UC celebrates outstanding nursing student preceptors

Four practitioners stood out this year for their impact on UC nursing students in clinical environments.

A key component of a nursing student’s education is hand-on experience in clinical settings with preceptors. These practitioners volunteer to offer guidance, support and instruction within a safe learning structure so students can develop their skills and become more confident nurses. UC College of Nursing celebrates these providers with its annual Outstanding Preceptor Awards.

Practitioners are nominated by their students for demonstrating enthusiasm for the preceptor role and a commitment to teaching, learning and leading in clinical settings. Recipients were selected from more than 100 nominations for awards in two categories: prelicensure program preceptors and graduate program preceptors.

Increased enrollment in recent years for nursing education, especially at the graduate level, along with fatigue and transitions in the nursing profession, exacerbated by COVID-19, have put preceptors in high demand across the country, making it difficult for nursing students in advanced practice programs to find qualified practitioners who can work with them to fulfill clinical experience requirements.

To ease this burden on students and practitioners, UC pulled together a taskforce of administrators, faculty and staff who continuously work to remove barriers to preceptorship. In the past few years, the team has developed a section on UC’s website with preceptor instructions, guidance and continuing education resources. UC College of Nursing also employs clinical site coordinators who support students, preceptors and clinical sites.

Featured image at top: Lexie Weithman (holding a plaque), one of four recipients of this year's Outstanding Preceptor Awards, celebrates with coworkers at UC Medical Center.