The effect of preceptorship training program on preceptors' perceptions of benefits and rewards, supports and commitment to the preceptor role

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Preceptorship is a commonly used clinical teaching method for new nurses. Nurse preceptors in Iran face numerous challenges in performing their roles as preceptors. Preceptors need to receive preceptor education to effectively carry out their role. Few studies of nurse preceptor training have been conducted in Iran. This study aimed to examine the effects of a preceptor training program on preceptors’perceptions of the benefits/rewards, supports, commitment to the role of preceptor; and the clinical teaching behavior of the preceptors. Methodology: A pretest-posttest design was used. A preceptor training program for nurses was designed and implemented. This study involved random assignment of two University Hospitals in the northwest area of Iran to either the experimental or control group. Ninety-six participants who worked in different wards of the selected hospitals were randomly selected from a list of preceptors provided by each hospital; 48 were intervention, and 48 were controlled. The pre-and post-tests were administered to all preceptors in both groups separately. The experimental group attended a three-hour preceptor training program. The control group received no training. Data were collected during January and February 2021 using the Preceptor’s Perception of Benefits and Rewards (PPBR) Scale, the Preceptor’s Perception of Support (PPS) Scale, the Commitment to the Preceptor Role (CPR) Scale, and the Clinical Teaching Behavior Inventory (CTBI-22). All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS for Windows. Continuous variables were expressed as mean ± SD and categorical variables were displayed as frequencies. All data were first analyzed for normality of distribution using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test of normality. Differences between groups were compared using the Student's t-test, paired t-test, and x2 test, as appropriate. In order to determine the final effect of the intervention, by adjusting the baseline values and including the cluster randomization design in the analysis, the analysis of covariance model with random effects was used for hospitals as clusters. All tests were 2-sided, and a P value of less than .05 was considered statistically significant. Results: After implementing the preceptor training program, nurse preceptors in both groups reported significantly increased benefits and rewards scores; however, a higher increase and practical significance was observed in the intervention group (β=.61; 95% CI=.35–.75, p<0.001). An improvement in clinical teaching behavior was observed among preceptors in the intervention group (β=.42; 95% CI .24–.60, p<0.001). Conclusion: Preceptor training program showed significant improvement in preceptors' perception of benefits and rewards, and clinical teaching behavior among Iranian preceptors. Using the findings of the current study, nursing managers, policymakers, nurse educators, and researchers can facilitate the development and implementation of preceptor training programs within clinical settings. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and to examine the effectiveness of preceptor training programs to improve preceptors’perceptions of the support and preceptors’commitment to the role of preceptor.