Introduction

The Collaborative Nurse Practitioner Program (CNPP) would like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt thanks to our preceptors for their hard work and dedication to the CNPP and our students. The practice education experiences you provide our students are critical to ensure successful learning. The practice education setting allows our students to apply theoretical concepts to patient care under the guidance of the preceptor. Through your supervision and feedback, the CNPP student progressively develops the skills and clinical judgment necessary to become an entry-level nurse practitioner. Thank you for your commitment to advanced nursing practice education.

To achieve the practice education goals of the CNPP, students require practice education in a variety of settings. This allows students to synthesize theory and apply it into practice (Dover, Lee, Raleigh, Baker, Starodub, 2019). A component of graduate student development is the opportunity to work with clinical experts.

For the purposes of this handbook, a preceptor is defined as a clinician who is licensed and in good standing with their regulatory body and includes nurse practitioners, medical physicians, pharmacists and other approved  health care providers. Preceptors serve as mentors, teachers, and role models. Preceptoring is a one-to-one relationship between the expert and student where the student learns the roles and responsibilities of the clinician (Luhanga, Billay, Grundy, Myrick, & Yonge, 2010). Thus, learning occurs as students practice alongside the clinician. These practice education hours allow students to experience how clinicians translate knowledge in the clinical setting.

This preceptor handbook is designed to provide information about the CNPP, the courses, and practice education requirements. The handbook is an orientation and resource for our clinical partners and preceptors. To navigate through this book, you can use the “Next” and “Previous” options at the bottom of the page, or you can click on the contents drop down arrow on the left-hand side accessing the table of contents for the book.