California State University
San Marcos
School of Nursing
Preceptor Handbook
California State University San Marcos 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Road San Marcos, CA 92096-0001
ww.csusm.edu/nursing
Dear Preceptor:
Thank you for your willingness to precept California State University San Marcos nursing students in
their final semester of the nursing program. Your expert guidance provides our students with an
opportunity to apply their newly acquired clinical knowledge and skills in preparation for the various
roles they will assume as new members of the nursing profession.
The faculty, staff and I understand that as a practicing direct-care registered nurse, your work is
demanding, which makes your commitment to precept a senior nursing student commendable. Your
coaching and role modeling, as you work with the student, is invaluable in helping them gain confidence
as they prepare to graduate and transition to practice.
This preceptor handbook provides important information to orient you to the preceptor role and the
School of Nursing. Please review it, including instructions for completing a required online preceptor
orientation. You will also be given the course syllabus by the student. It lists the student objectives for the
semester, along with the responsibilities of the student, the faculty, and yourself as the preceptor.
Thank you for your personal and professional dedication to help prepare the next generation of registered
nurses. It would not be possible without the collaboration of nursing colleagues such as yourself. The
faculty and staff at the School of Nursing value your service and welcome any recommendations you
might have to improve the precepting experience.
Please feel free to contact the school of nursing at 760.750.7550 if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Wendy Hansbrough, PhD, RN, CNE
Associate Professor of Nursing
Director, School of Nursing
The California State University
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Table of Contents
SECTION I: INTRODUCTION TO THE SCHOOL OF NURSING ______________________ 1
School of Nursing Mission, Vision, and Values __________________________________________ 1
Program Learning Outcomes ________________________________________________________ 1
SECTION II: PRECEPTOR PROGRAM ___________________________________________ 1
Preceptor Requirements ____________________________________________________________ 2
Preceptor Expectations _____________________________________________________________ 2
Preceptor Selection ________________________________________________________________ 2
Preceptor Profile __________________________________________________________________ 2
SECTION III: COURSE INFORMATION _________________________________________ 3
Course Syllabus ___________________________________________________________________ 3
Communication Expectations ________________________________________________________ 3
Student Evaluation ________________________________________________________________ 3
School of Nursing Program Evaluation ________________________________________________ 3
Student Professional Standards in Clinical Practice _______________________________________ 4
Guidelines for the Preceptor _________________________________________________________ 4
APPENDIX I - Preceptorship Acknolwedgement and Profile ___________________________ 5
SECTION I: INTRODUCTION TO THE SCHOOL OF NURSING
School of Nursing Mission, Vision, and Values
Mission:
The SON at CSUSM strives to holistically prepare students to transition to professional nursing practice
using innovative, evidence-based teaching strategies in the service of an increasingly complex, evolving,
and diverse global community.
Vision:
By fostering research, evidence-based practice, and innovative teaching strategies, the SON at CSUSM
seeks to expand the nursing profession in our community by empowering our faculty, staff, and students
to be collaborative members of interprofessional teams and leaders in promoting the four spheres of care:
health and well-being/disease prevention, chronic disease care, regenerative or restorative care and
hospice/palliative/supportive care for diverse populations across the lifespan in a variety of settings.
Faculty, staff, and students will reflect the diversity of our region and will champion equitable access to
higher education and across systems of care.
Values:
Integrity
Being morally accountable and responsible for one’s judgment and actions even when unobserved.
Mutual Respect
The intentional act of showing consideration for another person's interests, well-being, and
autonomy, demonstrating dignity and regard for all.
Compassion
The person-centered practice of relating to ourselves and others as human beings, recognizing
suffering and vulnerability, and being motivated to respond in a caring, empathetic, equitable, and
respectful manner.
Adaptability
The ability to nimbly respond to changes in the global community and healthcare environment as
educators, researchers, and healthcare professionals to best meet the needs of students,
individuals/families, communities/populations, and systems of care using the best available
evidence.
Equity
The practice of allocating the resources and opportunities needed to allow individuals to
participate in society with the goal of overcoming obstacles to ensure fairness and student success.
Program Learning Outcomes
1. Apply the nursing process through critical thinking and professional nursing judgment to provide and
evaluate nursing care in acute and long-term care, and community settings.
2. Identify practice issues, appraise, and integrate evidence, and evaluate outcomes.
3. Function within the specific nursing roles to provide and coordinate care, deliver health education, and
advocate.
4.
SECTION II: PRECEPTOR PROGRAM
Preceptor Policies and Procedures (based on California BRN Regulations for Preceptor Learning
Activities (Preceptorships) (CCR1426.1; 1426.1(a); 1426.1(b); 1426.1(b)(2); 1426.1(b)(3); 1426.1(b)(4);
1426.1(b)(5); 1426.1(b)(6); 1426.1(b)(7); 1426.1(c), 1425(e)
The Preceptor Program at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) is a component of the
Nursing Program that includes a teaching strategy designed to provide students with a learning experience
guided by an experienced registered nurse who may also be an expert in his or her area of specialty.
Preceptor courses are presented at the end of a board-approved curriculum, which provides students with
supervised experience comparable to that of an entry-level registered nurse position. All preceptor courses
are approved by the BRN prior to implementation into the curriculum.
Preceptor Requirements
• Holds an active, clear license as a Registered Nurse in the state of California.
• Can verify at least one year employment with the CSUSM affiliated healthcare facility.
• Holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and/or demonstrate high-level experience and competence in
customer relations/communication and clinical nursing skills.
