Frequently Asked Questions for Penn SON Preceptors
1. I want to precept for Penn!
And we want you, as we know all too well that the ability to offer excellent clinical experience is what makes our program so valuable to our students.
So here is what you do: click on the Academic Programs link along the left bar. Choose the program(s) for which you want to precept and email the site coordinator listed there. If in doubt, email our Office of Student Information at osi@nursing.upenn.edu, and you will be put in touch with the appropiate persons!
2. What responsibilities are expected of me?
Most students spend 8-16 hours per week at each clinical site depending on the program and semester. As a preceptor you would be expected to:
- Orient the student to the clinical setting
- Continually review the student’s clinical skills to assess learning needs throughout the clinical rotation
- Provide opportunities for the student to meet personal and program learning objectives
- Guide the student through the clinical reasoning process necessary to move from collecting data into a diagnosis and plan of care
- Act as a teacher/resource person/role model for the student
- Communicate frequently with the student to facilitate learning
- Communicate periodically with the faculty via phone, electronically and/or during faculty site visit
- Complete and review evaluation forms with the student to assess progress at designated evaluation periods
- Contact faculty early should problems/issues arise
3. What are the responsibilities of the student?
At the graduate level students are expected to demonstrate autonomy and professional responsibility for their learning requirements. To that end the student is expected to:
- Arrange a mutually agreeable clinical schedule with the preceptor
- Develop and share personal learning objectives with preceptor and faculty
- Negotiate with the preceptor for opportunities to meet personal objectives
- Observe the policies of the agency
- Confer frequently with the preceptor and faculty to assess progress
- Complete self-evaluation forms at designated evaluation periods
- Notify the preceptor, faculty and site coordinator of illness/absence and arrange for make-up clinical time
- Utilize clinical logs to document numbers of patients seen, percentage of involvement in care and hours of clinical
4. What are the responsibilities of the faculty?
- Initiating and maintaining current affiliation with the agency
- Evaluating suitability of clinical sites for initial and continued student placement
- Providing preceptor(s) with access to course information and expectations of role
- Communicating periodically with student and preceptor to evaluate student progress and quality of experience
- Assisting preceptor and student should difficulties arise in mastering objectives
- Evaluating the student’s written assignments and assigning final course grade
- Assisting students to achieve the didactic knowledge that will allow them, with the guidance of the preceptor, to meet the course objectives
- Assuring access to the University of Pennsylvania Library for preceptors, should this be desired
5. How do I give constructive feedback to a student?
- One of the major tasks facing and APRN preceptor is the clinical evaluation of a student. Many of us find the task difficult. It can be hard to strike a balance between constructive criticism and praise. Here are a few suggestions:
- Together with the student at the beginning of each clinical session, identify areas upon which the student should concentrate.
- At the end of the clinical session discuss how the student performed that day and what goal or area the student will focus on the next session.
- Incorporating these two behaviors will make it easier for the preceptor to complete the student evaluations forms and the student and preceptor will know if the student is performing at a satisfactory level. THERE SHOULD BE NO SURPRISES.
- Provide praise when the student’s performance deserves it
- Give constructive criticism if the situation calls for it
- It can be helpful to balance criticism with praise
- Correct any unsafe behavior immediately and contact faculty to discuss
6. How do I give feedback to the program?
Please contact one of the Program Directors. On the Preceptor homepage please click on link to Programs, then click on your specific program to find contact information.
7. How do I know if the student is meeting program expectations?
The clinical evaluation tool (which the student will share with you) defines levels of expectations for each semester of clinical experience. This varies by program.
8. What should I do with a student that is difficult to talk to and provide feedback?
Set boundaries with the student such as requesting that you be heard to the completion of your feedback before the student responds. If you still have difficulty communicating then it is time to contact one of the faculty.
9. What if I feel that the student is unsafe or is failing to progress?
Occasionally you encounter a student who is clinically unsafe or who fails to progress. For the preceptor this is a very stressful situation. You can have doubts as to your ability to objectively evaluate the student.
Here are four steps to take when you encounter a possible problem:
- Identify the problem: A problem exists if you notice that a student continues to repeat a behavior despite feedback. At this point contacting the faculty and scheduling a site visit may be helpful to validate your concerns. A second opinion is always helpful.
- Data collection and supervision: Record your observations by taking notes. Give specific examples, utilizing the patient record if necessary. The faculty will be happy to validate your concerns.
- Discuss the problem with the student: Even though you may have discussed the behavior with the student in the past, you and the student may need to formally discuss your concerns using specific examples. It is helpful if, in advance, you can imagine the student’s likely reaction and how you will handle this. Many students may become defensive, some may agree, while others may blame the problem on too many personal concerns.
- Resolving the situation: The problem will fall into one of three categories:
- No progress. The student receives an unsatisfactory evaluation.
- Some progress. However, the student does not reach the level for completion of the course.
- Satisfactory progress. The student receives a satisfactory evaluation.
10. Do I have to evaluate the student? I do not want to be the one to determine their grade.
Your clinical evaluation is important and necessary. We hope that if you are concerned about any student, you will involve faculty immediately.
The academic faculty uses your clinical evaluation together with other measures to determine course grades. Clinical site visits by the faculty serve to validate both satisfactory and unsatisfactory student performance. We appreciate your time and valuable service to our students.
11. How can I encourage the student to problem solve for each patient rather than just do what I do?
Rather than giving the student direct answers, ask open-ended questions such as, “What is your sense of the problem here?” and “How would you approach/treat this?” After the student answers you can refine the assessment and management plan.
12. The majority of my practice is culturally diverse. How can I help the student become competent in dealing with different cultures?
At Penn School of Nursing cultural sensitivity is woven throughout each program’s didactic content. Sharing information resources can be helpful, as can having a discussion of what the student can discuss with the patient(s) to understand their culture.
13. The student asks a lot of questions about the profession and I do not know the answers sometimes. What should I do?
Honesty is always the best policy. If you do not know an answer state that and encourage the student to find the answer on a professional association website. Do realize that if a student is asking you questions in this arena, it is most likely showing respect of your professionalism and that they are looking to you as a role model.