Nurse preceptors’ orientation competence and 360-degree assessment

A doctoral thesis examined nurses' orientation competence and found it is not uniform, nor can self-assessment alone capture it fully. The research identified three competence profiles: nearly half of nurses were highly competent, just over 40% were at a medium level, and under 10% were at the lowest level. Using a 360-degree assessment that combines evaluations from multiple sources, the study showed that nurse preceptors were more critical of their own competence than preceptees, peers, and nurse managers were. The thesis also developed the Preceptors’ Orientation Competence Instrument (POCI), which reveals orientation competence and helps identify strengths and development needs. Wellbeing counties and healthcare organizations can use the instrument to select, train, and develop preceptors and to monitor the overall quality of orientation.