Enhancing nursing education: Preceptors’ experiences with a digital tool in clinical practice

• Digital tools are essential in nursing education. • TOPP-N enhances dialog between students, preceptors, and educators. • TOPP-N supports remote follow-up in clinical practice. The use of digital tools is crucial for sustainable nursing education. The aim of the study was to investigate how preceptors experienced mentoring and assessing nursing students in mental health practice with the support of the application Technology Optimized Practice Process in Nursing (TOPP-N). The study employs a qualitative design featuring interviews with 8 preceptors. The data were analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis. Three main themes were identified: (a) experience of contrast between expected learning outcomes and clinical practice opportunities , (b) perception of a changed way of interacting , and (c) experience of TOPP-N as an aid. Suggested improvement included tailoring TOPP-N more to the specific context. The results indicate that TOPP-N can be a valuable support in mentoring and assessing students. However, adjustments will be important in the field of mental health. Findings from this study have already been used in further development of the TOPP-N application. In addition, TOPP-N enables remote follow-up of nursing students by nursing educators, opening up opportunities for decentralized and sustainable education.