Strategic Incentives for Recruitment/Retention of Preceptors for Nurse Practitioner Students: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND: Nurse practitioner (NP) educational programs face challenges in preparing qualified NP students, including a lack of adequate preceptors. This directly impacts student outcomes and the viability of educational programs. Preceptor incentivization is a critical topic in the recruitment and retention of onsite clinical educators. PURPOSE: The purpose of this scoping review was to summarize the existing literature on academic, institutional, and legislative strategies supporting preceptor recruitment and retention in NP education. METHODS: A scoping review was implemented using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews to systematically map existing literature related to current preceptor incentives. RESULTS: A total of 35 articles were reviewed and categorized into 5 primary domains: financial incentives, institutional and structural supports, profession, recognition and non-monetary incentives, and intrinsic motivators. CONCLUSION: Successful recruitment and retention efforts require a multifaceted approach combining financial incentives, professional development opportunities, institutional support, and policy initiatives. This review supports the creation of sustainable strategies to ensure an adequate supply of qualified preceptors for the health care workforce.