Advancing Nurse Practitioner Preceptor and Student Engagement in Evidence-based Practice at the Point of Care

• Preceptors are essential in NP education and, as NP programs grow, so does the demand for preceptors.
• NP faculty are key in fostering the preceptor’s role as teacher and in the use of evidence while precepting students in the clinical arena.
• Faculty are well suited to provide strategies and resources for both preceptors and students to translate research into evidence at the point of care.

Nurse practitioner students focus on the diagnosis, treatment, and management of patient conditions and are less diligent in searching and using evidence to guide clinical decision making. It can be time-consuming for students and preceptors to identify the evidence that supports clinical decisions and to integrate this skill at the point of care. This article presents strategies to assist students and preceptors in translating research into evidence at the point of care and provides concrete suggestions and examples to advance evidence-based practice skills in students and preceptors.