Preceptor Resources

GOAL: Our resident preceptors are prepared, supported, and recognized for their contributions to our residents’ development.

Our 3-Step Preceptor Initiation Program

1.Complete this course: BC Preceptor Development Initiative - E-TIPS for Preceptor Learning
2.Review the Evaluation and Evaluation Resources pages.
3.Contact the Residency Program Coordinator to talk about anything you are unsure of, or to request more intensive or personalized preceptor training. [Request a workshop]

Precepting Skills

Effective preceptors aren’t born, but they can be made. Although the skills required for effective precepting take years to hone, several launching points are provided here. Taking the time to invest in your own learning and reflection about being an effective preceptor can pay big dividends in terms of resident learning, your satisfaction with precepting, and integrating precepting with your daily workflow.

Other Resources to Develop Your Precepting Skills

CSHP 2015 Resources

Check out the “Self Assessment Tool” for reflection about your own practice.

VCH-PHC Residency Preceptors’ Workshop

[Video] [Handout] [Millennials part 1] [Millennials part 2] [Evaluate it!] [Request a workshop]

Preceptor Education Program (PEP) for Health Professionals and Students An excellent Ontario-based preceptorship course.

Preceptor Resource Guide: Supporting Clinical Learning An excellent handbook for clinical preceptors developed by VCH Learning & Career Development. Required reading for all new resident preceptors.

Precepting Through the Eyes of a Coach (Helen Roberts, “Precepting Without Borders”, Richmond, Feb 2007.) Covers principles of coaching directly applicable to precepting, the iDESC method of having “tough discussions” with residents, asking Powerful Questions. A must-see for all residency preceptors! (requires free QuickTime browser plugin) [Handout]

Giving Feedback to Residents (or anybody else) - learn the SBIR method.

Resident Learning Portfolios - What, Why, and How for Resident Preceptors (Dr. Peter Loewen, “Precepting Without Borders”, Richmond, Feb 2007.) Covers principles of maintaining a professional learning portfolio, the VCH-PHC ePortfolio, and the future of ePortfolios for all health professionals. (requires free QuickTime browser plugin) [Handout]

The 1-Minute Preceptor A classic framework for precepting embraced by clinicians around the world.

Asking the Right Questions The questions preceptors ask are a key to leading residents to deeper understanding. Bloom’s Taxonomy teaches you how to ask the RIGHT questions to get beyond “testing” for Knowledge and Comprehension to where preceptors say they really what their residents to be: Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation.

Powerful Questions Designed to lead residents to deeper understanding. Thanks to Helen Roberts for these.

Creating Objectives - the ABCD Method - this can be challenging for clinical rotations, but generally “measurable objectives” are preferred.

Toxic Preceptor Behaviours

Even veteran preceptors are sometimes guilty of these “toxic” behaviours known to hinder student/resident learning. Reflect on these, consider whether you are guilty of any. Old habits hard to break? Check out the precepting resources that follow.

TOXIC PRECEPTOR BEHAVIORS
Allow/make the resident feel disrespected or demeaned through words you say, tone of voice, ignoring them. This is the most effective way to short-circuit learning, demotivate the resident, and make the precepting experience unrewarding.
Fail to consistently provide positive feedback about activities done well and learning having occurred. Need help? Recognize when learning has occurred and acknowledge it. (eg. “It seems that you now have a good understanding of how ACE-Inhibitors can affect hemodynamics in a way that is useful for understanding how they can affect renal function. Remember a couple of days ago when that was really a struggle for you? You’ve come a long way.”) “Precepting Through the Eyes of a Coach” can help here.
Teach, teach, teach, talk, talk, talk. Fail to give residents time to articulate their own understanding and explore connections between ideas, facts, and concepts. Need help? Learn the difference between when you need to ask good questions and lead the resident to deeper understanding (most situations) vs. when you need to teach (ie, transmit information for supposed absorption by resident) (occasionally, infrequently). Precepting is more about GUIDING than TEACHING. “Precepting Through the Eyes of a Coach” can help here.
Ask useless or uninspired questions that seem to emphasize “trivia” and recall rather than understanding and synthesis. Need help? Check out Bloom’s Taxonomy below.

Advanced Precepting: Tools for Self-Evaluation and Reflection

Precepting-Coaching Assessment Tool Thanks to Helen Roberts for this.

Teaching Perspectives Inventory This will get you thinking about whether your espoused beliefs about what makes good teaching/precepting jive with your actual practices. Thanks to Dr. Daniel Pratt for this.

Other Resources for Preceptors

“A Preceptor Guide to Pharmacy Practice Residency Training” (CSHP Publication).
Hardcopy available for borrowing by requesting from the Program Administrator.

”Preceptor's Handbook for Pharmacists” (ASHP Publication)
Hardcopy available for borrowing by requesting from the Program Administrator.

LMPS Residency Rotation Manual Template <--- Gotta love the help. If you have questions when crafting your rotation manual, just ask the Program Coordinator. When complete, send your rotation manual to the Program Administrator to posting in one45. That way, it will appear right alongside your rotation in the residents’ schedule.

Our Preceptor Selection & Support System

1.New preceptors will complete an in-house Preceptor Workshop, which are offered twice yearly and additionally upon request. A BC-wide workshop for residency and Pharm.D. program preceptors is offered every two years. Contact the Coordinator for details.
2.Existing preceptors are regularly encouraged to review the precepting resources above, are invited to refresh their skills at in-house preceptor workshops, engage in the learning opportunities presented above, and interact with the Coordinator about any perceived needs.
3.Preceptors are expected to have appropriate training/qualifications and tenure in the area in which they are precepting. For example, for Direct Patient Care rotation preceptors, this means a residency and/or clinical advanced degree (or equivalent experience) combined with sufficient experience (e.g., >1 year) tenure in their practice setting. For other types of rotations (e.g., Drug Distribution), the specific parameters would be different though adherent to the framework above.

last updated April 26, 2013