The effect of preceptorship on nurses' training and preparation with implications for Qatar: A literature review

Abstract

Background and objective: The Primary Health Care Corporation in Qatar was established in 2012 and is comprised of 23 Health Centers. One of its goals is to create excellence in its workforce. A preceptorship program needs to be initiated at the Primary Health Care Corporation to ensure a high level of training for its nurses. The purpose of these preceptorship programs is to ensure nurses are equipped to carry out Qatar’s National Health Strategy and in doing so the Primary Health Care Corporation has this as its goal. This study amis to assess the effectiveness of preceptorship program models that can eventually be used for adoption as training programs for nurses in Health Centers in Qatar.

Methods: A literature review of twenty articles published between 2006 and 2017 that focused on different models of preceptorship programs was conducted. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used to assess the quality of these studies. The data was analyzed by categorizing the included articles in a matrix sheet based on study design.

Results and conclusions: Preceptorship programs are effective in four key areas: increasing nursing knowledge, supporting effective and safe care delivery by newly graduated nurses, increasing organizational support, and decreasing turnover rate and cost.