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Factors that influence the preceptor role: a comparative study of Saudi and expatriate nurses

  • Aishah Al Harbi EMAIL logo , Francis Donnelly , Tamara Page , Suzanne Edwards and Ellen Davies
Published/Copyright: July 28, 2021

Abstract

Objectives

The aim of this study was to compare expatriate and Saudi nursing staff’s perceptions of factors that influence their role as preceptors of nursing students.

Methods

Descriptive comparative study using a self-administered survey was completed by a convenience sample of eligible nurses (n=285). It was conducted in five different hospitals within the Ministry of Health in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Results

Most preceptors were expatriate nurses (70.5%), while Saudi preceptors represented only 29.5%. The findings show that there is a difference between Saudi and expatriate nurses in their perception of the role, that cultural factors influence the role of expatriate preceptors and that organisational factors influence both groups.

Conclusions

Expatriate preceptors felt that there were cultural obstacles that hindered their role. These findings will contribute to the development of a more contemporary and culturally sensitive preceptorship model.


Corresponding author: Aishah Al Harbi, Adelaide Nursing School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences Building, Adelaide, Australia; and Faculty of Nursing, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, E-mail:

Funding source: Umm Al-Qura University

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank the study’s participants and Associate professor Judith Magarey for her contribution to the study.

  1. Research funding: The study was supported by Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia.

  2. Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  3. Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.

  4. Informed consent: The submission of completed surveys was accepted as an indication of consent.

  5. Ethical approval: Before conducting the study, ethical approval was obtained from the University of Adelaide and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) in Kingdome of Saudi Arabia.

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Received: 2021-03-05
Accepted: 2021-06-25
Published Online: 2021-07-28

© 2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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