(Content provided by The DAISY Foundation.) The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that by 2022, there will be 1.05 million positions open for nurses to fill due to healthcare demand and replacement needs. Nurses with clinical expertise and enthusiasm for the nursing profession will be needed to meet this demand. Nurse preceptors who embrace the responsibility of onboarding these nurses are critical to quality patient care. Nurses enter into practice, transition into new specialties or seek employment in a new organization every day. All of these scenarios require a nurse preceptor to help make the transition a successful one. The preceptor role is an important investment for the organization and should be understood, recognized and celebrated as a means to sustain these experts in this vital role. The DAISY Foundation's mission, through the DAISY Award program, is to say "thank you" to nurses who provide extraordinary and compassionate care, and this includes acknowledging the work of extraordinary nurse preceptors. The role of the preceptor requires added time and energy; it can be another source of stress for nurses who may already feel overburdened with their current workloads. Recognizing the value of their contribution in a meaningful way may help to mitigate their stress and actually energize them in this role. Through the DAISY Award program, the stories of these exceptional preceptors are shared, acknowledging their value and contribution to the organization. Julia Hainly, RN, is a preceptor in her organization's MICU. She was recognized with a DAISY Award for her role as a preceptor. Here is an excerpt from her nomination, which was submitted by Hainly's preceptor: "When I think about nursing, and the type of nurse each individual should strive to be in their career, I automatically think of Julia. She is the most compassionate, respectful and intelligent nurse that I have ever had the privilege to work with and learn from. Being a new nurse in the MICU is a very scary and overwhelming feeling, but I was lucky enough to be able to start my nursing career with Julia by my side as my preceptor. Each day I was able to watch how she interacted with her patients and colleagues. If her coworkers need help, Julia is always the extra hands. If I was feeling defeated and discouraged after a tough day, Julia picked me up and encouraged me that tomorrow was a new day and things do get easier. Having a mentor who was able to teach without getting frustrated, correct without making you feel like you're being punished and was always positive and uplifting during difficult times made all the difference during my orientation. Working with Julia was an amazing learning experience and very, very fun. That is just a very small testament to the kind of person Julia is day in and day out toward everyone in the MICU." Julia is an example of the many nurses who are enthused, engaged and expert in their clinical practice and willing to share this with others in the role of preceptor. To have such individuals, willing to share their time and expertise is truly a gift to an organization and to patient care. How does your organization recognize and encourage this generosity of spirit? Through meaningfully recognizing the contributions of preceptors, we have the opportunity to affect their engagement in nursing and loyalty to their organization. In recognizing preceptors as the leaders they are, we elevate the role and the important work they do. To learn more about the nurse/preceptor relationship, click here. 
