Competent: Based on the two to five years of clinical experience, the competent nurse is capable enough to manage multitasks. They are proficient in time management and care planning,; they developed insight, and understand the importance of differentiating the information which is related and not related to the patient's condition. Competent nurses are much more confident at this stage and choose their actions carefully, thus, they are completely patient focused. ThHoughwever, they are inefficient in going beyond, in thinking critically to understand the complete picture of the patient's care (Koontz, Mallory, Burns, and Chapman, 2010). Clinical support for competent nurses needs to be centered on simulating and improving decision -making that enhances their patient care coordination (Downey, 1993). Their progress in gaining more knowledge will make headway towards the proficientcy stage.
Proficient: According to Koontz, Mallory, Burns, & Chapman (2010) the proficient have the capability to see the whole picture. They gain the experience to see the scenario from a different angle of patient care. They pay attention to each clue to understanding the patient's complex situation. However, they are still required to learn strategies to comprehend complicated patient scenarios.
Expert: Expert nurses hasve broad clinical experience. They are proficient in critical thinking, and skillful ofin anticipating the clues from the patient’s condition. According to Koontz, Mallory, Burns, & Chapman (2010), expert nurses are efficient in delivering holistic care and confident in appropriate decision -making with the right judgment. The expert nurses need support for their professional development and finding new challenges. However, the expert nurse is knowledgeable to become a preceptor (Dracup and Bryan-Brown, 2004). Furthermore, their skills and capability can be enhanced, once they enroll into the role of a clinical preceptor at this stage.
Preceptor Conceptual Model
The preceptor conceptual model proposes the bridging between the preceptee, preceptor, educational support, administrative support, and incentives (Singer, 2006). Preceptors share their knowledge, clinical experiences, and expertise. They provide support and socialization to the newly registrant, and being role models, objectively critique and evaluate the preceptee (Ulrich, 2011). Therefore, the administration must hire preceptors thoughtfully, based on organization standards. Administrative support plays an imperative role in hiring the appropriate candidate and in training them (Ulrich, 2011). Thus, the administration has thea huge share in the success of the preceptorship program (Singer, 2006). The administration should also offer incentives, such as educational support, recognition dinners, compensation in pay, and award ceremonies for preceptors to encourage them (Biggs & Schriner, 2010). In that way, the administration can assure the retention of preceptors, as well.
Recommendation and Implementation of Preceptorship Model in the Pakistan Nursing Education
It has been seen, while working on this capping project, that literature focuses on clinical preceptor and student relationships often emphasis uponze the inherent challenges faced by the preceptor and explored the obstacles that may hinder the support offered by the preceptor to the newly qualified nurses and nursing students. These obstacles are commonly mentioned in the literature as unprepared nurses for the preceptor role, time constraint for offering preceptorship, and lesser acknowledgment of increased assignments related to the clinical setting or clinical courses (ref). In order to overcome such barriers and obstacles, it is essential that teaching and learning institutions in Pakistan must support and nurture the preceptor role via deemfocusing on preceptors’ higher qualification with sufficient experience, and needs to consider that overwhelming workload of preceptor may hinder the quality time which they could render to their preceptee. Thus, the Pakistan nursing education system needs to extend the time period for implementing the preceptorship program.