Trust Policy and Procedure Document Ref. No: PP (17) 231 Preceptorship (Multi-Professional) Policy For use in: For use by: For use for: Document owner: Status: Supporting all newly registered clinical practitioners Managers of newly registered practitioners Newly registered practitioners Nursing Directorate Final Contents Page No. 1. Introduction and background 2 2. Staff Groups Eligible 3 3. Definition of Terms 3 4. Preceptorship Minimum Offer 3 5. Preceptorship Principles 4 6. Role of the Preceptor 6 7. References 6 8. Review 7 Appendices 1. Health Education England Preceptorship Standards 8 2. The Preceptorship Pledge 9 3. The Attributes of an Effective Preceptor 10 Status: Approved Review date: November 2019 Page 1 of 9
1. Introduction and background 1.1 West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, referred to hereafter as the organisation relates to the West Suffolk Hospital and the NHS community services in the West of Suffolk. 1.2 In October 2004, with the introduction of Agenda for Change (AfC) a period of preceptorship became a requirement of all band 5 staff joining as new entrants to a professional register 1.3 It is widely accepted that the months following the transition from student to registered practitioner can be challenging. It is acknowledged as good practice that healthcare practitioners at the point of entry into the professions should engage with and be supported by a period of preceptorship 1.4 Preceptorship is now embedded in a range of professional regulatory and employment guidelines. The main pertinent initiatives are: a) The Department of Health (DoH) Preceptorship Framework (2010) is a resource for organisations to support the development of their newly qualified practitioners. The term preceptorship describes a formal period of support and guidance from an experienced professional colleague for newly qualified practitioners. The aim of preceptorship is to enhance the competence and confidence of newly qualified practitioners. Contained within this are 11 standards which organisations are required to measure (appendix 1) b) Within the Department of Health Preceptorship Framework are contained a series of pledges which formalise the roles and responsibilities within the delivery of the preceptorship programme at all levels of organisation both local and strategic (appendix 2) 1.5 There are clearly documented benefits to undertaking preceptorship within clinical settings. These include enhancement of quality care, improved recruitment/ retention, developing an understanding of the organisational objectives, supporting the concept of lifelong learning, making care the priority and enhancing the image of health care professionals (DoH 2010). The organisation notes that each professional group may have slightly differing methods of undertaking preceptorship which should be honoured (especially with those groups of staff where newly registered practitioners will commence their role at a higher band). It is therefore the intention of the organisation to ensure that all eligible staff undertake an appropriate and timely preceptorship period. 1.6 The aim of the preceptorship programme is to enable the newly registered practitioner to: Practice in accordance with the standards as set by their professional regulatory body. Apply and develop the knowledge, skills and values gained as a student. Develop specific competencies that relate to the preceptee s role. Nurture professional relationships which assist their development and minimises the risk of inexperienced practitioners being given responsibilities which are beyond their scope of practice. Access support in embedding the values and expectations of the profession. Reflect on practice and receive constructive feedback. Work within a safe environment suitable for the novice, their colleagues and the service users. Develop confidence in their competence as a health care professional. Take responsibility for individual learning and development. Status: Approved Review date: November 2019 Page 2 of 9
Commence life-long learning. 2. Staff Groups Eligible 2.1 The framework for preceptorship applies to many professional groups lists and therefore the organisation has agreed that principles should be applied to the following newly registered groups of staff: Nurses & Midwives Allied Healthcare Professionals Health Care Scientists Pharmacists Operating Department Practitioners 3. Definition of Terms Newly registered practitioner/preceptee (NRPs) refers to a nurse, midwife or allied health professional who is entering employment in England for the first time following professional registration with the NMC or HCPC (DoH 2010). It includes those who are recently graduated students, those returning to practice, those entering a new part of the register e.g. community public health specialists and overseas-prepared practitioners who have satisfied the requirements of, and are registered with, their regulatory body. Preceptorship can also be used for experienced staff transferring to a new area of practice e.g. community environment to an acute setting. Preceptor is a registered practitioner who has been given a formal responsibility to support the newly registered practitioner through the preceptorship programme. 4. Preceptorship Minimum Offer 4.1 Organisations across Norfolk, Suffolk and North East Essex have agreed to a minimum offer for the preceptorship period for all NRPs. The offer includes the following: a) A minimum initial preceptorship period of 12 months b) A named, appropriately trained preceptor from the first day c) An opportunity to complete a transitional learning needs analysis d) A minimum of 12 days direct working time with the named preceptor e) Access to continuing professional development (CPD) sessions on resilience, communication, professionalism and integration f) Locality rather than organisation based learning to promote cross professional working promote discussion of best practice and consideration of challenges allow promotion of the integration agenda Status: Approved Review date: November 2019 Page 3 of 9
