Emerging Trends Nurse Practitioner Preceptorships in the Face of a Challenging Healthcare Landscape: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Background/significance: Securing sufficient numbers of qualified, nurse practitioner student clinical preceptorships that meet criteria within the specified scopes of practice has become an issue of great concern for many nurse practitioner faculty and programs. With the pressure to maintain and or increase program enrollment, as well as to have students’ proficient at the novice level in a prescribed number of clinical hours, comes the need for adequate supplies of expert clinical preceptors willing and able to accept the role. Clinical preceptors are a finite resource, such that securing, educating and motivating preceptors in light of the changing face of health care has become even more challenging than in times past. Those nurse practitioners who meet criteria for clinical preceptorships are often faced with increased demands on multiple fronts, and must accept the precepting role in light of issues involving increasing autonomy, evolving productivity benchmarks, EMR system challenges, and questions from employers on what the benefits and risks will be for them should their employee assume this role. Addressing the challenge to offer the preceptor and his/her employer a mutually satisfying partnership is key. We seek to better explore and describe the current practice of cultivating sustainable preceptor relationships.