Assessing the Needs of NNP Preceptors
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Date
2016-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
Neonatal Nurse Practitioners (NNPs) provide high quality, safe and effective care to high risk neonates, and are valuable members of collaborative care team models in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) across the United States. Limited access to NNP preceptors for NNP students has been cited as a contributing factor to the NNP workforce shortage. This project, in the form of a needs assessment, aimed to better understand the challenges and needs, in terms of essential items, processes or supports, from the perspective of NNP preceptors, related to NNP students preceptorship. The 13 item needs assessment was conducted through a one time, cross sectional, electronic survey of NNPs who were members of NANN, who currently practiced in a NICU in the U.S. and had precepted an NNP student between the years of 2013-2016. Survey respondents (n=77) indicated that they need to have 1) lighter workloads, including smaller patient assignments and better preparation of students for clinical rotations; 2) meaningful rewards with consideration of monetary compensation for precepting; and 3) improved support and preparation for the role of precepting, including enhanced faculty collaboration and communication, formal preparation for the role of precepting, and defined structures and processes for precepting activities. While workload issues are difficult to address during the current national NNP workforce shortage, consideration for lighter workloads when precepting could be helpful, as would meaningful non-monetary and monetary rewards and recognition for precepting. Findings from this survey indicate that, with input from faculty, NNPs should develop and implement formal processes to guide clinical site preceptorships. Guidelines should include plans for regular communication and collaboration with faculty, formal preparation for and ongoing evaluation of the role of NNP preceptor, and definitive infrastructure to support precepting activities. Understanding and addressing these needs could improve access to clinical preceptorships for NNP students and decrease the NNP workforce gap.
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Keywords
NNP, preceptors, neonatal nurse practitioners, student neonatal nurse practitioners