ReviewA systematic review of online learning programs for nurse preceptors
Introduction
Clinical nursing education provides opportunities for students to learn in multiple patient care settings, receive appropriate guidance, and foster a development of clinical competence and professionalism (AACN, 2008). Clinical competence is described by the theoretical and clinical knowledge used in the practice of nursing, incorporating psychomotor skills and problem-solving abilities with the goal of safely providing care for patients (Hickey, 2010). Clinical competence develops over time as nurses progress through various levels of proficiency (Benner, 1982). Nurse preceptors guide students to integrate theory into practice, teach clinical skills, assess clinical competency, and enhance problem solving skills (Cant et al., 2013). Preceptors need to possess a strong familiarity with the principles of teaching and learning to effectively help students reach their learning goals (O'Connor, 2006). The meta-review by Tang et al. (2005) highlighted four categories of effective clinical teaching behaviors: professional competence, interpersonal relationship skills, personality characteristics, and teaching abilities. Clinical nurse leaders and academics often articulated concerns about preceptors' competence in clinical teaching and assessment (Wu et al., 2017). A lack of teaching knowledge and experience also leads to role ambiguity, unfamiliarity with clinical assessment systems and processes, and unawareness of appropriate avenues to seek guidance from Benner et al. (2009). An online program utilises digital platforms for the courses of study. The flexible and resource-rich nature of online learning may encourage nurses to use it as a platform for continuing education.
Section snippets
Challenges Faced by the Preceptors
In our prior study, the students perceived that preceptors were overwhelmed by their teaching and patient care workloads and, as a result, had little time to guide and assess students (Wu et al., 2016b). Managing the dual roles of a registered nurse and a preceptor poses a tremendous challenge to many preceptors (Jonsén et al., 2013). In struggling to fulfil all their obligations, nurses might give a lower priority to the role of a preceptor because higher patient acuity often forces nurses to
Aim
The questions for this review were developed using the Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes, and Specific exclusion process (Table 1): ‘What are the current online learning programs for preceptors?’, ‘How effective are online learning programs?’, and ‘What are the experiences of the participants in such online learning programs?’. The systematic review aims to review and synthesise the online learning programs for preceptors.
Design
A systematic review was designed based on relevant criteria
Results
The results of the review are presented in five overarching themes to reflect the development of the online learning programs for nurse preceptors, major contents of the programs, uniqueness of each program, modes of delivery, and outcomes of the programs. The results provided a comprehensive analysis of the current online learning programs for nurse preceptors and the effectiveness of those programs.
Discussion
This systematic review revealed eight different programs, out of which seven were self-developed. Nurse educators or faculties of nursing, who are experienced in pedagogies and assessment strategies, developed most of the programs. More importantly, they are familiar with the clinical context which the intervention is implemented. More than half of the programs were developed based on one or more theoretical framework. A theoretical framework provides background for the development of each
Conclusion
The systematic review provides insightful information on online learning programs for preceptors, especially the contents of the programs, modes of delivery, and the uniqueness of each program. The studies reviewed and synthesized the online learning programs and explored the experiences of the preceptors. Such comprehensive information will assist in revising existing or developing new educational programs for preceptors. Clinical nurse leaders and nursing academics are responsible for
Contribution
Study design: XVW, WW, KHST.
Data collection: XVW, YSC, KHST.
Data analysis: XVW, YSC, KHST.
Manuscript writing and reviewing: XVW, YSC, KHST, WW.
Funding Statement
The research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors have declared no potential conflict of interest.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the National University Health System Medical Publications Support Unit, Singapore, for assistance in professionally editing the language of this manuscript.
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2022, Nurse Education in PracticeCitation Excerpt :Confining their search to term ‘preceptor’ may have overlooked other pertinent studies encompassing alternative preceptor terminology. Wu et al. (2018) also reported positive outcomes, but they limited their review to nine online learning programs. They concluded more rigorous research designs incorporating comparison groups were needed and cost effectiveness needs to be considered as an outcome.