Effect of a Preceptorship Development Program among Nurses in UAE

Abstract

Introduction: Nurses constitute the majority of health care personnel, and the high turnover and instability of nurse staffing can affect patient outcomes. Systematic education and the support of co-workers and organization are imperative to maintain the current nurse workforce. ¹ As nurses are frontline staff in most healthcare contexts, their contribution is essential to the delivery of safe and effective patient care, it is essential that nurses are trained to a high standard. The quality of nursing education, including the clinical placement, is of outmost importance, and research indicates that it influences intent to stay in the nursing profession at a time when nursing shortages are a concern worldwide. ² The clinical placement is a central component of nursing education. The clinical placement involves learning under the supervision of a healthcare professional within a healthcare organisation and it has been described as a social process requiring active participation. Clinical placements provide the opportunity for nursing students and new nurses to apply theoretical knowledge obtained during their campus-based learning. Furthermore, the clinical placement enables students to develop cognitive and affective skills, to acclimatise culturally) and to develop their professional identity. ³

Objectives:  The objectives of the study are:

1. To assess the knowledge and perception of nurses regarding preceptorship before and after the Preceptorship Development Program


2. To correlate knowledge and perception regarding preceptorship among nurses

Methods: A pre-post cohort educational intervention on 200 Nurses from UAE was conducted by total enumeration sampling. Pre-test, PDP training conducted and Post-test after 10 days. A pilot study was done before the main study.   

Results: The reliability of the knowledge tool was 0.88, internal consistency of the perception tool was >85%. Feedback from participants showed 38.50% strongly agreed and 61.50% agreed that the workshop improved their ability to utilize the skills in their working area. For main study the overall increase in the mean knowledge scores was from 10.62 to 15.76 which was statistically significant (p<0.001). Overall decrease in perception score from 95.95 to 90.76 which was significant at p<0.001. A weak positive correlation identified before the training which was not statistically significant (p>0.05). A weak negative correlation identified after the training which was not statistically significant (p>0.05).

Conclusions: As the tool & the PDP has good reliability & validity. The PDP is effective in training nurses as preceptors in improving knowledge and sensitizing them regarding their perception towards preceptorship.

Keywords: Preceptor, Preceptorship, Nurses, Preceptorship Development Program