Evaluating a Novel Multidisciplinary Preceptorship Model for Healthcare Workers in Selected Health Facilities in Zambia

Evaluating a Novel Multidisciplinary Preceptorship Model for Healthcare Workers in Selected Health Facilities in Zambia | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Evaluating a Novel Multidisciplinary Preceptorship Model for Healthcare Workers in Selected Health Facilities in Zambia Mwansa Ketty Lubeya, Michael Mumba Kanyanta, Marjorie Kabinga Makukula, and 7 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8934601/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 7 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Health professions education is essential for preparing competent healthcare professionals. In Zambia, there is a need to bridge the gap between theoretical and practical applications in clinical settings. Preceptorship programs have emerged as a promising solution, providing structured, supervised clinical training for learners or newly qualified practitioners. The University of Zambia (UNZA) and SolidarMed, under the "Advancing Vocational Clinical Education in Zambia" (ACEZ) project, introduced multidisciplinary preceptorship (MDP) training in January 2025. This was to build the capacity of healthcare professionals at four Vocational Centres of Excellence (VCEs) across three provincial hospitals and one general hospital. This evaluation assessed preceptors' competencies following the establishment of VCEs and preceptorship training. Methods The MDP training targeted 141 healthcare workers, cutting across professions. A 10-day standardised, competency-based workshop was conducted between January and August 2025. Pre- and post-training assessments were performed using a 50-item multiple-choice questionnaire to assess participants' change in knowledge and competency. Statistical analysis involved paired t-tests and two-way ANOVA to assess the change in scores after preceptorship training. Results Out of 141 healthcare workers, 131 participated in the pre-test and 130 in the post-test. The overall mean score increased significantly from 73.9% (SD = 9.9%) to 85.2% (SD = 7.5%) post-training (p < 0.001). The proportion of participants with competency (≥75% score) increased from 52.7% to 92.3%, with gains observed across all cadres. The percentage increase in competency was similar for males and females and among the different healthcare cadres, but different for health facilities . Conclusion We successfully piloted multidisciplinary preceptor training, which resulted in a significant increase in knowledge and competency. The training enhanced participants' educational skills, bridging gaps in clinical education and strengthening the preceptorship framework. Future training should target nationwide preceptorship training among healthcare providers to improve clinical skills. Preceptorship Multidisciplinary preceptorship Vocational Centres of Excellence Pretest Posttest Competency clinical skills Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Background Health professions education plays a crucial role in preparing competent and confident health care professionals to meet the needs of patients [1]. In Zambia, there is a growing recognition of the importance of bridging the gap between theoretical and practical application in providing healthcare in clinical settings. Preceptorship programs have emerged as a promising approach to address this challenge, providing students with structured, supervised clinical experience under the guidance of experienced healthcare professionals [2, 3]. Preceptorship is a period of structured transition to guide and support learners or newly qualified practitioners from students to autonomous professionals to develop their practical skills [4]. Preceptorship programmes can be used for all health professions education students as well as those newly employed or yet-to-be-employed graduates (NHS, 2024). Support by an experienced practitioner and a preceptor is valuable in refining preceptee skills, values and behaviours, and to develop their confidence as independent professionals [5]. The foundation for effective patient-centred care depends on expert support and dedicated learning time. Significant benefits of a well-embedded preceptorship programme in the organisational culture are associated with retention and staff engagement. Investing in a preceptorship programme can deliver a variety of benefits for the preceptee and employer, such as enhanced patient care and experience, more confident and skilled staff and increased staff satisfaction and morale [4, 5]. To facilitate clinical-based training for students and qualified staff, the University of Zambia (UNZA), in collaboration with SolidarMed, under the project ‘Advancing Vocational Clinical Education in Zambia’ (ACEZ), built and equipped skills Vocational Centres of Excellence within the hospital premises in Kafue, Kabwe, Solwezi and Chipata from January 2025 to August 2025. Some of the main project aims were: (1) To improve practical skills and competencies for clinical students through the establishment of VCEs, and (2) to improve didactic skills, capacities and content for clinical teachers through various capacity building