Operationalizing nurse preceptorship: a scoping review of existing practice

Introduction: Nurse preceptorship is a widely used clinical teaching model, yet its operationalization remains inconsistent. Insight into operationalizing preceptorship may identify implementation strengths and gaps. Aims: This scoping review aimed to examine and map existing practice in operationalizing nurse preceptorship. Methods: Arksey and O’Malley's five-step scoping review approach with additional extraction, collating, and reporting methods was used. Two authors searched and extracted data from PubMed Central, Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, PsycINFO (Ovid), and Google Scholar in October 2025. The JBI seven-phase model for evidence implementation guided data extraction, collation, and reporting. The results were mapped to this model to identify existing practice strengths and gaps. Results: Twenty-one articles met the inclusion criteria. All articles described operationalizing preceptorship. Inconsistencies were reported despite some countries developing national preceptorship guidelines. Most programs referred to at least one conceptual preceptorship model and nursing or learning theory. Theory integration into curricula appeared inconsistent. Mapping to the JBI seven-phase model revealed strong alignment with program needs and stakeholder engagement. There was limited attention to the three phases, baseline audit, re-assessing practice, and planning for sustainability. Conclusions: Nurse preceptorship programs are conceptually rich but operationally fragmented. Greater understanding and use of implementation science and evidence-informed frameworks could benefit operationalization. Results support a call for national consistency, co-design, theory-informed curricula, and introducing program designers to implementation science to advance preceptorship as a workforce development strategy. Spanish abstract: https://links.lww.com/IJEBH/A736