Making Connections in Aged Care: The Report of the Residential Aged Care Preceptor Research Project

Abstract

A report of the 2002 Tasmanian pilot project 'Making Connections In Aged Care', funded by two aged care providers and a UTas teaching development grant. In this study we trialled an intervention strategy to support students to have a quality clinical placement in aged care, utilising a fourth generation evaluation method (Guba and Lincoln 1989). The two stage project involved a group of undergraduate nursing students (N=26) and their aged care nurse preceptors (N=13) in a series of parallel focus group discussions, with a feedback loop between the student and preceptor groups. The project was a great success. Students interest in working in the aged care sector improved markedly from 36% on entry to 92% at completion of a 3 week placement. The project produced a range of recommendations central to supporting students and providing a quality clinical placement. These recommendations focused on Registered Nurse preceptors having ongoing support to develop their role and gain an understanding of the complexities involved in acting as a preceptor to undergraduate students; the importance of continuity between students and their preceptors and the opportunity for student groups and preceptors groups to meet separately on a regular basis, to share their experiences and collaborate to facilitate learning in practice.