initiatives such as preceptorship training. Therefore, this evaluation assessed preceptors' competencies following the establishment of VCEs and preceptorship training. Methods Design A quasi-experimental study was conducted using a pre- and post-test design, in which participants’ knowledge of preceptorship was examined before and after undergoing a structured training. Participant selection and study setting We set out to train 140 preceptors across four different VCE training sites; however, a total of 131 participants were trained between January and August 2025. The participants involved in hands-on practical skills were selected in collaboration with the head of training, drawn from Kafue, Kabwe, Chipata and Solwezi districts. To be eligible, healthcare professionals should have (a) been working as clinical instructors, tutors, or mentors in health training institutions or teaching hospitals, (b) demonstrated interest or responsibility in student supervision or mentorship, and (c) been nominated by their institutions or identified as key resource persons for student supervision. Multidisciplinary preceptorship training The multidisciplinary preceptorship training programme combined both classroom (40% didactic) and practical (60% hands-on) learning methods. The training was facilitated by experienced educators from the University of Zambia and delivered in a workshop format. The preceptorship training programme ran for ten consecutive days and covered seven interlinked modules. These modules built a strong foundation of knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential for effective preceptorship. a) Training format: Day 1: Orientation and pre-test questionnaire (Supplementary file 1)to assess baseline knowledge Days 2–6: Delivery of modules using interactive workshops, clinical simulations, group tasks, and reflection sessions. Modules covered included: Understanding preceptorship; Clinical simulation; Designing and implementing learning activities in clinical settings; Clinical assessment methods and tools; Clinical reasoning and documentation; Mentorship, supervision, counselling, and decision-making in the clinical environment; Professionalism and role modelling. Day 7–10: Post-test (Supplementary file 1), practicum assessment, evaluation, and certification ceremony b) Assessment: Formative assessments (reflection questions, group tasks) occurred throughout the training. The trainers also employed peer-to-peer assessment and feedback sessions to foster peer learning and build confidence and collaborative practice among the multidisciplinary participants Summative assessments include: Post-test (minimum pass mark: 75%, contributing 50% to the overall score) Practicum performance (minimum pass mark: 75%, contributing to the other 50%) Attendance — participants needed to attend all sessions. On successful completion, participants earned a certificate of competence and 30 continuous professional development (CPD) points through the Health Professions Council of Zambia. Data collection tool We administered a 50-question multiple-choice item pretest questionnaire (Supplementary file 1), generated from the training materials, to the participants before the training intervention to assess their level of comprehension of the training. Following the training intervention, a post-test was administered, which had similar questions to the pre-test questionnaire but with a different order of questions. The questions were developed by the experts from the University of Zambia and the University Teaching Hospital based on the expected competency framework for the training in preceptorship. Piloting of the test items was done among 15 healthcare professionals who were not included in the final analysis. The piloting led to minor modifications in the final test items. The internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha (> 0.7), indicating a reliable tool for assessing competency in this population. Statistical analysis Statistical analysis and data visualisation was done using Stata version 18/BE (Stata Corp., College Station, Texas, USA). Continuous variables were reported as means with standard deviation, and categorical variables as percentages and frequencies. Competency (score of 75% or above) was measured as a proportion with the numerator being the total possible score from the competency framework. Paired Student t test was used to assess mean differences in scores between pre-test and post-test after the training. Additionally, a repeated measures ANOVA with the Bonferroni multiple comparisons test was used to compare the scores across healthcare cadres and different facilities. A two-tailed P value < 0.05 and 95% confidence intervals were used for all the tests. Results Basic characteristics One hundred and forty-one healthcare workers initiated the training. Overall, 131 attempted pre-test, and 130 attempted post-test assessments. After excluding the participants who did not attempt any assessments, Figure 1 documents the number of participants for the overall analysis. The final analysis included 63 (48.5%) males and 67 (51.5%) females. The participants included 35(27.3%) Medical officers, 4(3.1%) Medical licentiates, 