The Relationship Between Generative Concern and Nurse Practitioner Precepting

Abstract

Challenges related to securing nurse practitioner (NP) preceptors limit graduate nursing enrollment and threaten the quality of NP clinical education. Understanding the motivation of NPs who choose to precept or not, empowers nurse educators to more effectively tailor preceptor recruitment efforts and NP curriculum. Using a nonexperimental descriptive correlational survey design, this investigation explored the relationship between NP precepting status (never, previous, current), and the motivation of generative concern as measured by the Loyola Generativity Scale. Akin to a sense of professional obligation, generative concern is characterized by a desire to contribute to the future wellbeing of a profession, subordinates, or to give back to the next generation. The relationship between generativity and precepting activities was examined in a cross-sectional convenience sample of 157 NPs from Connecticut and Massachusetts using an anonymous Qualtrics survey. Age and years of practice were found to be associated with both generativity and precepting status. Results demonstrated NPs who had never precepted scored lower in generativity, and several subscales of generativity, compared to those with precepting experience. Additionally, NPs with no precepting experience tended to be younger and have fewer years of experience while older NPs with more experience were most likely to be previous preceptors. Demographics of gender, type of organization, and the religious and financial affiliation of the graduate school previously attended showed no association with the development of generativity or precepting status while employment status demonstrated a marginal association with precepting status.