Improving Nurse Preceptor Confidence Level in Strategies to Promote Clinical Judgment in the Graduate Nurse: A Program Development Project

Newly graduated nurses require support in their first year of employment to develop confidence and competency in their new role. Inadequate support during this fragile transition period can result in several negative effects including job dissatisfaction, safety errors, and exiting the profession (Powers et al., 2019). Nurse preceptors impact the outcome of orientation for a new nurse. To be successful, preceptors require a structured education program to develop the skills necessary to guide the transition from student nurse to a confident, competent, new nurse (Haggerty et al., 2012). The need for the development of such a program was identified through informal feedback from members of the Hospital Wide Professional Practice Council, new nurses at end of orientation, and active nurse preceptors throughout the hospital. The theoretical framework used to guide the development of the education intervention for the nurse preceptors was Kolb’s experiential learning theory. The Tanner Clinical Judgment model was used as the basis of the education provided to the preceptors (Tanner, 2006). The Logic Model through the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (2004) was utilized as the framework for the development and implementation of this educational program. The effectiveness of the preceptor education program will be evaluated on an ongoing basis using a modified National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) 2009 Confidence Survey. The purpose of this program development project is to improve nurse preceptor confidence in strategies to promote clinical judgment in the new graduate nurse