In 2020, the Association for Nursing Professional Development commissioned a national preceptor practice analysis study using the Ulrich Precepting Model to identify the roles, knowledge, and activities essential to preceptor practice. In a survey of 3,623 preceptors, the model's seven preceptor roles and their associated domains of knowledge and practice were validated. Findings indicate that nursing professional development practitioners should provide preceptors with initial role preparation in addition to ongoing education. Nursing professional development (NPD) practitioners serve as partners for practice transitions supporting the "transition of nurses and other healthcare team members across learning and practice environments, roles, and professional stages" (Harper & Maloney, 2016, p. 17). Because preceptors are integral to successful transitions, NPD practitioners are responsible for ensuring that individuals are developed for this critical role (Schuelke & Barnason, 2017). Although preceptors are commonly used during transitions, little evidence exists to guide their development. The purpose of this study was to identify the roles and competencies essential to preceptor practice and to validate the seven roles of precepting delineated in the Ulrich Precepting Model (Ulrich, 2019). BACKGROUNDPreceptors are foundational to clinical learning and socialization of healthcare workers who are new to the practice, the organization, or setting. No universally agreed-upon definition of preceptorship or comprehensive operational description of the preceptor process exists in the literature (Ward & McComb, 2017). Ulrich (2019) defines a preceptor as "an individual with demonstrated competence in a specific area who serves as a teacher/coach, leader/influencer, facilitator, evaluator, socialization agent, protector, and role model to develop and validate the competencies of another individual" (p. 1). In nursing, preceptors help students with prelicensure clinical experiences, new nurses transitioning from academia into professional practice, and experienced nurses transitioning from one organization to another, one specialty to another, or one role to another. Precepting is "an organized, evidence-based, outcome-driven approach to ensuring competent practice" (Ulrich, 2019, p. 1).Empirical evidence supports the importance and benefits of preceptors in preparing new and experienced healthcare workers in their roles (

Professionalism in nursing leadership encompasses key elements that include a common body of knowledge, autonomous practice, self-regulation through education and licensure, a set code of ethics, and a commitment to altruism. Perioperative nurse leaders also must embrace collaboration, vision, accountability, and patient and staff member advocacy based on established ethics, values, and standards of care. Nurse leaders who are committed to professional development through pursuit of higher degrees, application of evidence-based practice, collaboration with colleagues, and certification show a strong commitment to their profession and serve as role models for staff members. This article discusses professionalism in nursing and offers information specific to perioperative nurse leaders.

Surgical specimen management is an important responsibility of perioperative nurses and is essential to the provision of safe, quality patient care. Errors related to surgical specimen management can lead to a variety of negative consequences for patients and personnel. Unfortunately, surgical specimen management errors can and do occur, particularly during the preanalytic phase, and thus are a major perioperative patient safety concern. The overall management process for various surgical specimens is essentially the same, requiring a multifaceted, multidisciplinary, standardized method that includes specimen identification, labeling, collection, handling, transferring, containing, and transporting. For perioperative nurses to advocate for their patients and help ensure effective surgical specimen management, effective communication among care team members is imperative, along with a culture of safety that focuses on the minimization of distractions and an increased awareness of opportunities for errors.