October 22, 2021
Congratulations to our 2020-2021 Clinical Preceptors of the Year!
Clinical preceptors are experienced nursing practitioners who provide clinical supervision and mentorship to nursing students, including those pursuing advanced degrees to practice independently. Preceptors are critical to nursing education, but often they are invisible to anyone outside the nursing profession.
Preceptors are mentors and teachers. They are also counselors and sources of inspiration and examples of professional success. They understand the uncertainties and hesitancies of nursing students because it’s an experience they lived. They know what it means to be entrusted with the lives of others, and they teach those they mentor how to handle that responsibility without fearing it. Preceptors are the link between nursing generations; they pass the cultural and professional values that form the legacy of America’s most trusted profession.
These past 19 months have been particularly challenging for educating nurses in a clinical setting. The pandemic created considerable challenges for all healthcare workers, with nurses at the frontlines. Despite the challenges and demands, many still served as preceptors and did so at a very crucial time. The nurses they prepared and inspired last year are today’s nurses working to save lives.
Every year we recognize our Clinical Preceptors of the Year. It is difficult because we greatly admire and honor all of our preceptors and feel each is worthy of special recognition. In honoring a few, we honor them all. We respect and thank them for their contributions to our students and our profession.
The UW School of Nursing 2021 Clinical Preceptors of the Year are:
- Robert Gould, MD, Swedish Hospital Edmonds – Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Emily Hilderman, DNP, ARNP—UW Medicine – Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
- Sarah Hillebrand, MSN, ARNP, FNP-c, AGNP-c— Valley Medical Center – Family Nurse Practitioner
- Kirsten Garner, BS, MSN, CNM, ARNP–Swedish Medical Center – Nurse Midwifery
- Helen Wong—Chinese Information and Service Center (CISC) – Population Health and Systems Leadership
- Hueiling Chan—Chinese Information and Service Center (CISC) – Population Health and Systems Leadership
- Nikki Behner, MPH, DNP, PMHNP-BC–Psychiatric Nurse Consulting and Therapy – Psychiatric Mental Health
Nurse Practitioner Track - Alicia Spiess, DNP, ARNP, PPCN—BC, Skagit Pediatrics, LLP – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner- Primary Care
- Sara Rigel, MPH, Public Health-Seattle & King County – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Karen Corlett, MSN, ARNP, CPNP-AC/PC – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Acute Care