The Effectiveness of Preceptorship Programs in Improving Clinical Competence among Novice Nurses: A Systematic Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.19166/nc.v13i2.10300Schlagworte:
Clinical competence, Clinical nursing, Novice nurses, Professional mentoring, PreceptorshipAbstract
Background: Novice nurses face considerable challenges in transitioning from education to clinical practice, including a lack of preparedness, low confidence, and workplace pressures that may compromise care quality. Preceptorship has been introduced to facilitate adaptation and competency development, yet its effectiveness requires systematic evaluation.
Objective: To analyze the effectiveness of preceptorship programs in enhancing novice nurses’ clinical competence and to identify supporting factors and implementation challenges.
Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted using the PICO framework. Articles were retrieved from ScienceDirect, PubMed, ProQuest, and Google Scholar with the keywords nurse, preceptorship program, and clinical competence. Eligible studies included quantitative research published between 2019 and 2025 in English or Indonesian. Ten articles meeting the criteria were synthesized narratively.
Results: Preceptorship programs were effective in improving clinical competence, particularly knowledge, technical skills, confidence, and self-efficacy. Supporting factors included preceptor readiness, adequate training, manageable workload, and managerial support. Challenges included inconsistent preceptor rotation, time constraints, and a lack of standardized program structures.
Conclusion: Preceptorship is an effective strategy to support novice nurses’ professional transition and strengthen clinical competence. Structured implementation, supported by trained preceptors and institutional commitment, is crucial to optimizing program benefits and improving nursing care quality.
Keywords: Clinical competence, Clinical nursing, Novice nurses, Professional mentoring, Preceptorship
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