Abstract
Background:
Many respiratory care students find that classroom learning often leaves gaps in essential bedside skills. Preceptors are crucial in bridging these gaps, as they help students connect theoretical knowledge with practical application. However, despite being skilled practitioners, preceptors may lack the teaching skills necessary to effectively mentor students which may impact the learning outcomes. Additionally, preceptors face various barriers that hinder the clinical experience. This study aims to survey California respiratory therapists about existing barriers associated with clinical preceptorship and assess training needs.
Methods:
An online survey was sent to California Society of Respiratory Care (CSRC) members via email (UCSF IRB #24-40771). The survey included questions on sociodemographics, barriers, and training content needs using a 5-point Likert scale for responses. Continuous measures were reported as mean ± standard deviation for normally distributed data, and non-normally distributed data were reported as median and interquartile range. Categorical data were reported in percentages and frequencies.
Results:
59 responses were collected between April and May 2024. 50% of participants were female, the mean age was 43 ± 10 y old, and the mean experience was 15 ± 10 years. 30 (51 %) participants were staff therapists who precept students, and 25 (42%) had a bachelor’s degree. The top barriers identified in the survey were heavy workloads (26), no monetary incentive (18), lack of appropriate preceptor training(s) (10), and preceptor fatigue (10). The top 3 recommended training contents were understanding the role and responsibility of a preceptor (41), balancing workload and teaching responsibilities (38), and effective communication skills (38).
Conclusions:
Survey results from various sociodemographic backgrounds, including specialties and education levels, indicated that there are barriers existing in clinical education and a need for preceptor training for California RT preceptors.
Figure 1: Barriers/Difficulties in Effective Clinical Preceptorship Figure 2: Training content needs
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