Preceptorship Rural Boundaries: Student Perspective

Abstract

This is one part of a grounded theory study that explored the perceptions of both students and preceptors regarding the student-preceptor relationship in a rural setting and the boundaries that must be developed to ensure it is successful. The success of preceptorship lies largely with the preceptor-student relationship and thus, the importance of developing and maintaining professional boundaries is paramount. This is particularly key in rural settings where boundary issues are explicit and challenging and the physical presence of a faculty instructor is often an impossibility. This article will focus on the perceptions of seven nursing students and is the first grounded theory study exploring nursing students' perceptions of learning and boundaries in a rural setting. The resulting core variable was learning and the psychosocial processes were the relationship they formed with their preceptors and members of the health care team. Students were highly professional and respected boundaries in their relationship with team members.