Nurses Week has come and gone. In hospitals and healthcare facilities across the country, the profession of nursing was celebrated. A myriad of activities were held, ranging from luncheons to keynote addresses presented by guest speakers or chief nursing officers. Individual nurses may have been recognized as "Nurse of the Year" or "Best of the Best" because of their extraordinary contribution or stellar performance throughout the year. Gifts of appreciation may have been bestowed upon the nursing staff as a way of saying thank you for the dedication, commitment, and care that they have rendered throughout the year.

Why is it that it takes Nurses Week for us to take stock of the exceptional men and women who care for patients and families, lead organizations, or precept new nurses? Why is it that we formally express our gratitude to and for each other just once a year? What would our organizations look like if we took the time to say thank you to each other for a job well done throughout the year? We know that expressions of gratitude go a long way in fostering an environment of esprit de corps. A note of heartfelt appreciation validates that all of the hard work was worth the effort.

Preceptors deserve a special thank you. They are the gatekeepers of the nursing profession. They welcome new nurses into organizations. They balance the demands of the patient protector role with that of nurse advocate. They intercede on the new nurse's behalf when staff conflicts arise. They identify performance discrepancies and work tirelessly to rectify them. On occasion, they must make the determination that the orientee does not have the necessary skill, judgment, or attitude to be successful on the unit.

We can recite the characteristics of effective preceptors off the top of our heads: skilled clinician, good listener, able to break down concepts into manageable parts, organized, thorough, patient, and respected by peers. But what distinguishes competent preceptors from exquisite preceptors? It is the fundamental belief that every nurse can be successful when given the time, support, and guidance. The behaviors that are attributed to exquisite preceptors are voiced by orientees over and over: "She never gave up on me." "She acknowledged my fears and gently nudged me to take risks." "He played to my strengths." "She believed in me." "He took the time to get to know me and saw what no one else was willing to see-a person with a tremendous desire to be successful." How many of us take the time to revel in the accomplishments of these marvelous practitioners and express our appreciation for their unwavering commitment to the new nurse?

What motivates these preceptors to continue developing the professional lives of novice nurses with little recognition? Parker Palmer, in his book The Courage to Teach (Palmer, 1998), suggested that it is the desire of the preceptor to continue to evolve, to grow, to take new chances. With each new encounter between "teacher" and "student," it is the teacher who empowers the student with experience and it is the student who empowers the teacher with new life, creating a unique relationship. Are there other motivators besides intrinsic rewards that motivate preceptors to take on this important responsibility?

Alspach (2003) queried readers about the recognition and reward programs at their institutions. Positive incentives that were submitted by readers included the following: career ladder advancement, paid registration for continuing education, financial compensation, preceptor education programs, luncheon or dinner celebrations, distinctive nametag or lapel pin, and scheduling preferences. How many of you use these strategies? Which have been the most successful? How many of you have an annual preceptor award? What are the criteria for this award? Do any of you issue certificates at the conclusion of the initial preceptor course? How many of you have these certificates framed and then hang them on the nursing unit corridors for patients, families, and visitors to view? How many of you include writing thank you notes to preceptors as a means of recognition? Please e-mail us so that we can share your best recognition and reward practices in future columns: [email protected] or [email protected].

Remember the old adage by Margaret Cousins: "appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary." Take a minute to write your own preceptor a note of thanks. Thank him/her for his/her belief in your abilities and commitment to helping you succeed. Our preceptors awakened our abilities and shaped who we are as nurses. It is important to recall their influence on our lives. It is never too late to be grateful.

We received several e-mails about establishing a preceptor program. Here is a sample of one of the letters. We will respond to the other letters in future columns.

Dear Mary Beth and Mary,

I read your article in Journal for Nurses in Staff Development and am e-mailing you about developing a preceptor program. I am in a new role here as a staff educator and am working on an orientation program for our clinic and preceptor program. I have been able to obtain some information and have been given an overview, including the role of the preceptor, adult learning styles, and principles of teaching, that we might adapt to our clinic setting. I would appreciate any information that you would be willing to share.

Thank you for your consideration.

Pam Tinsley, BSN, RN

Dear Pam,

We are delighted that you took the time to write us. Standard curriculums for preceptor programs concentrate on the content that you included in your letter. Additional content areas include characteristics of effective feedback, clinical evaluation, clinical teaching strategies, and generational differences.

In designing your program, you want to ask yourself the following questions:

1. What is the culture of my organization? How easy is it for new nurses to assimilate in the organization? What value is placed on orientation and professional development of staff? How much time will be allotted for preceptor education? Will there be opportunity to hold preceptor updates for continued development? What will be the mechanism for communicating problems and success stories to preceptors and management? How many nurses are hired into the facility?

2. What is the best way to present the curriculum? Can I distribute articles and ask participants to respond to a series of questions before attending the preceptor educational session? Are there resources available for computer-assisted instruction? Should I offer an 8-hour course or two 4-hour sessions? Are there other individuals who will serve as faculty or is it a one-person show? Is there an opportunity to participate in a consortium of hospitals or clinics in my area so that the responsibility for teaching could be shared?

3. How will I know the program is successful? What criteria will I use? Retention of new staff? Feedback from orientees? Number and type of errors? Feedback from managers and preceptors?

Once you have the answer to these questions and have decided on a curriculum, present the course (in its entirety or an abbreviated format) to your nursing management team. They are the ultimate consumers of your educational product. They will provide you with great feedback about the quality and applicability of the course. In addition, it will be a great marketing strategy because they know exactly what is being presented.

Please write us back so we can hear about your success.

Best wishes,

Mary Beth and Mary

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