• Has completed preceptor training or agency equivalent prior to serving as a preceptor. Preceptor
training can be completed for free here: PEP (preceptor.ca).
• Has reviewed the CSUSM, School of Nursing Preceptor Handbook and course syllabus.
Preceptor Expectations
As a preceptor, you will demonstrate the agency’s values, serve as a role model, and mentor a student
preparing to graduate and transition into the workplace. The expectations of the preceptor include:
• Maintaining open communication with the student preceptee and the faculty assigned to them.
• Directing student clinical practice at the facility.
• Sharing responsibility for the care of the assigned patients with the nursing student.
Preceptor Selection
The unit nurse manager at the facility selects all Preceptors (primary and relief) based upon interest and
ability to teach and serve as a role model for nursing students.
A relief preceptor, who meets the same qualifications as the primary preceptor, shall be available when
the designated preceptor is unavailable to ensure continuity of the student’s preceptor learning experience
and to ensure that a preceptor is always present and available on the patient care unit while the student is
providing patient care/nursing services.
Preceptor Profile
Please complete the preceptor profile form provided by your r preceptee. The information requested
includes:
• Preceptor name and work email address
• California Registered Nursing license number
• Attestation of having one year of experience at the agency where precepting.
• Preceptor nursing role (staff nurse, charge nurse, etc)
• Preceptor highest earned academic nursing degree
• Attestation that you have completed preceptor training through an employer.
If you, as a preceptor, have never completed a preceptor orientation program, the following online
program is required. PEP (preceptor.ca) This Preceptor Education Program is an online interprofessional
program that consists of nine interactive learning modules. Once you complete the short registration
process you will instantly receive your login information, so that you can access the PEP program
anytime, anywhere. Each module takes approximately 30-45 minutes to complete. The modules include
downloadable resources, learning exercises, video case scenarios and references. Learning is self-directed
in that you can complete the modules on your own, and they do not need to be completed in any particular
order.
SECTION III: COURSE INFORMATION
Course Syllabus
The course syllabus serves as the written plan for the precepted course; it will provide student learning
objectives, evaluation rubrics, and student performance expectations to serve as guidelines for the
preceptor.
The student will provide this syllabus to the preceptor no later than the first in-person day.
Communication Expectations
Frequency and method of faculty/preceptor/student contact during preceptor experience includes:
• Clinical faculty and the student will introduce themselves via email to the preceptor at the
beginning of the experience and provide a course syllabus and a copy of the Preceptor Handbook.
• The clinical faculty will coordinate with the preceptor and student to schedule one or more
meetings to assist in evaluating the progress of the student towards meeting the learning
objectives.
• Clinical faculty will be available by phone and email for preceptor contact as needed and through
the entire semester the student is assigned to the preceptor.
• The Course Coordinator will be available to the preceptor by phone or email as needed.
Student Evaluation
The syllabus and clinical evaluation forms serve as resources for communicating and confirming student
performance in accordance with course requirements and course evaluation criteria as follows:
• The preceptor completes a performance evaluation for the student at the end of the experience.
• The clinical faculty/instructor, using preceptor evaluation feedback completes the final student
performance evaluation.
School of Nursing Program Evaluation
As part of continuous quality improvement and program evaluation in the School of Nursing a preceptor
and a course evaluation are completed each semester as follows:
• The student completes a course evaluation for the course.
• The student completes an evaluation of the clinical site.
Student Professional Standards in Clinical Practice
Professional behavior is always expected of our student nurses. A student who demonstrates
unprofessional behavior or behavior which indicates unsafe practice may be denied progression or may be
dismissed from the program. The preceptor is expected to share any concerns with the clinical faculty
immediately.
Guidelines for the Preceptor
How Can I Best Help the Student?
• The preceptor is the primary resource for the student. In addition to role modeling nursing
practice for the student please refer to the following as a guideline:
• Things that seem logical for the expert nurse can be a challenge for the student nurse. Students are
expected to progressively develop in their role and take on added responsibility as the experience
progresses.
• As appropriate, allow the student to make the decisions as you observe and intervene only if he or
she proceeds in an unsafe manner.
• Use guided questioning with the student, allowing the student to give rationales for actions.
Process the decisions and choices about care and procedures with the student. Ask open-ended
questions; for example, “what do you think should be done?”
• Help the student to think critically by guiding them to correct conclusions by asking additional
questions.
• Encourage the student to communicate patient status and needs with the provider.
• Have the student give the verbal report to the next nurse. Have the student practice giving you
SBAR reports.
• Provide verbal feedback, both positive and negative. Part of the learning process includes critique
of performance including honest communication regarding errors and mistakes.
• If you have concerns about the student that cannot be corrected at the time, please communicate
these directly to the clinical faculty as soon as possible.
APPENDIX I - Preceptorship Profile
Completion of this document serves as an acknowledgement that the preceptor has
received the Preceptor Handbook and course syllabus. Please complete the top portion and
return it to the preceptee.
To be completed by preceptor:
Preceptor name:
Work email:
Clinical Site/unit:
Do you have at least 1 year of experience in nursing at this site?
yes/no
Preceptor Role
(circle one):
Staff Nurse
Charge Nurse
Nurse
Manager
Other:
Highest nursing
degree:
ADN
BSN
MSN
DNP
California RN license number:
I attest that I have completed Preceptor training through my employer, or the online training provided in
the preceptor handbook.
To be completed by student nurse:
Semester/Year
Course Number
Student ID
