The Three Rs of Precepting

1. The Three Rs of Precepting Recruiting Retaining Rewarding

2. Objectives of presentation Participants who attend this session will be able to: • State two strategies each for recruiting, retaining, and rewarding preceptors in a dietetic internship, coordinated program, or ISPP setting. • Explain how preceptor best practices could apply in general education settings. • Develop a plan to implement at least one strategy in the participant’s specific setting. • Learning Need Codes: 7000, 7090 Level 1

3. Since 2003, the number of DI slots has not kept pace with the number of DPD students seeking internships • Result = ~50% match rate since 2007 CADE Connection July 2011

4. Lack of preceptors was identified as the #1 barrier in efforts to expand DI slots ACEND, accessed March 2012 at http://www.eatright.org/ACEND/content.aspx?id=6442464994 • Clearly, our profession needs to: • recruit more preceptors • retain those we have and those recruited • reward current and future preceptors as a statement of how much they are valued

5. RecruitingPreceptors • DPD Directors: Build the expectation for acting as preceptors into students while they are still in our programs • Alumni Communications: Remind alums who are RDs that they would not be where they are without their preceptors

6. RecruitingPreceptors • DI Directors: Stay connected with your state and local dietetic associations in order to build working relationships with RDs who can serve as preceptors.

7. Recruiting preceptors • ACEND: Building the Preceptor Database • http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/preceptorinterestsurvey is the link to the database for interested preceptors-to-be • Please encourage potential preceptors to volunteer! • At this point, the database is available to program directors only, and ACEND shares names based on region • In the future, names might be made available to students seeking preceptors, but only with previous preceptor permission (cf. Find an RD…)

8. Recruiting preceptors • Suggestions?

9. Retaining preceptors • We need to understand that preceptors are usually facing a lot of strain in order to precept. • Most RDs do understand the importance of precepting and are probably willing to support the profession in that way. • But their place of work might not be so understanding and supportive.

10. Retaining preceptors • Provide the resources to make precepting as smooth as possible • Most students will require more supervision than they will provide aid. • Streamline reports and competency tracking, etc. • Rotate preceptors regularly so that you do not overburden any one preceptor or host institution

11. Retaining preceptors • Suggestions?

12. Rewarding preceptors • Current ideas • Provide CPEUs free of charge • Preceptors are RDs, too, and need to keep up their professional development • Honor a Preceptor of the Year for your program • A monetary component of the award is a nice bonus. This might be financially possible when payment to preceptors is not possible. • Thank you to ACEND for supporting a national Preceptor of the Year through NDEP!

13. Rewarding preceptors • Current ideas • NDEP is providing honorary membership for a year to encourage preceptor networking. • Gifts are another way to provide financial reward even when direct payment is not possible • Gift cards • Host an appreciation meal • Provide a resource (text, DVD, software?) needed by the preceptor’s host institution

14. Rewarding preceptors • Current ideas • Set up a lunch meeting with preceptors at the end of the year and review how the year went and thank them.

15. Rewarding preceptors • Suggestions?

16. Thank you for your tips! • Ulric Chung, ACEND Executive Director • Toni Martin, NDEP coordinator, Area 3 • Victoria Getty, NDEP coordinator, Area 5 • Ana Abad-Jorge, NDEP coordinator, Area 6 • RayaneAbuSabha, NDEP coordinator, Area 7