Florence Nightingale Foundation identifies “pivotal moment” to embed quality and training standards through National Quality Mark.
Today we publish our third national Preceptorship Pulse Check survey findings, delivering a timely insight into the experiences of nurses and midwives at a key point in their careers: the transition from education to professional practice.
Building on earlier surveys conducted in partnership with the Nursing Times and UNISON, this report brings together perspectives from four key groups: students, newly registered nurses and midwives, preceptors, and preceptorship leads and champions.
This latest survey reveals encouraging signs of progress – with 91% of newly registered nurses and midwives now being offered a preceptorship programme, up from just 61% in 2021/22. The report also underscores the importance of preceptorship in staff retention: 74% of new registrants say the quality of their preceptorship influenced their decision to stay with or leave their organisation.
Yet, the report also highlights significant variation in quality, access, and support. For example, internationally educated new registrants are 13% less likely to be offered preceptorship.
In addition, the survey also reveals a critical training crisis among preceptors, with 30% feeling inadequately equipped to take on their role. Despite strong motivation to support newly qualified colleagues, preceptors described receiving patchy, brief training with little follow-up – 17% had no training at all and 12% were unsure if any was required. Preceptors overwhelmingly called for clearer expectations, specialist training, and crucially, protected time, which 89% identified as the key factor needed to attract and retain staff in preceptorship roles.
“There is a fundamental misunderstanding of the preceptor role, which has led to significant problems within our trust: staff think they are acting in the role of preceptor but have not engaged with any formal training, nor do they understand what is involved – they feel simply being named as a preceptor as an ad-hoc point of contact for new starters is the entirety of the role.”
The report calls on policymakers, employers, and educators to:
- Embed preceptorship in national health workforce planning, particularly the UK Government’s forthcoming 10-Year Health Plan for England.
- Fund preceptorship programmes sustainably, including investment in digital infrastructure and protected time.
- Standardise training and expectations nationally, while allowing flexibility for local contexts and smaller organisations, particularly in social care
- Recognise and develop preceptors, offering career pathways, leadership training, and formal recognition for their vital role.
With two-thirds of student nurses and midwives saying they would choose an employer based on the availability of structured preceptorship programmes, the report positions preceptorship as a key driver for recruitment and retention.
FNF urges leaders at every level to act on this evidence and fill the gaps remaining in ensuring a quality preceptorship for all those involved. By doing so, we can build a resilient, confident, and compassionate nursing and midwifery workforce.
Download the Report
Preceptor Plus
In response to these critical training gaps, FNF has partnered with Elsevier, a global leader in advanced information and decision support, to develop Preceptor Plus – a comprehensive course designed to equip nurses, midwives and allied health professionals with the skills needed to become effective preceptors. The evidence-based programme addresses the finding that 21% of preceptorship leads cited inadequate training as a key barrier to programme quality. Preceptor Plus provides the structured support and clear expectations that preceptors consistently called for in the research.
“This research highlights the remarkable progress made over the past five years—more newly registered nurses and midwives are receiving structured support, and the quality of preceptorship programmes is clearly improving. However, the findings also expose significant challenges, especially in how we prepare and support preceptors. This is a pivotal role that demands both skill and confidence, yet just 28% of preceptors felt well prepared when they began. That’s why we partnered with Elsevier to create the Preceptor Plus course—providing essential, evidence-based training to equip preceptors with the knowledge and confidence they need to succeed.”
Professor Greta Westwood CBE, Chief Executive Officer of the Florence Nightingale Foundation
Find out more about the Preceptor Plus course at https://florence-nightingale-foundation.org.uk/preceptorplus/
Get Involved
We are looking for case studies to enable us to gather examples of innovative, impactful, and inclusive preceptorship practices that support early career nurses and midwives. By sharing your experience, you can help shape national understanding, celebrate what works, and identify where improvements are still needed. If you would like to get involved, please click this link to find out more.
(Published 10 June 2025)