16(12.5%) Clinical officer general, 19(14.8%) Registered nurse midwife and 54(42.2%) Registered nurses. A larger proportion, 37(27.7%) of healthcare professionals (HCPs) were from Solwezi (Table 1). Table 1. Basic characteristics of participants Characteristic Frequency, n Percent (%) Sex Female Male 67 64 51.5 48.5 Health Cadre MO ML COG RNM RN 35 4 16 19 54 27.3 3.1 12.5 14.8 42.2 Training facility Kafue Kabwe Chipata Solwezi 30 32 32 37 23.1 24.6 24.6 27.7 MO-medical officer, ML-medical licentiate, COG-clinical officer general, RN-registered nurse, RNM-registered nurse midwife Pre and post-training scores among healthcare providers Before the training, Figure 2 shows that the mean score was 73.9% (standard deviation [SD] = 9.9%), which increased to 85.2% (SD=7.5%) after the training. The increase was statistically significant (p<0.001). The scores increased significantly in all the assessed health facilities (Figure 3) and among the healthcare cadres except the medical licentiates (Figure 4) Proportion of participants with competency pre- and post-training Overall, 69(52.7%) met the threshold (score of 75% or above) for competency before training was initiated, and 120(92.3%) were competent after the training program. Competency was similar between males and females and among the different healthcare cadres pre and post training. On the other hand, competency was different across the training facilities (Table 2). Table 2. Participants' characteristics and competency on pre-test and post-test Characteristic Pre-test Post-test Fail, n(%) Pass, n(%) Fail, n(%) Pass, n(%) Overall 62(47.3) 69(52.7) 10(7,7) 120(92.3) Sex Female Male 28(45.2) 34(54.8) 39(56.5) 30(43.5) 5(50.0) 5(50.0) 62(51.7) 58(48.3) p-value 0.194 >0.99 Cadre MO ML COG RNM RN 13(21.3) 2(3.3) 10(16.4) 10(16.4) 26(42.6) 22(31.9) 2(2.9) 6(8.7) 9(13.0) 30(43.5) 2(20.0) - 1(10.0) 2(20.0) 5(50.0) 33(27.5) 4(3.3) 15(12.5) 17(14.2) 51(42.5) p-value 0.524 0.923 Training facility Kafue Kabwe Chipata Solwezi 9(14.5) 15(24.2) 14(22.6) 24(38.7) 21(30.4) 17(24.6) 18(26.1) 13(18.8) 1(10.0) 3(30.0) - 6(60.0) 29(24.2) 29(24.2) 32(26.7) 30(25.0) p-value 0.040 0.045 MO-medical officer, ML-medical licentiate, COG-clinical officer general, RN-registered nurse, RNM-registered nurse midwife Discussion We aimed to evaluate MDP training intervention among HCPs from selected facilities in Zambia. We noted a significant increase in knowledge scores among the respondents, and this increase was consistent across all the healthcare cadres and health training facilities. Additionally, the proportion of HCPs with competency significantly increased after the training, although this was different across health facilities. The increase in knowledge among HCPs, following the multidisciplinary preceptorship training noted in this study, is consistent with similar studies [7–9]. The observed increase in knowledge scores after training underscores the importance of the preceptorship training program in enhancing understanding of preceptorship principles, clinical teaching methods, and mentorship skills. The consistency of improvement across cadres ranging from medical licentiates and clinical officers to registered nurse midwives could also suggest that the training content was appropriately designed and relevant to a multidisciplinary team of healthcare workers [10]. Structured preceptorship and mentorship training programs have previously been shown to improve not only the knowledge of HCPs but also the quality of clinical teaching and supervision of students and other staff members [11–13]. The MDP training used in this study could also explain the observed results, likely through fostered teamwork, mutual learning, and interprofessional collaboration, all of which are critical in a healthcare system [14, 15]. The significant increase in competency scores post-training further demonstrates the program’s ability to translate knowledge into practical skills applicable in clinical settings [16]. The MDP model emphasises experiential learning, critical reflection, and supportive supervision, all of which are essential for developing competent and confident HCPs . The differences in competency levels observed between facilities before and after the training may reflect variations in baseline capacity, institutional culture, and resource availability. Nonetheless, the overall improvement across facilities indicates that the training was adaptable and effective even in differing institutional contexts. The increase in competency scores also suggests that the training effectively bridged the gap between theoretical understanding and practical application, a common challenge in health worker training [17]. The observed gains are particularly encouraging given the limited availability of structured preceptorship programs in Zambia. They underscore the value of integrating experiential learning, simulation, and supervised practice into preceptor development initiatives. Scaling up the preceptorship training in all the health facilities across the country could strengthen the health workforce’s capacity to mentor, teach, and deliver high-quality patient care and clinical training. Strengths and limitations To the best of our knowledge, this was