The institutional barriers in facilitating effective preceptorship of undergraduate nursing students at a hospital cluster in Gauteng, South Africa

Abstract

Background: Preceptorship is a significant clinical strategy and support framework currently
employed in undergraduate nursing education programs both globally and locally to facilitate
clinical learning and teaching. Despite the implementation of preceptorship in Gauteng, South
Africa, there is a paucity of literature regarding the institutional barriers in facilitating effective
preceptorship of undergraduate nursing students at a hospital cluster in Gauteng, South Africa.
Objective: To explore and describe the institutional barriers in facilitating effective preceptorship
for the undergraduate nursing students at a hospital cluster in Gauteng, South Africa.
Methods: An explorative descriptive qualitative design was applied. Purposive sampling was
employed to select preceptors working at a hospital cluster in Gauteng, South Africa. Data was
collected through individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews, and saturation was reached at
14 participants. The participation in the study was voluntary, and confidentiality was maintained.
Results: Three themes emerged from the data analysis; namely, barriers encountered by preceptors
during clinical learning and teaching with the main categories emerging as: the lack of clear job
descriptions for preceptors, support and poor insights on preceptors’ role from management,
preceptors’ work overload, reluctance of some registered nurses in their teaching role, and the
preceptors' self-efficacy in overcoming barriers to their duties with the main categories as:
utilization of own resources, reinforcing positive practice environments and collaboration with
relevant stakeholders, as well as recommended possible measures to mitigate the barriers
experienced by preceptors with the main categories as revision of preceptors’ job description and
reinforcing roles of relevant stakeholders in a hospital cluster.
Conclusion: The barriers faced by preceptors during clinical learning and teaching of
undergraduate nursing students revealed that participants struggled with executing their duties.
However, despite the obstacles faced by the participants, they managed to succeed in their
responsibilities by utilising their own resources to strengthen and enforce positive practice
environments and working together with relevant stakeholders.