ONE MINUTE PRECEPTOR
In this example for experiential learning, I focus on the application of the one-minute preceptor method. The model was designed to streamline the teaching process in busy ambulatory care settings (Furney et al., 2001). Effective clinical teaching focuses on five “microskills” which are as follows: (1) commitment from the learner, (2) evidentiary support, (3) key concepts, (4) affirmative feedback, (5) corrective feedback (Furney et al., 2001). In this technique, teachers encourage learners to describe their thought processes regarding a situation (Lyons et al., 2019). Errors are corrected and positive learning is reinforced through timely feedback (Lyons et al., 2019). The model is easy to learn (Furney et al., 2001) and can be applied to fast-paced clinical areas such as the operating room.
Rationale
The artifact below is a handout detailing an operating room run at a hospital facility in May 2021. The names and dates have been altered to ensure confidentiality for those involved. Based on discussions with fellow educators and the independent research of existing program documents, I help design and create this artifact for the RPEP program. The Regional Perioperative Education Program (RPEP) is a specialty training program that prepares Registered Nurses to work as novice practitioners in a perioperative setting.
An operating room (OR) run is a pre-planned experiential learning opportunity that involves the RPEP students coordinating care for patients independently while being supervised to ensure patient safety. As a program educator, I took a one-minute approach during my check-ins with students to assess and provide support. The students were asked to describe their thought processes concerning a situation or a task and provide a rationale for their decisions. Students were provided constructive and affirmative feedback. They were also given prompts to consider alternative options. This strategy has proved to be very effective for two reasons: (1) I was able to gauge the decision-making and critical thinking process of students, and (2) I was able to provide appropriate support while encouraging students to continue engaging in the process.
To guide the nursing staff in this process, I included a feedback square (Artifact, Room Run, page 5). The feedback square is a program document used by students to seek feedback during their clinical practice. However, I decided to include this document to focus the staff's feedback on the five competency domains. Staff nurses were prompted to provide affirmative feedback with the words “keep doing” (Artifact, Room Run, page 5). The words “start doing” indicated to staff they should provide suggestions for improvement (Artifact, Room Run, page 5). The words “stop doing” and “make a change” prompted constructive feedback (Artifact, Room Run, page 5). This document mimics the one minute preceptor technique by providing relevant feedback in a structured manner.