USF College of Nursing presents Preceptor of the Year awards during National Nurses Week

University of South Florida College of Nursing presented eight Preceptor of the Year Awards to preceptors working at the College’s clinical partners during National Nurses Week (NNW). The award was given to those preceptors who were strong clinical nurses and excellent mentors to USF College of Nursing undergraduate students during their clinical training. The Preceptors of the Year were selected by students and faculty.

Preceptor of the Year awardees include:

• Whitney Freeman – All Children’s Hospital
• Karen Craven – Bayfront Medical Center
• Sasha Wright – Florida Hospital of Tampa
• Bolanale Oni – Morton Plant Mease Hospital
• Kristin Spahlinger – St. Joseph Hospital
• Melissa Kelley – Sarastoa Memorial Hospital
• Leeann Venesky – Tampa General Hospital
• Roger Graves – Veterans Administration

The USF College of Nursing Clinical Collaborative Preceptor Partnership model, created in 2001 in partnership with the College’s clinical partners in the Tampa Bay area, facilitates practice collaboration among health care facilities and employs traditional education combined with clinical training for undergraduate nursing students.

For students, the preceptors serve as role models during their professional nursing practice. Throughout this journey, they help students engage in aspects of patient care management appropriate to their level of study and reinforce the needed psychomotor skills.

“During this experience, students to learn the essential nursing skills under the guidance of an experienced nurse preceptor at a partner health care organization facility from the first day of their clinical rotations,” said USF Nursing Instructor and Team Coordinator, Morton Plant Mease, Cassandra Vonnes, MS, ARNP-BC, FAHA. “The students learn at the side of their preceptor, and the clinical faculty supports the preceptors by facilitating the patient care experiences.”

NNW is celebrated annually from May 6 through May 12 to celebrate nurses and the diverse ways America’s 3.1 million registered nurses work to save lives and to improve the health of millions of individuals. USF College of Nursing appreciated nurses and what they do by presenting the Preceptor awards during that week. The college also held an event with alumni, students, friends, faculty, and staff to celebrate NNW. To read that story click here.