Should We Be Trained to Train? Nursing Students' and Newly Qualified Nurses' Perception on Good Lecturers and Good Clinical Preceptors

Background: The reform of the Spanish higher education studies fromthe Bologna Declaration
did not entail the necessary changes in the teaching methodologies used. The clinical preceptor
emerged as the main guiding professional in the practical training of nursing students. The aim of this
qualitative study was to understand fourth-year nursing students’ and newly qualified nurses’ (NQNs)
perception on their lecturers’ and clinical preceptors’ e ectiveness. Methods: Exploratory, descriptive
qualitative study was carried out at a Spanish University. By convenience sampling and according
to defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, twelve newly qualified nurses and twelve fourth-year
students of the Degree in Nursing were included in order to contrast the results. A thematic analysis
of data was carried out, to later be coded by two researchers. Results: Two main themes were
identified: the good lecturer and the good clinical preceptor, with several subthemes in each. These
included the characteristics that both should have, both in teaching, nursing and interpersonal-relation
skills. Conclusions: The need of preceptorship training programs has been highlighted in our context.
Educators all over the world should be properly qualified in order to train and educate competent
nurses for the future.