Strategies for Precepting the Unsafe Student

In Brief Precepting a student who is unsafe is distressing both for the preceptor and the student. This article derives from a grounded theory study that describes the careful thought reflected in strategies used by preceptors to teach students who are unsafe. Both preceptors of undergraduates and new employees may find these strategies useful, with the ultimate goal being patient safety. The findings have implications not only for preceptor preparation in the area of evaluation but also for faculty support and the need for evaluation guidelines. The authors describe preceptor preparation, faculty support, and evaluation guidelines designed to improve preceptors' abilities to precept students whose practice is unsafe.