constructive feedback in relation to learning outcomes, was not fulfilled. •Assessment during clinical practice is of utmost importance for students' learning.•The study focused on student-preceptor dyads' experiences of assessment discussions.•The participants' experiences of the assessments were more similar than different.•Feedback focused on expected achievements for the next part of the clinical practice.

Background Clinical nursing preceptors play a vital role in bridging the gap between classroom learning and clinical practice. However, inconsistent qualification standards and a lack of systematic evaluation often lead to variability in teaching quality. Objective To describe the development and implementation of a “license to teach” certification system for lead clinical nursing preceptors and to evaluate its impact on teaching quality and faculty development. Methods Based on the Clinical Nursing Teaching Management Standards (2021), a set of eligibility criteria was established regarding academic background, clinical experience, and professional titles. The certification process consisted of three components: (1) theoretical teaching, (2) skills demonstration, and (3) clinical teaching ward rounds. Candidates were evaluated by expert panels using standardized rubrics. A structured questionnaire was administered to collect participants' feedback on the certification system. Results Of 193 candidates, 152 were certified (78.6%), reporting improved teaching preparedness, theory–practice integration, and professional recognition. Questionnaire responses ( n = 145) showed high satisfaction (mean > 4.7/5; Cronbach ’s α = 0.936; KMO = 0.861), reflecting enhanced teaching skills and standardized practices. Nursing interns ( n = 201) reported 94–96% satisfaction, and interviews with four department managers confirmed benefits for teaching standardization and professional motivation. Conclusion The “license to teach” system represents an innovative approach to standardizing the qualification and evaluation of clinical nursing preceptors. This model enhances teaching quality and provides a framework that can be adapted in other nursing education contexts.

Nursing students’ integration of theoretical knowledge and practical abilities is facilitated by their practice of nursing skills in a clinical environment. A key role of preceptors is to assess the learning goals that nursing students must meet while participating in clinical practice. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to explore the current evidence in relation to competency assessment and assessment approaches, and the willingness of preceptors for assessing nursing students’ competency in a clinical setting. The scoping review used the five-stage methodological framework that was developed by Arksey and O’Malley, as well as the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews. Relevant studies were searched by applying a comprehensive literature search strategy up to April 2024 across the following databases: CINAHL, OVID MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PUBMED. A total of 11,297 studies published between 2000 and April 2024 were revealed, and 38 were eligible for inclusion, which the research team categorised into three main themes: definitions of competence, tools for assessing competence and preceptors’ and mentors’ viewpoints in relation to the assessment of nursing students’ competence. This review established that there are a multitude of quantitative instruments available to assess clinical competence; however, a lack of consistency among assessment instruments and approaches between countries and higher education institutions is prevalent. Existing research evidence suggests that the preceptors carried out the assessment process clinically and they found difficulties in documenting assessment. The assessing of nursing students’ competency and the complexity of assessment is a concern for educators and mentors worldwide. The main concern centers around issues such as the interpretation of competence and complex measurement tools.

Preceptorship is a vital component of nursing and midwifery education, facilitating skill development, confidence and professional socialisation of students and newly qualified nurses and midwives. There is currently a gap in the available literature on the education preceptors in the Republic of Ireland receive. To explore the training and education received by nurses and midwives as preceptors in the Republic of Ireland and to assess their self-efficacy in fulfilling key preceptorship roles and responsibilities. A descriptive, cross-sectional survey design was employed, utilising a structured, anonymous questionnaire distributed nationally to registered nurses and midwives acting as preceptors. Preceptors reported considerable variability in training, with some participants indicating no formal preparation for the role. Most training was lecture-based. Preceptors expressed high confidence in interpersonal and leadership skills but lower confidence in managing underperforming students. Over half of the participants felt adequately prepared, indicating potential for enhanced education and support within the curriculum. A standardised, evidence-based preceptorship educational programme incorporating diverse, experiential teaching methods is needed to better prepare nursing and midwifery preceptors in Ireland.