Preceptorship and critical thinking in nursing education

Although preceptorship is being used increasingly by nursing faculty in the practice setting, little is known about how preceptors teach and even less is known about how critical thinking is being fostered in that relationship. The purpose of this study was to examine the process used in preceptorship to develop and promote the critical thinking ability of baccalaureate nursing students. Using the grounded theory method, this study was conducted in a large tertiary care hospital. Participants included fourth-year baccalaureate nursing students (preceptees) and their staff nurse preceptors. Data collection was composed of semistructured interviews and observations of the preceptors and preceptees as they worked together in the practice setting. Secondary data sources included documents considered appropriate to the study (e.g., nurse notes, student journals). By constant comparative analysis of the data, the findings of this study revealed a process that reflects the enabling of students by preceptors to develop and promote their critical thinking ability in the practice setting.