title: Educational strategies for rural new graduate registered nurses.
abstract: Rural health care facilities are geographically remote, tend to be small, and often possess limited resources. Although newly graduated registered nurses are important to the work force of many rural communities, maintaining a formal preceptorship/mentorship program within a rural hospital may prove difficult as a result of limited resources. Unfortunately, the new graduate may become overwhelmed by the many expectations for clinical practice and the facility can experience high turnover rates of new graduate hires. This article explores the unique traits of the rural hospital and the new graduate nurse as well as the pros and cons of a formal preceptorship program within a rural setting. Constructivist learning theory is used to develop practical teaching strategies that can be used by the preceptor and the new graduate. These strategies are inexpensive, yet effective, and are feasible for even the smallest of facilities.
authors.affiliation: Eastern Arizona College, Thatcher, AZ, USA. sdsimmons2012@aol.com
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dowdle-Simmons
mesh_terms: D006780:Hospitals, Rural; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000379:methods*; D008611:Mentors; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education*; D011231:Preceptorship / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States