Position Statement on Retention of Stipend for Nurse Practitioner Preceptors

Nurse Practitioners (NPs) play a vital role in our healthcare system, with roles that include clinical care, collaboration, consultation, and leadership.

As regulated health care professionals, the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) provides oversight into the role of all nurses, including NPs. The CNO Code of Conduct considers mentorship of students to be a professional requirement of nursing practice:

4.4 Nurses support, mentor and teach members of the health care team, including
students.

https://www.cno.org/globalassets/docs/prac/49040_code-of-conduct.pdf

The clinical experience for nurse practitioner (NP) learners is an essential component of their education. It is through the experience of working with an expert, that learners are able to develop their ability to apply the theoretical to real life situations. Preceptors serve as role models who assist learners in evidence-based practice and role development as advanced nurse practitioners (http://np-education.ca/?page_id=23826)

In consideration of the professional responsibility which NPs have to provide clinical expertise and leadership to NP students, employers have an obligation to support their NP employees to meet and maintain the professional requirements of their practice. When a stipend is offered by an educational institution to recognize the considerable time, effort, commitment, and expertise which is required to precept a student, the NP should retain the stipend.

Date: January 25th, 2021