University of Wyoming faculty and students work with "preceptors" - nurses who mentor our students in a variety of clinical settings. The Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing, in an effort to recognize preceptors--especially those who go above and beyond--presents an award annually to a preceptor in those UW School of Nursing programs with clinical components. Students nominate preceptors for these awards.
The preceptor chosen from the Basic BSN program is Sierra Wright, who works in the Ortho/Surgical/Neuro Units for North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley. The student who nominated our winner said the following:
I am nominating my Senior Capstone Practicum Preceptor, Sierra Wright. She was a wonderful preceptor. Sierra helped me greatly in the role transition from student to RN. She is knowledgeable about the common conditions and medications and was able to educate me on these subjects. She went out of her way to give me experience using my skills and making everything a teaching opportunity. She taught me time management and how to prioritize my day.
Sierra guided me out of my comfort zone and helped me to feel confident in my skills, confident in my critical thinking and clinical judgement, and confident in communicating with patients and other team members of the multidisciplinary team. I now feel confident that I could care for 4 or 5 patients by myself.
More than teaching me the technical skills of nursing, Sierra taught me how to be
an attentive and compassionate nurse. Her kindness, humor, and knowledge made her
a favorite among patients, and they often complimented her saying, "I hope you are
my nurse again tomorrow," and "I wish you could be my nurse every day." She is a great
example of how nurses should educate and advocate for their patients. I look up to
her as an example of the kind of nurse I want to be!
– Basic BSN student 2015, Lauren Shoop
The School of Nursing announced the award at the annual Nightingale Ceremony on the University of Wyoming campus in the fall.
