Nurse preceptors' views of precepting undergraduate nursing students.

The nurse preceptor is an essential bridge between the classroom and the real world of human patients and clinical settings. The 26 experienced nurse preceptors who participated in this qualitative study shared stories and important perspectives on the nurse preceptor role in pre-licensure nursing education. Three consistent themes emerged: being engaged in the educational process, acknowledge my efforts, and it depends on the student. These findings have implications for schools of nursing and faculty working with undergraduate students in the clinical setting.