Effectiveness of an online program using telesimulation for academic–clinical collaboration in preparing nurse preceptors’ roles

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of an online program on nurse preceptors' knowledge and self-efficacy in their roles to support students' clinical education, and to examine their online experience. Background: Professional development of nurse preceptors is paramount to fostering work readiness of future graduate nurses on entering the workforce. The support from academic institutions in developing preceptors' roles in clinical teaching and assessment is pivotal. Design: This study employed a mixed-methods design. Method: A total of 59 nurse preceptors from six healthcare institutions participated in an online preceptor program by collaborating with academic educators in facilitating student clinical learning and assessment through telesimulation following web-based instruction. Pre-test and post-tests were administered to evaluate the preceptors' knowledge and self-efficacy in their roles. Survey questionnaires and focus group discussions were conducted to evaluate their online experience. SQUIRE 2.0 guidelines were applied. Results:The preceptors demonstrated significant improvements (p < .001) in knowledge and levels of self-efficacy in their preceptor roles immediately and 1 month after the program. The following four themes emerged from their learning experiences: 'interactive learning approach', 'academic-practice collaboration', 'better understanding of clinical assessment tool' and 'application of teaching strategies'. The preceptors reported positively on their motivation to learn using the web-based instruction and on their telesimulation experience. Conclusion:The study findings demonstrated effectiveness and feasibility of an online preceptor program to enhance preceptors' roles in supporting nursing students'This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Academic-Practice Collaboration Using Virtual Telesimulation to Support Students' Clinical Practice

“…The academic educator and preceptors were put into the same breakout room to discuss the utilized clinical assessment tool and the feedback based on students' simulation performance. The preceptors were introduced to the clinical assessment and teaching strategies through self-directed learning before the telesimulation 14. The students were given the task to use a learning model known as SNAPPS (Summarize, Narrow, Analyze, Probe, Plan, and Select), developed by Wolpaw et al15 (see Supplemental Digital Content Table, available at: http://links.lww.com/NE/B148), to discuss the simulation scenario among themselves.…”

“…Preceptors' perspectives on their role as facilitators of students' clinical learning and assessment were reported in another study. 14 This study evaluated the perceptions of nursing students and academic educators on the impact of virtual telesimulation in supporting clinical education.…”

“…This virtual telesimulation also served as part of a preceptor training program to provide an opportunity for the preceptors to work with academic educators on students' clinical learning and assessment. Preceptors' perspectives on their role as facilitators of students' clinical learning and assessment were reported in another study 14. This study evaluated the perceptions of nursing students and academic educators on the impact of virtual telesimulation in supporting clinical education.…”