Newly registered community nurses’ perceptions and experiences of preceptorship

The transition from nursing student to newly registered nurse (NRN) can be challenging, affecting individuals' emotional well-being and professional development.Preceptorship programmes can provide structured support during this transition, yet evidence of their effectiveness in community nursing is limited.This article details a service evaluation that was undertaken to explore community NRNs' perceptions and experiences of one trust's preceptorship programme.Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five community NRNs, and the data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.Four major themes emerged: preceptorship, transitional period, confidence and competence, and retention.Additionally, four minor themes were identified: stress, coping strategies, support structure and protected time.The findings support the need to strengthen community preceptorship frameworks.Further research is necessary to validate and adapt acute-sector evidence on preceptorship for community settings.