Each semester, nearly 400 registered nurses and advanced practice nurses at over 100 health care organizations across northeast Ohio volunteer to mentor Kent State University College of Nursing students in a clinical setting. These nursing professionals, known as preceptors, work one-on-one with students sharing their real-world experiences and knowledge to complement curriculum taught in the classroom.
This week, the college launched a new and unique program named PreceptED™. The program includes an online CE activities library developed exclusively for Kent State nurse preceptors. The online library will provide each preceptor with up to 12 free continuing education credits (CEs) each year to help them meet their biennial recertification requirements.
“We’ve developed our PreceptED program as a way to say ‘thank you’ and show our deep appreciation for our preceptors,” said Barbara Broome, dean of the college of nursing at Kent State. “They volunteer their valuable time, their talent, and are extremely committed to our students. Offering them free professional development in the form of CEs is one way we can help them in return.”
The online CE activities library will include a variety of presentations covering topics such as Transitioning to a Validated Behavioral Pain Scale for Critically Ill Patients, Impact of APN Home Visits to Chronically Ill Adults, and What You Should Know About the Ohio Nurse Practice Act. From the web site, preceptors may also review a preceptor guidebook and click on links to resources and preceptor tools. Additionally, they’ll find information on eligibility requirements to become adjunct faculty and collaboration with Kent State nurse researchers on current or future projects. The college will continue to update and expand the CE library presentation offerings throughout the year.
“With the increasing demand for quality nurses, the need for quality preceptors is also increasing,” said Dr. Tracey Motter, associate dean for undergraduate programs at Kent State College of Nursing. “A strong preceptor can make all the difference between a student becoming a good nurse and a great nurse, and we recognize this.”
To learn more about precepting Kent State nursing students, please visit http://www.kent.edu/nursing/become-a-preceptor. Nurses interested in becoming a preceptor for undergraduate students should contact Mary Kutchin, MSN, RN, CNS, at mkutchin@kent.edu. Those nurses interested in becoming a preceptor for graduate students, please contact Louise Knox, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, at lknox1@kent.edu.
About Kent State University’s College of Nursing
In existence for nearly 50 years, the College of Nursing at Kent State University is one of the largest and most comprehensive nursing programs in the nation with more than 12,000 alumni worldwide. As part of Kent State’s eight-campus system, the college provides more than 2,000 nursing students courses of study at the baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels. To learn more about nursing programs at Kent State, please visit www.kent.edu/nursing.
