A Token of Gratitude: Review of a Nurse Practitioner Preceptor Honorarium Program

Abstract

This study evaluates an institution-sponsored nurse practitioner preceptor honorarium program initiated in Fall 2020 at a small, private, non-profit university in New Jersey. The program was developed in response to challenges faced by the school administration in securing quality preceptors for nurse practitioner students, particularly during the pandemic when enrollment surged. These challenges resulted in delays for students starting clinical hours, exacerbated by plans to increase direct care clinical hours. Under the program, preceptors are compensated at the end of each term based on a gratitude scale reflecting hours per student. From 2022 to 2024, the average cost per student was $920, with a typical honorarium of $525 per preceptor per student per term. Preceptor participation rates increased significantly after the program’s first year, stabilizing at an average of 68%. Since the program's launch, no students have experienced delays in starting clinical hours. The program will continue and will be re-evaluated as new incentives, such as preceptor tax credits, are introduced in New Jersey.