College of Nursing honors 2021 Preceptors of the Year
The East Carolina University College of Nursing recently recognized its 2021 Preceptors of the Year, which included 17 individuals serving in state and national health care organizations.
Clinical experiences are crucial to help nursing students gain experience caring for patients and honing the skills that they will need in their chosen specialty. Although College of Nursing faculty oversee many of the student clinical experiences, preceptors provide students with additional one-on-one attention.
Each year, hundreds of nurses volunteer as preceptors to undergraduate and graduate College of Nursing students. Many preceptors and clinical partners have worked with the college for more than a decade to ensure the next generation of nurses are well prepared — in some cases, to begin their career, and in others, to take the next step. Preceptors each spend more than 100 hours working with each student, assigning tasks, overseeing their work and providing feedback to help each student grow.
College of Nursing administrators emphasized the fortitude, resolve and compassion of all the preceptors, many of whom are facing increasing workloads due to the pandemic, but nonetheless stepping forward to help train the next generation of nurses.
“During these most difficult times for everyone who works in health care, our preceptors have been outstanding role models and teachers for our students,” said Dr. Alta Andrews, ECU College of Nursing professor and director for community partnerships and practice. “These individuals are stars in health care, and we are so appreciative of their time and professionalism.”
A good preceptor must have very strong clinical skills as well as very strong teaching skills, Andrews said. They can be nominated by their students or by College of Nursing faculty for the award. This year, honorees were given a goodie bag, an engraved Pirate Nurse Preceptor tumbler and a certificate of appreciation to acknowledge their contributions.
“We’re so grateful for all of our preceptors and for the strength of our clinical partnerships. It is difficult to express how important they are in giving nursing students the real-world experience they need” said Dr. Sylvia Brown, dean of the ECU College of Nursing. “We deeply appreciate our preceptors’ valuable commitment to future generations of Pirate Nurses.”
ECU College of Nursing’s 2021 Preceptors of the Year
Community Health
Blizzell
Craven County Health Department
Bizzell — the lead nurse for the Primary Care Clinic at Craven County Health Department — is a wonderful role model for students as she helps them to apply their nursing skills in a clinical setting serving an underserved region. She guides students to tailor their care based on the unique populations that they serve and implemented a tool to assess patients’ social determinants of health to improve access to care. Bizzell’s students report that she spends as much time teaching skills as she does helping them to understand the variables that impact patient care.
UNC Wayne Memorial Wound Care Center Clinic Staff
UNC Wayne Memorial Wound Care Center
Nursing Director: Andy Strickland, RN; Medical Director: Dr. Dimitrios Lintzeris, DO; Nurse Preceptors: Tracy Greer, Mary Gurganus, ’09, Amber White, ’15, Kari Yarrow, Melissa McClure. The entire team at the UNC Wayne Memorial Outpatient Wound Clinic welcomes community health nursing students each semester and as a team they teach how to work collaboratively to meet patients’ needs and utilize their own strengths. Students feel comfortable in the environment and often comment on the teamwork atmosphere that works so well for the clinic’s patients, families and staff.
Capstone
Parker
Vidant Beaufort Hospital
Eric Parker, ’14, has been a College of Nursing preceptor for several years and always accepts a student. He rotates to all areas of the hospital as needed and often serves as charge nurse. He has received several employee recognitions for staff satisfaction/retention, pain reassessment and discharge times. He is professional, loves to teach students and has excellent nursing skills. Students comment on their comfort level asking questions and they also note his high standards of patient care and teamwork.
Tebehaevu
Vidant Medical Center, Cardiovascular Intermediate Unit (CV4)
Tebehaevu, ’20, illustrates the characteristics of an exemplary preceptor role model. Her professionalism allows her students to gain knowledge in a positive learning environment. Tebehaevu’s daily preparation to support student learning is evident with a specific plan and structure for the student which incorporated their goals and objectives with sufficient flexibility and responsibility. She coaches students by asking questions and prompting the student to identify problems. Then they work together to find solutions and resources. She shares clinical examples that show students how to apply these experiences for future practice. Her interactions validated the importance of positive reinforcement that in turn enhances the students’ confidence, motivation and engagement.
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Lockridge Brown
WakeMed
Janice Brown is an Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) preceptor as a medical surgical CNS focusing on diabetes at WakeMed in Raleigh. Brown has consistently represented the highest level of professionalism and dedication to high-quality CNS care while precepting students for the ECU College of Nursing. Every semester she is eager to support the students and never turns down the opportunity to work with them. Brown’s focus on patient safety and commitment to CNS practice provide an excellent example to her students and she consistently receives outstanding evaluations from the students who feel her enthusiasm and interest in their learning.
Nursing Education
Howry
Craven Community College Faculty
Tara Howry, ’10, consistently provides excellent precepted experiences and is always willing to precept MSN nursing education students. Howry ensures MSN students have well-rounded practicum experiences that prepare them for academic teaching and is an excellent role model for students.
Psychiatric Mental Health
Trombley
Prospect Behavioral Pediatrics and Psychiatry
Dr. Angela Kay Trombley serves as a valuable preceptor each semester for ECU in the Asheville area. Both she and her husband, Dr. Paul Trombley, welcome ECU nursing students each time it is requested. Students said they appreciated learning the application of concepts in all aspects of mental health nursing, including direct patient care, medication management, therapeutic intervention and patient/family education.
Nurse Midwifery
O’Briant
UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Department of OB-GYN
Amanda O’Briant, ’16, is always willing to take ECU midwifery students and often precepts two at a time when needed. She presents excellent lectures for all the midwifery students. She is also a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and has precepted as an FNP prior to becoming a midwife in the ECU Post Masters Certificate program in 2016.
Family Nurse Practitioner
Corbett
Wayne Action Teams for Community Health (WATCH) Mobile Unit
Kelli Corbett, ’05, works on the WATCH mobile unit serving many vulnerable and underrepresented populations in the Wayne County region. She has been an amazing preceptor, taking on additional students during the pandemic and teaching them how to manage complex, chronic patients lacking health insurance. This year, Corbett went above and beyond with a student who needed extra time and attention, offering additional precepting time to make sure the student’s learning needs were met.
Leadership
Grant
American Nurses Association
Dr. Ernest Grant has graciously taken time from his busy schedule as president of the American Nurses Association (ANA) to serve as preceptor for an ECU graduate student. The student nominator stated “Dr. Grant always gave his time, his wisdom, and his recommendations for my learning … and never seemed rushed. His amazing leadership has given me insight and encouragement that I shall always remember. He has genuine interest in helping the next generation of nurses and our profession. He role models the essence of true leadership.”
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
DeLoache
UNC Children’s Hospital Newborn Critical Care Center
Kristina Brown DeLoache accepts students across the spectrum of the educational experience, from brand new students to those in their residency. She is agile, even at a moment’s notice, and expertly tailors her teaching style to the student’s unique needs. Her feedback is always constructive and actionable. She is approachable as well as supportive. Students quickly know they can trust her, which optimizes the learning environment.