How to Be a Great Preceptee in Nursing

Wondering how to be a good preceptee? Whether you’re a nursing student in the final semesters of your degree or a new graduate learning the ropes, knowing how to be coached can help make your transition into professional nursing easier. Let’s go over tips on being a great nurse in training.

Your first days as a nurse can be challenging. You’re taking on new responsibilities, learning how to work with patients, building critical thinking skills, and getting to know your coworkers. A solid orientation is essential to helping you understand your resources and your unit. A great preceptor guides you through orientation and serves as an advisor long after training is complete.

What Is a Preceptee in Nursing?

Preceptee definition: A new nurse or nursing student who is paired with an experienced nurse for one-on-one education and training in patient care. This arrangement is common for students who are nearing graduation and completing a capstone clinical rotation. New nurses in residency programs may also go through a similar process in their first few months of a new job.

What Are the Roles of a Preceptee Nurse?

If you’re beginning a preceptorship, you will likely be focused on the following tasks:

• Observe your preceptor, even during tasks that seem mundane. You might learn a new way to open sterile packaging, document an assessment, or change a bed. In the first few days of a preceptorship, much of your role will be watching and learning.
• Assist where you can. Being a great team member means pitching in, even if you feel like your skills are incomplete. You can still volunteer to take patients to the bathroom, take out the trash, and run for supplies.
• Ask questions — a lot of questions. This is your time to be curious. Don’t worry about whether a question seems dumb or basic. Orientation is your opportunity to ask as many questions as possible.
• Practice skills with supervision. Even if you’ve practiced in nursing school, your preceptor will likely want to watch you insert IVs and Foleys, clean tracheostomy sites, and much more. They’re making sure you’re safe to practice these skills on your own.
• Request feedback often. Ask your preceptor: How can I improve? Would you have approached this task differently? What should I do differently next time? Getting this feedback can help you improve your practice and show that you’re open to help.

The preceptor-preceptee relationship is a shifting one — initially, the new nurse is observing their preceptor perform skills and assessments, then progressively doing more tasks themselves. In the final phase of a preceptorship, the nurse in training is working mostly independently, but the preceptor should still be available for consultation and supervision.

If you’re a new grad, it’s in your best interest to be a great trainee. Once orientation is over, you’ll be coworkers with the nursing professionals who trained you as a preceptee, meaning that being coachable could help you build better relationships within your unit.

How to Be a Good Preceptee: 5 Tips

Being precepted is like having training wheels. It’s a unique chance to build confidence, skills, and clinical judgement in a safe environment. Use this time to absorb wisdom from your preceptor, observe team dynamics, and ask all the questions you can. Here’s how to make the most of your time.

1. Communicate Openly

Great trainees are honest about what they know — and what they don’t. If you’re unsure how to do something or think you made a mistake, speak up. Your preceptor is there to guide you, and they can do that best when you communicate. Transparency shows integrity and gives your preceptor the opportunity to teach in a way that builds your confidence and competence.

2. Be Coachable

Nursing is a career that requires humility. You’re not expected to know everything right away, but you are expected to take feedback well. Listen carefully to your preceptor’s suggestions, and try not to take corrections personally. A positive attitude and willingness to learn will take you far and make you someone your coworkers want to invest in.

3. Think Proactively

Once you’ve gotten your footing, start anticipating what comes next. What labs are due for your patient? What discharge steps need to happen before 11 a.m.? What supplies should you bring into the room before starting a dressing change? Showing initiative (even if you don’t get it perfectly) demonstrates critical thinking and readiness to grow.

4. Practice Curiosity

Nursing is a lifelong learning profession, and every day offers a chance to ask why. Why does your unit chart vitals at certain intervals? Why are certain meds held for a potassium level of 5.5? Curiosity builds deeper understanding — and it shows your preceptor that you’re engaged and invested in your work.

5. Adjust Your Mindset

The preceptorship period can be overwhelming. One minute you’ll feel on top of the world, and the next you may feel like you’re drowning. That’s normal. Remind yourself that growth takes time, and try to embrace the process. Mistakes are opportunities to learn, not proof that you don’t belong.

Precepting in Nursing FAQ

What is the difference between a preceptor and preceptee?

A preceptor is an experienced nurse who helps to train a newer nurse. The two professionals may share the same credentials, but a preceptor generally has been practicing longer and has a deeper well of knowledge to share with the newer nurse.

Are preceptees paid?

That depends on the institution that trains them. If a nursing student is being precepted as part of nursing school clinicals, they won’t be paid. But if a new grad nurse is being precepted during a workplace training program, they’re typically a paid employee.

What does “preceptor” mean?

The word comes from the Latin word preceptour, which means teacher, instructor, or tutor. As you can see, experienced professionals have been training newer ones for hundreds of years.

How long is the precepting process?

That depends on your institution. For example, a capstone preceptorship may require over 130 clinical hours, which may be completed over the course of several weeks or months. If you’re completing a preceptorship for work, your institution will determine the duration of training.

Looking for New Grad Roles?

If you’re wondering how to be a great preceptee, you might be curious about nursing roles in your area. IntelyCare has opportunities for new grad nurses. Learn more with personalized job notifications that alert you when new roles open up in your area.