the first study to evaluate the training of HCPs in a multidisciplinary approach involving participants from various healthcare cadres, which allowed for a more comprehensive understanding of preceptorship capacity across the health system. Additionally, the use of standardised assessment tools and structured facilitation ensured consistency in content delivery and evaluation. However, the findings of this study should be understood in the context of some limitations. The evaluation was limited to a small group of HCPs from selected training facilities, which may restrict the generalisability of the results to other settings in Zambia. Additionally, the study relied primarily on pre- and post-test assessments conducted shortly after the training, which may not fully capture long-term retention of knowledge and competencies. Conclusion We successfully conducted a pilot of a MDPtraining program, which showed a significant increase in knowledge and competency. Structured preceptorship programs are effective in improving HCPs’competencies and interprofessional training, which enhance team collaboration and skills transfer. To optimise preceptor skills in clinical training in Zambia and similar settings, it is essential to intensify and sustain the support for local training, with a focus on preceptor skills development in local training hospitals. Abbreviations ACEZ Advancing Vocational Clinical Education in Zambia COG Clinical Officer General HCP Health Care Professional MDP Multidisciplinary preceptors ML Medical Licentiate MO Medical Officer RN Registered Nurse RNM Registered Nurse Midwife UNZA University of Zambia VCE Vocational Centre of Excellence Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate Consent to participate was not obtained from individual participants, as this was deemed unnecessary. Therefore, a waiver was obtained from the University of Zambia Biomedical Ethics Committee, Reference number 6220-2024. This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki. Consent for publication Not applicable Availability of data and materials The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Competing Interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Funding This research received no funding Authors’ contributions MKL-Conceptualising, supervision, data interpretation, initial draft manuscript writing, revision and proofreading final manuscript, MMK-data interpretation, initial draft manuscript writing, revision and proofreading final manuscript, MKM-initial draft manuscript writing, revision and proofreading final manuscript, WS revision and proofreading final manuscript, JS-revision and proofreading final manuscript, HMS-revision and proofreading final manuscript, BV-revision and proofreading final manuscript, SN-revision and proofreading final manuscript, MC-revision and proofreading final manuscript, MM -, supervision, data interpretation, analysis, initial draft manuscript writing, revision and proofreading final manuscript References Wynne K, Mwangi F, Onifade O, Abimbola O, Jones F, Burrows J, et al. Readiness for professional practice among health professions education graduates: a systematic review. 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Supplementary Files Supplementaryfile103March26MDPTPreandPostTest.pdf Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviews received at journal 07 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 24 Mar, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 05 Mar, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 05 Mar, 2026 Editor invited by journal 05 Mar, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 05 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 05 Mar, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8934601","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":601693437,"identity":"6a3ea919-9bf4-4d53-bb40-383aa1eeef21","order_by":0,"name":"Mwansa Ketty Lubeya","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA6klEQVRIiWNgGAWjYFAC5gZmEMXPwMB4IIENLGTAwNiATwsjRIskUBGJWgwOALUwEKNFt4GxTbqg4rC88fnDBw48KLPL121v3sDwcwduLWYHgFpmnDlsuO1GWsKBhHPJltvOHCtg7D1DQAtv22HGbTd4DA4ktjEbmN3IMWBmbCOk5d9h+839Z0Ba6g3M7r8hRkvD4cQNDDkgLYeBtvAQ0HKYsdl6xrH05BkQvxw3MDuTVnCwF5+W480HbxfUWNv29x8++PBHWbWB2fHDGx/8xKOFARwpDM2oggfwaICBOiLUjIJRMApGwYgFAFpmWzvQmQpkAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"Solidarmed","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mwansa","middleName":"Ketty","lastName":"Lubeya","suffix":""},{"id":601693438,"identity":"49728f49-a903-49d6-a6e9-1c9580c3b4f0","order_by":1,"name":"Michael Mumba Kanyanta","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"The University of Zambia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Michael","middleName":"Mumba","lastName":"Kanyanta","suffix":""},{"id":601693439,"identity":"cbf77cb3-645d-43c7-a31a-dbee72644b93","order_by":2,"name":"Marjorie Kabinga Makukula","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"The University of Zambia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Marjorie","middleName":"Kabinga","lastName":"Makukula","suffix":""},{"id":601693441,"identity":"e1085fcb-8c6e-4ef2-8896-551138d14b3a","order_by":3,"name":"Wiza