Newcastle Hospitals has been awarded the interim National Preceptorship for Nursing Interim Quality Mark.
Preceptorship provides a period of guidance and support for new registrants as they make the transition from student to confident, competent practitioners during their first year of employment. It helps them to translate their theoretical learning into clinical practice as they develop their skills and knowledge and gain confidence when meeting other clinicians and patients.
The Quality Mark recognises an NHS Trust’s commitment to providing a gold standard of preceptorship and was created in October 2022 when NHS England introduced the new National Preceptorship Framework for Nursing.
Exceptional preceptorship leads to an exceptional experience
Awarded only to those meeting rigorously set criteria, the Quality Mark indicates high quality, effective preceptorship programmes specifically designed to ensure new staff have the best possible experience as they embark on a long and successful career.
Lisa Guthrie, Associate Director of Nursing says “We are delighted to receive this Quality Mark Award which clearly demonstrates our commitment to providing exceptional preceptorship, aligned with not only the standards of the NHS England National Preceptorship Programme but our own Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals (NMAHPs) Strategy.
“We very much recognise the importance of early career support in an environment where staff feel welcome and valued.
Getting the best start with quality preceptorship that supports their needs means staff are more likely to stay with their employer for up to five years after registering.
“But it doesn’t stop there” adds Lisa.
“We are proud to build upon our preceptorship offer through significant investment in continuous professional development opportunities so that our staff enjoy exciting, successful careers, growing their knowledge and expertise all the time to the benefit of patient safety and clinical outcomes.”
To provide a consistent and structured approach to preceptorship for our NMAHPs across the Trust, we have developed an electronic preceptorship resource pack, issued to all preceptees to support them as they work alongside their assigned preceptor during their first 12 months preceptorship period.
Wards and departments also supplement this with their own local preceptorship offer.
Newcastle’s preceptorship programme is interprofessional which means it is open to all new registrant nurses, midwives and AHPs (NMAHPs).
