Impact of a dedicated education unit on nurse preceptors’ perceived confidence and competence

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the nursing shortage by increasing nurse departures from the nursing profession and limiting inpatient clinical education, which shifted significantly to online settings. Dedicated education units (DEUs), a form of academic-practice partnership, have been proposed to address both nursing staffing and clinical education problems. While prior research has emphasized DEU benefits for students, limited attention has been given to their impact on nursing preceptors. This study explored nurse preceptors' perceived confidence and competence following the implementation of a DEU. Qualitative design was employed using semi-structured interviews with six preceptors. Data was analyzed for common themes utilizing NVivo software. Findings indicated that nurse preceptors experienced improvements in perceived competence and confidence after the implementation of the DEU. Additional emergent themes were enhanced communication abilities and leadership skills in DEU nurse preceptors. Preceptors who perceived themselves as confident and competent were better positioned to promote resilience, support new graduate nurses, and contribute to safe, high-quality patient care. These results underscore the importance of supporting and developing nurse preceptors within DEUs to optimize outcomes for both nursing practice and clinical education.