Background: A wealth of literature reports nursing preceptors’ and novice or licensed nurses’ experiences of preceptorship programmes. However, there is a paucity of nursing literature examining the association between clinical learning confidence and competence among nursing preceptors. Aims: To investigate the association between clinical learning confidence and competence among nursing preceptors. Methods: A cross-sectional, correlational design was used. Nursing preceptors ( n = 208) were consecutively recruited between April and June 2025 and completed two self-report scales. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Results: Participants had moderately high clinical teaching confidence and high clinical teaching competence. The clinical teaching competence was significantly different across age. Overall clinical teaching confidence and various teaching competence dimensions were statistically associated. The strongest predictor of teaching competence was the teaching confidence dimension of relating theory and practice . Conclusion: Preceptors’ age was associated with clinical learning competency. Preceptors’ clinical teaching confidence was directly correlated with teaching competence. Nursing preceptorship programmes must be cognisant to the inextricable link between clinical teaching competence and confidence and create programmes to cultivate their development.
Minerva Pingue-Raguini (Mon,) studied this question.