allow provision of the opportunity to feedback on experience as a NRP 5. Preceptorship Principles 5.1 Preceptorship will involve a formal process as part of which the preceptee will be allocated a named preceptor, working in the same area of practice and in the same setting, who is on hand to help, advise and support. 5.2 Discussion and reflection regarding practice will be facilitated by the preceptor and appropriate feedback given to support the development of the preceptee 5.3 To facilitate this, the new registrant (the preceptee) should have: A preceptorship handbook. Protected learning time during the preceptorship programme as set by the newly registered minimum offer. Access to a preceptor with whom regular meetings are held. 5.5 Preceptorship will last for a period of one year. There should be clear links between the induction process, preceptorship, the knowledge, skills framework (KSF) and the appraisal process 5.6 A named preceptor, from the organisation s preceptor register, will be identified prior to commencement of the programme. 5.7 The preceptorship process will run alongside existing staff inductions: it does not replace any Trust or local induction process. 5.8 An initial meeting between the preceptee and the preceptor will take place during the first week of employment. 5.9 Each preceptee will have a minimum of 2 weeks supernumerary practice upon commencement of the programme. 5.10 The preceptor/preceptee will identify a convenient time each week to meet for the first month. For subsequent development they will meet a minimum of once a month until the programme is completed. Informal meetings may be held whenever a meeting is required. All meetings should be documented. 5.11 Relevant documents are contained within the preceptorship workbook in which evidence is collected and recorded. 5.12 Workbooks may be specific to areas of practice but must contain the core principles and components of the preceptorship programme 5.13 It is expected that the preceptee will complete all the formal assessments of the programme and maintain a portfolio of evidence of competence in the specified learning outcomes for each assessment. 5.14 It is essential that all the assessments are successfully completed; even if an assessment has been completed prior to registration (e.g. the nurse has completed medication assessment as a student nurse). Status: Approved Review date: November 2019 Page 4 of 9
5.15 Preceptees must not take charge of bed based clinical areas without direct supervision from a more experienced registered staff working in the same department until they have completed their preceptorship programme. This applies in particular to registered nurses who must not be left in charge of the ward. All newly registered community clinicians in their preceptorship period should always have telephone access to a named senior clinician should they require advice or support. It is appreciated that newly registered therapy practitioners will be given a caseload of patients on a ward, in a clinic or in the community and will be supervised indirectly from an experienced team member. Preceptees will be allocated a caseload of patients and this may be under direct and indirect supervision. 5.16 Community clinicians in their preceptorship period should always have telephone access to a named senior clinician should they require advice or support. 5.17 Ideally preceptees would not undertake night duty or if in the community, work weekends for the first 8 weeks of their programme. However it is recognised that where departments have an increased number of preceptees at one time all shifts on the roster will need to be utilised. Preceptees placed onto nights or if community, working a weekend within the first 8 weeks of employment must be fully supervised by registered staff 5.18 Preceptees must have protected time to be able to attend all the requirements of the preceptor programme. 5.19 On completing the preceptorship documentation, the preceptee will keep their evidence safe and available for scrutiny if required. 5.20 Newly registered nursing staff starting employment at times when the preceptorship programme is not running should be highlighted to the Directorate of Nursing to ensure that this guidance is adhered to in all cases. 5.21 Prior to receiving their registration numbers from the NMC/HCPC newly registered professionals may have a period of induction to their practice area, and would be paid at midpoint Band 3 (this may vary according to department). During this time the preceptee will be included in the clinical area staff allocation as an unregistered member of staff supervised by registered staff 5.22 Upon completion of the preceptorship programme a tripartite meeting should be held with the preceptee, preceptor and ward manager/professional lead. The appropriate tripartite meeting form should be completed and a copy sent to the education team within the organisation. A certificate of completion of the course will be sent to the preceptee for their portfolio. 