New Graduate Nurse Practitioners and the Preceptor/Mentor Model

Preceptor recruitment, preparation, and compensation; preparation and evaluation of the students; as well as the setting and overall experience for both student and preceptor have long since been starting points for literature reviews when addressing new graduate nurse practitioner (NP) clinical competency upon entry to practice. Preceptor models and student/mentor relationships address, in part, the following benefits: opportunities for critical thinking, operationalizing theoretical concepts, enhancing professional behaviors, interaction with peers and ancillary personnel, all while doing so in a real world environment (Ivey, 2006). de Chesnay, Dorman, and Bennett (2012) outline the importance of fieldwork when educating the student nurse practitioner, especially populations of vulnerability. The authors note that practical experience aids the NP student in designing, implementing, and evaluating work that can then be continued upon graduation. de Chesnay, Hart, and Brannan (2012) discuss the expansion of framework application from a cultural focus, to that which encompasses all individuals who are considered vulnerable. Doing so allows for patient/family interaction that encourages health and wellness across the spectrum of vulnerability.
Vulnerable Population
Geographically speaking, vulnerable populaces in California include racial and ethnic minorities, undocumented immigrants, and households living below the poverty level. The state of California has the highest poverty rate of all states in the nation, at 23.5% (Sankin, 2012), with the county of Fresno having a per capita household income of less than $21,000 annually (Demographics at a glance, 2014). These demographics project that by the year 2020, 75% of Fresno County...

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