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Preceptorships are an indispensable part of undergraduate clinical education and are prevalent among schools of nursing. However, there is wide interpretation and implementation of preceptorships which leaves many facets of the preceptor role poorly understood. Research has suggested preceptors experience several benefits from serving; however, the role has also been described as one leading to overload, conflict, and burnout. There is a lack of studies exploring preceptor role functions from the perspective of those who serve in it. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore staff nurse experiences as preceptors to undergraduate, pre-licensure nursing students with emphasis on the RN’s perceptions of the role, specifically the preparation for, support in, and understanding of what the role entails. Focus groups were used to collect data. Transcripts were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Findings suggest that the primary role function is Protector, with Socializer and Teacher as secondary role functions. Preceptors in this study described a strong empathetic drive to protect students from negative experiences, to protect patients from harm, to protect their own professional identities, and to protect the nature of the nursing profession. Within each role function, there are specific behaviors in which the preceptor engages to varying degrees depending on the needs of the individual student. Findings have implications for continued development of the preceptor role.

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Student nurses transitioning to acute care practice often feel unprepared to accept the responsibilities associated with their new role. Lack of self-efficacy in nursing practice contributes to high levels of stress and anxiety as the new nurse enters the workforce which causes turnover during the first year of practice. Little is known about how the type and amount of pre-licensure employment affects the self-efficacy in nursing practice of the student nurse. Using Bandura's social cognitive theory, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between type and amount of pre-licensure employment and self-efficacy in nursing practice of student nurses' in their final semester of college. The Casey-Fink Readiness for Practice Survey-© was completed by 132 senior nursing students. Data were analyzed using correlation and multiple regression. No significant relationships were noted between the type or amount of work experience and self-efficacy. No significant relationship was noted between type of work experience and self-efficacy in managing a patient care assignment of 2, 3, or 4 patients. A significant positive relationship was revealed for amount of pre-licensure work experience and self-efficacy in management of a patient care assignment for 2, 3, and 4 patients (r = .19, p = .02) and healthcare experience was the best predictor of positive self-efficacy in managing a patient care assignment of 3 (F = 4.60, p = .01) and 4 patients (F = 3.42, p = .04). Findings of this study can influence positive social change in nursing by influencing the development of recommendations regarding the amount of pre-licensure employment which could improve a new nurse's self-efficacy in practice and reduce turnover in healthcare.

Integrating evidence-based practice into healthcare education has been a recommendation for the past 16 years. Despite this, barriers still exist with the utilization of evidence-based practice. The purpose of this study was to describe the current state of EBP scholarship in the curriculum of baccalaureate pre-licensure nursing programs. Essential Competencies for Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing (Stevens, 2009) was utilized to measure the state of EBP scholarship. The research question stated: how is evidence-based practice scholarship addressed within baccalaureate pre-licensure nursing programs? The research design was guided by Rogers’ diffusion of innovations theoretical framework and the star model of knowledge transformation ©. The study was a non-experimental descriptive design, and a convenience sample of n=96 surveys from program leaders was evaluated. The findings from this study fill an identified gap in nursing literature and show that EBP is addressed within baccalaureate pre-licensure nursing programs, described by the leaders in the programs. Keywords: evidence-based practice competencies, baccalaureate pre-licensure nursing programs

Medication errors cause harm, yet most of them are preventable (Institute of Medicine, 2006). Nurses spend 40% of their time administering medications; therefore they play a key role in the reduction of medication errors. Little empirical evidence has been collected about the effectiveness of nursing education in reducing medication errors committed by nursing students. Traditional educational interventions focus on the five rights of medication administration; however, the literature shows that interventions focused on instilling a culture of safety have a greater impact on reducing medication errors. The purpose of this article is to review educational strategies that have been implemented and tested in pre-licensure nursing programs to reduce medication errors committed by nursing students.

In moderation, stress is a normal response to a perceived challenge which can motivate an individual to perform at their best. Nursing students consistently report a significant amount of stress which has been found to be greater than their non-nursing peers. The purpose of this study is to assess the level of stress reported by second-semester freshman and sophomore students who have declared nursing as a major, compared with the level of stress experienced by junior and senior students who are enrolled in the university's nursing program. Through this comparison, a conclusion can be drawn as to the level of stress experienced while enrolled in a nursing program, with the level of stress prior to being exposed to the challenges presented by the program. It is intended that the outcomes from this study can be utilized to address stress as it relates to a nursing student from pre-admission through graduation.

Health provider student characteristics and professional program were evaluated as predictors of attitudes toward inter-professional (IP) teams. Sixteen months after completing a self-report battery of demographic and non-ability trait measures, participants completed a second survey (N = 213), assessing components of attitudes toward IP teams. Non-ability traits showed comparable within-program predictive validities for affective reactions toward IP behavior. Additionally, results indicated the incremental predictive validity of trait Dominance and Motivational Inter-professional Team Intelligence, over professional program, for IP attitudes and affective reactions toward IP behavior, respectively. The independent, relative, and joint roles of non-ability individual differences and professional program as determinants of IP training outcomes are discussed.

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