Siwale","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Solidarmed","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Wiza","middleName":"","lastName":"Siwale","suffix":""},{"id":601693442,"identity":"84ce4abb-b1f1-422b-9b49-e2c22f6f3b17","order_by":4,"name":"James Sichone","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"The University of Zambia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"James","middleName":"","lastName":"Sichone","suffix":""},{"id":601693443,"identity":"ac0d9fc0-034d-49dc-8d99-f8540cc69415","order_by":5,"name":"Harriet Mulonda Simaubi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Mulungushi University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Harriet","middleName":"Mulonda","lastName":"Simaubi","suffix":""},{"id":601693444,"identity":"b827b8df-30c9-4949-b42f-8406aad86671","order_by":6,"name":"Bellington Vwalika","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"The University of Zambia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Bellington","middleName":"","lastName":"Vwalika","suffix":""},{"id":601693446,"identity":"d449790c-2693-429f-9908-e7a43efef5d3","order_by":7,"name":"Selestine H Nzala","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"The University of Zambia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Selestine","middleName":"H","lastName":"Nzala","suffix":""},{"id":601693447,"identity":"5539dac0-e2e0-472b-b19d-d74400d6947d","order_by":8,"name":"Michael Chigunta","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"The University of Zambia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Michael","middleName":"","lastName":"Chigunta","suffix":""},{"id":601693449,"identity":"d466e8c1-06bb-4436-9ff1-b4c10083c020","order_by":9,"name":"Moses Mukosha","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"The University of Zambia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Moses","middleName":"","lastName":"Mukosha","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-02-21 16:08:15","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8934601/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8934601/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":104387394,"identity":"1f958ed6-7251-45df-80a2-839e47175695","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-11 08:57:58","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":28404,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSample inclusion pre and post-test\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8934601/v1/82bdba8d037e6ed3064c9274.png"},{"id":104387276,"identity":"c4a6302e-46d4-4ba8-a2c5-da353fdfc5c5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-11 08:57:19","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":21566,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eOverall average scores pre-test and post-test. The overall average score pre-test was 73.9%(SD=9.9) and post-test was 85.2% (SD=7.5)\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8934601/v1/b54195f6c68643941481777a.png"},{"id":104387343,"identity":"5666f1fa-9924-427e-ad5e-01e64fba0440","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-11 08:57:37","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":50218,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eAverage scores on pre-test, post-test by facility: SD-standard deviation. Average scores pre/post were: Kafue 76.6%, 86.8% (SD=6.5%, 5.9%), Kabwe 75.4%, 85.4% (SD=8.1%, 6.6%), Chipata 75.2%, 87.3% (SD=9.7%, 5.3%), Solwezi 69.3%, 81.8% (SD=12.4%, 9.7%)\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8934601/v1/094ddd3daa350f9c45b4f69a.png"},{"id":104387429,"identity":"f6724750-86bf-4efc-bd98-949c3d6abfc6","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-11 08:58:06","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":45656,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eTest scores by health cadre: MO-medical officer, ML-medical licentiate, COG-, RN-registered nurse. Average scores pre/post where; MO, 76.6%, 87.4%(SD=10.4%, 6.1%), ML 75.5%, 84% (SD=6.2%, 5.2%), COG 70.9%, 84.1% (SD=9.2%, 5.8%), RNM 71%, 85.2% (SD=10.2, 8.3), RN 74.0%, 84.3% (SD=9.7%, 8.4%)\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8934601/v1/25b87cba3d64aa93ec7d8c77.png"},{"id":104405898,"identity":"81af8a2d-bf5d-40cb-9009-ec57fc06e465","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-11 12:24:06","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":838903,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8934601/v1/7f805c53-7a80-4dfc-acc8-f15e541fd712.pdf"},{"id":104387266,"identity":"26563a1e-8cd3-4b37-b460-b81425bd743b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-11 08:57:18","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":194658,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Supplementaryfile103March26MDPTPreandPostTest.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8934601/v1/9d26bff88429772a9f3089b8.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Evaluating a Novel Multidisciplinary Preceptorship Model for Healthcare Workers in Selected Health Facilities in Zambia","fulltext":[{"header":"Background","content":"\u003cp\u003eHealth professions education plays a crucial role in preparing competent and confident health care professionals to meet the needs of patients [1]. In Zambia, there is a growing recognition of the importance of bridging the gap between theoretical and practical application in providing healthcare in clinical settings.