Experiences of an ongoing preceptorship programme for newly employed nurses in medical departments – A qualitative study

Objective: To explore the experiences of head nurses, preceptors, and newly employed nurses in five Danish medical departments on an ongoing preceptorship programme.Methods: The Rigorous and Accelerated Data Reduction (RADaR) technique was used to design this study and guide the data collection and analysis. In December 2023, 21 participants (head nurses, preceptors, and newly employed nurses) were interviewed in qualitative semi-structured interviews.Results: The findings show an overall need for a structure of the content, planning, and execution of the preceptorship programme and a specific focus on the newly employed nurses’ personalities and individual needs throughout the introduction. Three themes were unveiled after the RADaR analysis: “Aiming for overall structure and individuality,” “Preceptoring – Advantages and disadvantages of cutting corners,” and “Clarifications of expectations and progress.”Conclusions: A more structured preceptorship programme that considers individual needs and focuses on social interactions could strengthen the future introduction of newly employed nurses in medical departments. Even though the head nurses and preceptors considered the preceptorship programme too lengthy and time-consuming, it could be time and money well spent as it may increase retention and reduce turnover of newly employed nurses.