Succession planning prepares nurses to teach and assess learners when current preceptors are unavailable. The task is more specific than keeping a list of experienced staff: it requires matching teaching capability and availability to the learners a service expects.
ANPD describes preceptors as helping people develop and demonstrate the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for a particular healthcare role. Its role description includes teaching, assessment and evaluation. ANPD preceptor resource
Forecast the teaching work
Begin with the learners expected on each unit or shift. Separate new graduates, experienced nurses entering a specialty and other learners whose objectives or supervision arrangements differ.
Record when learners will arrive, what experiences they need and which current preceptors are actually available. Include planned leave and other assignments when estimating capacity.
A roster of qualified names does not establish that the necessary teaching time exists. Ask how patient assignments and other responsibilities will be adjusted.
Invite and assess future preceptors
Use transparent criteria and invite interested nurses to discuss the role. Clinical competence is necessary context, but also consider communication, feedback and willingness to teach.
Avoid making precepting an automatic assignment based only on years worked. Ask candidates to reflect on how they explain a decision, recognize a learner's uncertainty and respond when performance needs improvement.
Offer opportunities to observe experienced preceptors and practice teaching with support. Clarify who determines readiness for an independent preceptor assignment.
Prepare people for the actual role
NCSBN's transition-to-practice study summary identifies preceptors educated for the role as a characteristic of stronger hospital transition programs. That finding does not establish that a single course guarantees readiness in every setting. NCSBN study summary
Local preparation should address the program's learning objectives, documentation, feedback process and escalation route when a learner needs additional support.
Explain which decisions a preceptor can make and which require an educator, faculty member or manager. The arrangement should fit the learner's status and applicable policies.
Build continuity and backup
For a fictional example, a service expects several nurses to start while its most frequent preceptor is on leave. A succession plan would prepare additional preceptors before the overlap and identify how learner progress will be shared.
A change of preceptor should include a structured account of demonstrated capabilities, remaining objectives and agreed support. Avoid labels such as “slow learner” without concrete observations.
Give learners a way to raise concerns about the teaching relationship through someone other than the assigned preceptor.
Review the preceptor experience
Ask preceptors whether they have time, preparation and accessible support. Ask learners whether expectations and feedback are clear.
Track development opportunities and actual availability by unit and shift. Review whether repeatedly relying on the same people is leaving the program vulnerable.
Recognition can acknowledge the work, but the plan should also address workload and support. Do not assume an award compensates for an unmanageable assignment.
A transition-program evaluation can show whether preceptors have the time and preparation the program assumes.
Related
orientation and preceptorship · transition program evaluation.
Sources
- Preceptor Certificate of Mastery (accessed 2026-09-17) — ANPD; used for role description, not as a universal credential requirement.
- Transition to Practice Study Results (accessed 2026-09-17) — NCSBN.