Assessment of challenges facing preceptors at Kenyatta National Hospital Specialized Units
Abstract
Hospital settings provide the opportunity for students to care for clients under the direct
supervision of preceptors (White, (2000). This allows the students to graduate as
competent practitioners who can offer safe quality care to a variety of patients in
various hospital settings.
Kenyatta National Hospital Specialized unit receives quite a large number of students,
among them are Masters Degree students, BScN students, post basic diploma students
in specialty courses and ECN upgrading students. All these students corne from various
colleges/universities with varied backgrounds of knowledge level and experiences.
The students are usually paired up with preceptors who undertake clinical teaching to
help the students achieve their learning objectives. However lately, preceptors had been
noticed to be reluctant in taking up the role of precepting students. It was thought that
the preceptors could have been experiencing some challenges which might have
contributed to this behaviour, a situation that required to be investigated since it could
compromise skills acquisition by learners. Literature search did not find any study done
locally on challenges facing preceptor nurses.
The main objective of this cross-sectional descriptive study was to assess challenges
facing preceptors at KNH specialized units. It was conducted among preceptors with
more than one year experience at KNH specialized units. A semi-structured
questionnaire which was distributed to 113 randomly sampled preceptor nurses was
used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. An interview guide was used to
collect quantitative data from 5 unit managers/course managers in specialized units.
The data obtained was checked, cleaned and corrected, before computing and then
analyzed using SPSS software package version 17. Qualitative data was analyzed
manually. Results of the study are presented in descriptive form using histograms, pie
charts and frequency tables. Co- relation of the study variables was calculated using chi
square.
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The reported challenges commonly experienced by preceptor nurses in the specialized
units at KNH included heavy patient workload 72 (85.71 %), lack of adequate resources
50 (59.52%), high number of students attached to a preceptors 50 (59.52%) and acuity
of patients condition 20 (23.81 %). Only 16.9% of the preceptors had formal training in
preceptorship role. Motivation to serve as a preceptor was found to be statistically
associated with the number of years a participant had served as a nurse. (X2= 11.30;
p=0.01).
These study results underlines the need to enhance preceptors hip expenences for
preceptors at KNH specialized units in order to assist them foster professional
socialization of students and help them achieve professional skills and confidence
before graduating. Preceptorship orientation programmes should be implemented for
preparation of preceptors before engaging them in precepting students. The hospital,
nursing schools and other stakeholders should address the challenges facing preceptors
at KNH specialized units. This will subsequently improve achievement of teaching and
learning objectives for both preceptors and nursing students respectively.
The cost of this study which took an estimated period of nine months was Ksh.105,
875. The study was funded by KNH, the researcher's employer.
Citation
Master of Science in nursing educationPublisher
University Of Nairobi College of Health Sciences