The document provides guidance for preceptors training to work with EMS students. It outlines the purpose of preceptorship as facilitating student learning and transition to practice. Preceptors should serve as role models, provide feedback and gradually increase student responsibilities. Students are expected to be responsible, ask questions and work hard to learn skills. The preceptor's role is to orient, teach, ensure safety, and evaluate students, providing frequent, specific feedback to support learning.

1. PRECEPTOR TRAINING
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2. PURPOSE & GOAL
To reveal the importance of the
preceptor/EMS student relationship & to
positively influence the learning process.
To help create successful, productive and
reflective preceptors.
To facilitate an expanded role of the
precepting healthcare professional.
To familiarize the preceptor with Dorsey
Emergency Medical Academy’s policies for
clinical & internship students.
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3. OBJECTIVES
Identify the expectations, roles and
responsibilities of the EMS preceptor.
Identify the responsibilities of the EMS
student in the clinical setting.
Identify techniques to facilitate learning.
Identify ways to help the EMS student feel
valued.
Identify ways to facilitate sound clinical
reasoning and effective evaluation.
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4. OBJECTIVES
 Identify factors which can facilitate the success of
precepting.
 Identify & appreciate potential roadblocks to the
success of precepting.
 Identify how the preceptor role integrates and
interacts with the EMS education program.
 Discuss feedback, coaching, and benchmark
competencies for the EMS student.
 Provide objective assessment of the EMS student’s
performance.
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5. WHAT IS HEALTHCARE
PRECEPTING?
Precepting:
A prescribed, time-limited relationship
between an experienced healthcare
professional and a healthcare student for
the purpose and facilitation of learning.
The successful precepting relationship
has been found to promote success as
the healthcare student transitions into
the graduate/professional role.
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6. PURPOSE OF PRECEPTORSHIP
To reveal the gap between the realities
of practicing healthcare and the
academic experience.
To fulfill the need for EMS students to
be exposed to the expanded role of the
practicing healthcare professional.
To facilitate the transition of EMS
students to become more autonomous.
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7. CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD
PRECEPTOR
They are proficient and/or considered
experts in their respective fields.
They exhibit a positive attitude (they still
have a passion for healthcare).
They are enthusiastic about the role of the
preceptor.
They are often regarded as a role model by
other healthcare professionals.
They possess solid communication skills
and have a willingness to give honest
feedback. 7

8. CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD
PRECEPTOR
They advocate for patients and their
families as well as for the students.
They share knowledge, resources and
innovative ways of critical thinking.
They enjoy teaching.
They manage conflict well (not easily
ruffled).
They share formal & informal rules.
They are models of exemplary healthcare
practice.
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9. WHY THE NEED FOR A
PRECEPTOR?
EMS students need help managing anxiety.
They need to develop a professional
identification.
They need to understand that there are a
variety of strategies that are effective –
“there’s more than one way to skin a cat”.
They need to develop their own “style”.
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10. ADULT LEARNING STRATEGIES
Focus is Novice to Expert: Begin by:
Learning policies, procedures &
etiquette.
Learning effective skills of teamwork.
Gradually increasing workload and
responsibilities of a competent
healthcare professional (following
guide). 10