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePreceptorship programs have emerged as a promising approach to address this challenge, providing students with structured, supervised clinical experience under the guidance of experienced healthcare professionals [2, 3]. Preceptorship is a period of structured transition to guide and support learners or newly qualified practitioners from students to autonomous professionals to develop their practical skills [4]. Preceptorship programmes can be used for all health professions education students as well as those newly employed or yet-to-be-employed graduates (NHS, 2024).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSupport by an experienced practitioner and a preceptor is valuable in refining preceptee skills, values and behaviours, and to develop their confidence as independent professionals [5]. The foundation for effective patient-centred care depends on expert support and dedicated learning time. Significant benefits of a well-embedded preceptorship programme in the organisational culture are associated with retention and staff engagement. Investing in a preceptorship programme can deliver a variety of benefits for the preceptee and employer, such as enhanced patient care and experience, more confident and skilled staff and increased staff satisfaction and morale [4, 5].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo facilitate clinical-based training for students and qualified staff, the University of Zambia (UNZA), in collaboration with SolidarMed, under the project \u0026lsquo;Advancing Vocational Clinical Education in Zambia\u0026rsquo; (ACEZ), built and equipped skills Vocational Centres of Excellence within the hospital premises in Kafue, Kabwe, Solwezi and Chipata from January 2025 to August 2025.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSome of the main project aims were: (1) To improve practical skills and competencies for clinical students through the establishment of VCEs, and (2) to improve didactic skills, capacities and content for clinical teachers through various capacity building initiatives such as preceptorship training. Therefore, this evaluation assessed preceptors' competencies following the establishment of VCEs and preceptorship training.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methods","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eDesign\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA quasi-experimental study was conducted using a pre- and post-test design, in which participants\u0026rsquo; knowledge of preceptorship was examined before and after undergoing a structured training.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eParticipant selection and study setting\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe set out to train 140 preceptors across four different VCE training sites; however, a total of 131 participants were trained between January and August 2025. The participants involved in hands-on practical skills were selected in collaboration with the head of training, drawn from Kafue, Kabwe, Chipata and Solwezi districts.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo be eligible, healthcare professionals should have (a) been working as clinical instructors, tutors, or mentors in health training institutions or teaching hospitals, (b) demonstrated interest or responsibility in student supervision or mentorship, and (c) been nominated by their institutions or identified as key resource persons for student supervision.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMultidisciplinary preceptorship training\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe multidisciplinary preceptorship training programme combined both classroom (40% didactic) and practical (60% hands-on) learning methods. The training was facilitated by experienced educators from the University of Zambia and delivered in a workshop format.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe preceptorship training programme ran for ten consecutive days and covered seven interlinked modules. These modules built a strong foundation of knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential for effective preceptorship.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ea) Training format:\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eDay 1: Orientation and pre-test questionnaire (Supplementary file 1)to assess baseline knowledge\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eDays 2\u0026ndash;6: Delivery of modules using interactive workshops, clinical simulations, group tasks, and reflection sessions. Modules covered included: \u003cem\u003eUnderstanding preceptorship; Clinical simulation; Designing and implementing learning activities in clinical settings; Clinical assessment methods and tools; Clinical reasoning and documentation; Mentorship, supervision, counselling, and decision-making in the clinical environment; Professionalism and role modelling.