Meaning of Boundaries to Rural Preceptors

Abstract

Preceptorship is widely used as a cost-effective clinical non-traditional teaching method. However, insufficient research has been done in this area, particularly as to how a successful student-preceptor relationship is formed. The rural setting poses additional challenges as the nursing instructor is not physically present to monitor the course of the student-preceptor relationship or to resolve arising boundary issues. This is part one of a grounded theory project whereby eleven rural preceptors were asked ‗what kinds of professional boundaries do you create in the rural preceptorship experience‘ and ‗how they created and maintained professional boundaries while precepting nursing students‘. The research project consisted of two parts: each examining the perspectives of preceptors and students. However, this study will focus on the perceptions of preceptors and is the first to examine perceptions of preceptors in the area of teaching and boundaries in rural settings. The resulting core variable was: trusting the student to be safe and the psychosocial process was the relationship they developed with the student.