11. REMEMBER WHEN?
Many EMS students look at successful
healthcare practitioners & think they were
always that way.
Most healthcare professionals have had
great mentors.
We developed over time, through much
trial & error.
We received correction along the way.
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12. YOU ARE NOW THE MENTOR
You are now the preceptor and thus a
mentor.
Many times, you are the first medical
professional that students will see “in action”.
Your attitudes and actions have an impact on
the kind of healthcare professional the
student will wish to become.
The mentoring a student receives is just as
important (maybe more so) as the training
he/she receives in the classroom. It should
solidify/validate what they have learned
didactically.
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13. PRECEPTOR ROLES &
RESPONSIBILITIES
To orient the EMS student to the unit, other members
of the staff.
To teach and reinforce skills.
To help to keep the EMS student (and their patients)
safe.
To gradually increase their responsibilities.
To provide timely and helpful feedback.
To serve as a role model.
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14. PRECEPTOR ROLES &
RESPONSIBILITIES
INSTRUMENTAL OR CAREER FUNCTIONS:
coach, mirror/shadow, joint problem solver, connector
and networker, teacher, one who helps identify and
provide new learning situations.
PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONS:
counselor, sounding board, role model, protector,
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15. STUDENT ROLES &
RESPONSIBILITIES
Be on time and ready for work.
Be open to suggestions and critique.
Understand there are more ways to correctly do things
than just one.
Ask questions if in doubt.
Work hard at learning new skills.
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16. HOW PRECEPTORS FACILITATING THE
EXPERIENCE
Helping the student how to think requires:
Noticing (assessing what is happening).
Considering plausible interpretations (Why
is this happening?).
Collecting reasonable evidence (What is
the significance of what is happening?).
Choosing the best course of action.
Talking out loud on how you do this
and/or
 Have the student tell you these steps
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17. TEACHING STRATEGIES FOR
PRECEPTORS:
Coaching.
Simulations.
Role-modeling.
Post event review.
Sharing thoughts: (Two way street).
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18. POTENTIAL PITFALLS FOR
PRECEPTOR
Passive aggressive communication style.
Talks about student behind his/her back.
Indirect criticism.
Critical and over demanding.
Not allowing student to problem solve and
gain increasing independence.
Does not advocate for student with peers and
other health care providers.
Poor role model (makes up own rules).
Doesn’t like precepting!
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19. THE FIRST MEETING
Get to know each other
What is your basic personality?
How do you handle criticism?
How do you handle stress?
What is your learning style?
Are there any potential hurdles?
 language, culture, socialization skills
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20. TEACH GOOD COMMUNICATION
With Nurses, Physicians, Peers,
Patients, Families…
Walk/talk them through this: What the
essential ingredients are. Help them to
define the goal of the communication
(Practice).
Conflict management, customer
relations, team building, phone skills
(Practice).
Always be respectful and caring.
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21. WAYS TO HELP YOUR STUDENT
Help the Student to Understand and Interpret
Conflict
 With patients, hospital staff and team members
Be very clear what your expectations are.
Understand that most EMS students have had
limited communication with physicians and
others in authority.
Expect that they will not know all of the
forms .
Model communication and then have them
do the next one (such as a physician’s order).
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22. HOW TO CRITICIZE
EFFECTIVELY
Target the behavior that needs to be changed, not
the person.
Choose a private, comfortable time.
Explain the facts. Don’t get into WHY.
Explain the impact of their behavior or action.
Ask the EMS student to share their perspective.
Ask the EMS student what is needed to fix the
problem
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23. SAMPLE:
Problem - Student has been late
consistently.
How to handle the problem-
You have been late for your shift three days
this week. That gets the day started late and
irritates the practitioners trying to get out
on time. Can you help me understand why
this is a problem?
What do you need to do to make sure that
you are here on time? (Be supportive, but
make it clear that the responsibility for
change lies with the EMS student).
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24. STRETCH THE STUDENT!
Expose them to new situations.
Give them strategies or clues to
handling situation effectively.
Take over only when safety is an issue!
Afterwards, help the student review
what went well and what didn’t. What
would they do differently if they had the
chance?
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25. FIELD EXPERIENCE VS
INTERNSHIP
Field/Clinical Experience-
Field experience is during the course, the student is
learning and practicing new skills.
Internship-
The student is at the end of the program. The student is
now ready to be the team lead.
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26. WHERE IS THE STUDENT IN
THEIR LEARNING PROCESS
Please ask the student if they are in the
field/clinical phase or internship phase of their
class.
If they are in the clinical phase they are in the
process of learning skills. They must complete
a minimum of 250 clinical hours.
The student is trying to achieve the set number
of skill minimums our school has established.
As a preceptor please assist them in doing the
skills properly.
The student will have an online list of skills
needed. Please review this list so you can help
them achieve their goals.
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27. TEAM LEAD
“Team Leadership Objective: The student has
successfully led the team if he or she has conducted a
comprehensive assessment (not necessary performed
the entire interview or physical exam, but rather been in
charge-of the assessment), as well as formulated and
implemented a treatment plan for the patient. This means
that most (if not all) of the decisions have been made by
the student, especially formulating a field impression,
directing the treatment, determining patient acuity,
disposition and packaging and moving the patient (if
applicable). Minimal to no prompting was needed by the
preceptor. No action was initiated/performed that
endangered the physical or psychological safety of the
patient, bystanders, first responders or crew.”
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28. STUDENT AS TEAM LEADER
The student has received all course
curriculum and is now ready to use their
skills in the field.
The student must attain a minimum of
100 internship hours (this is during the
covid 19 pandemic, normally it is 250
hours) and 20 team leads, the last 18 of
the 20 must be successful.
The Team Lead must be an ALS hospital
transport. Transfers or patient sign offs
do not count.
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29. FEEDBACK/EVALUATION
Give honest, frequent, verbal feedback.
Create opportunities for success.
Help the student to accurately assess their
progress.
Be specific. Look at consequences of
behavior.
Focus on the behavior or skill that needs
improvement rather than on the person.
Coach your peers in also giving feedback.
Take time to reflect with the student on a
plan for continued progress. 29

30. EVALUATION PROCESS
Daily
Set daily goals, then evaluate whether they were
achieved verbally throughout shift. Debrief at
the end of each shift
This helps keep everyone on target
Weekly
Summarize daily goals.
Discuss long-term and weekly goals and your
progress toward them.
Hints: There should be no surprises!
Should be affirming and constructive.
Ask how you can improve as a preceptor.30

31. FINAL EVALUATION:
Summary of what has and has not been
accomplished (Again no surprises!)
Brings closure to the precepting
relationship.
EMS student completes their own self-
evaluation.
Schedule a meeting with instructor, EMS
student, and preceptor; to discuss
experience and final evaluations.
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32. WHAT ABOUT THE STUDENT?
Keep the Program Director informed
of progress (or lack there of). This
should be done on the Field
Internship evaluation the student
must ask you to fill out. These
evaluations must be done after every
shift.
If there are personality conflicts-
Identify them early. It’s OK to make
a change!
Let the Program Director know what
you think of the precepting
experience.
Remember: This is an investment in 32

33. REVIEW OF DEMA CLINICAL
POLICIES & PROCEDURES
Please review patient care reports and the
clinical time before signing off on Platinum
Planner.
Platinum Planner is our clinical scheduler
and skills tracker.
The student will be asking you to fill out a
student field internship evaluation, please
give honest feedback. Once you hit submit
and close the student can not review the
evaluation.
The student will be asking for your signature33

34. Thanks!
Without your participation our students
and the EMS profession do not
succeed.
Please contact Ken Hamilton the
Program Director at
khamilton@Dorsey.edu if you have any
concerns or questions.
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