5.23 If during the preceptorship period, the preceptor or preceptee has concerns over progression this should be discussed with the ward/ clinical area manager, the education team and if necessary the Managing Capability Policy PP (15) 091 should be followed. 6. Role of the Preceptor: The preceptor will: Be a registered practitioner Have a minimum of twelve months experience in the practice area, an understanding of the KSF profile for Band 5 Staff, working knowledge of the Band 5 job role and how these link to a personal development plan. Have undertaken preceptor training (when available through HEE) Status: Approved Review date: November 2019 Page 5 of 9
Know about the preceptee s training and experience to identify current learning needs. Help the preceptee to apply knowledge to practice. Act as a resource to facilitate the preceptee s professional development. Agree and discuss the preceptor/preceptee roles in relation to the preceptorship programme See appendix 3 for summary of attributes required for role 7. References Preceptorship Framework for Newly Registered Nurses, Midwives and Allied Health Professionals (DOH 2010) Multi professional preceptorship policy Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust (2014) 6. Review Author(s): Other contributors: Approvals and endorsements: Clinical Practice & Education Co-ordinator and Community Education Team Pre-Registration Educators Forum Co-Medical Education and Training Committee Consultation: TNC (General) Issue no: 7 File name: PP(17)231 Preceptorship Policy Nov 2017 Supercedes: Equality Assessed Implementation Monitoring: (give brief details how this will be done) Other relevant policies/documents & references: PP(16)231 Yes Policy will be checked by the Pre-Registration Educators Forum and approved by the Co-Medical Education and Training Committee. It will be distributed to clinical managers and published on the WSH and community intranet sites Implementation, compliance and effectiveness of this policy will be monitored by the Nursing Directorate Education Team on an ongoing basis. Managers will assess 100 % staff members who are under preceptorship and fill in preceptorship forms when staff member has completed relevant stage. 100% forms filed on staff records by HR and Salaries and Wages informed. AfC T&C s Status: Approved Review date: November 2019 Page 6 of 9
Appendix 1: Health Education England (HEE) Preceptorship Standards 2010 Status: Approved Review date: November 2019 Page 7 of 9
Appendix 2 Preceptorship Pledge Newly Registered Practitioner I commit to assume my responsibilities as a registered practitioner, including to: Adherence to codes of professional practice Ensuring that I understand the standards, competences or objectives set by my employer that are required to be met Committing time to preceptorship Working collaboratively with my preceptor to identify, plan and achieve my learning needs Taking responsibility for my own learning and development Providing feedback to enable preceptorship to develop further Preceptor I commit to delivering my responsibilities as a preceptor, including to: Commit to the preceptorship role and its responsibilities Personalise the newly registered practitioners learning and development needs and help him or her to identify key learning opportunities and resources Commit time and provide constructive feedback to support the newly registered practitioner Employer Commits to delivering responsibilities for preceptorship including to: Identify a Board Member who has accountability for the delivery of the preceptorship programme and assessing its impact Ensure that all newly registered practitioners have equitable access to preceptorship and as appropriate, access to an identified, suitably prepared preceptor Ensure that preceptorship is adequately resourced Ensure that a system is in place for appraising the preceptees performance through the Knowledge and Skills Framework process or other structure to support appraisal Evaluate the process and outcome of preceptorship Status: Approved Review date: November 2019 Page 8 of 9
Appendix 3 The Attributes of an Effective Preceptor The attributes required of a registered practitioner who supports the newly registered practitioner through preceptorship may take up to two years to develop from registration and include: Giving constructive feedback; Setting goals and assessing competency; Facilitating problem-solving; Active listening skills; Understanding, demonstrating and evidencing reflective-practice ability in the working environment; Demonstrating good time-management and leadership skills; Prioritising care; Demonstrating appropriate clinical decision-making and evidence-based practice; Recognising their own limitations and those of others; Knowing what resources are available and how to refer a newly registered practitioner appropriately if additional support is required, for example, pastoral support or occupational health services; Being an effective and inspirational role model and demonstrating professional values, attitude and behaviours; Demonstrating a clear understanding of the regulatory impact of the care that they deliver and the ability to pass on this knowledge; Providing a high standard of practice at all time Status: Approved Review date: November 2019 Page 9 of 9