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eDay 7\u0026ndash;10: Post-test (Supplementary file 1), practicum assessment, evaluation, and certification ceremony\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eb) Assessment:\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eFormative assessments (reflection questions, group tasks) occurred throughout the training. The trainers also employed peer-to-peer assessment and feedback sessions to foster peer learning and build confidence and collaborative practice among the multidisciplinary participants\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eSummative assessments include:\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003ePost-test (minimum pass mark: 75%, contributing 50% to the overall score)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003ePracticum performance (minimum pass mark: 75%, contributing to the other 50%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eAttendance \u0026mdash; participants needed to attend all sessions.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn successful completion, participants earned a certificate of competence and 30 continuous professional development (CPD) points through the Health Professions Council of Zambia.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eData collection tool\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe administered a 50-question multiple-choice item pretest questionnaire (Supplementary file 1), generated from the training materials, to the participants before the training intervention to assess their level of comprehension of the training. Following the training intervention, a post-test was administered, which had similar questions to the pre-test questionnaire but with a different order of questions.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe questions were developed by the experts from the University of Zambia and the University Teaching Hospital based on the expected competency framework for the training in preceptorship. Piloting of the test items was done among 15 healthcare professionals who were not included in the final analysis. The piloting led to minor modifications in the final test items. The internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha (\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.7), indicating a reliable tool for assessing competency in this population.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStatistical analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eStatistical analysis and data visualisation was done using Stata version 18/BE (Stata Corp., College Station, Texas, USA). Continuous variables were reported as means with standard deviation, and categorical variables as percentages and frequencies. Competency (score of 75% or above) was measured as a proportion with the numerator being the total possible score from the competency framework.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePaired Student t test was used to assess mean differences in scores between pre-test and post-test after the training. Additionally, a repeated measures ANOVA with the Bonferroni multiple comparisons test was used to compare the scores across healthcare cadres and different facilities. A two-tailed P value\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05 and 95% confidence intervals were used for all the tests.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBasic characteristics\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne hundred and forty-one healthcare workers initiated the training. Overall, 131 attempted pre-test, and 130 attempted post-test assessments. After excluding the participants who did not attempt any assessments, Figure 1 documents the number of participants for the overall analysis. The final analysis included 63 (48.5%) males and 67 (51.5%) females.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe participants included 35(27.3%) Medical officers, 4(3.1%) Medical licentiates, 16(12.5%) Clinical officer general, 19(14.8%) Registered nurse midwife and 54(42.2%) Registered nurses. A larger proportion, 37(27.7%) of healthcare professionals (HCPs) were from Solwezi (Table 1).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 1. Basic characteristics of participants\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 208px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCharacteristic\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 208px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrequency,\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003en\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 208px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePercent (%)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 208px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSex\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 208px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e67\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e64\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 208px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e51.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e48.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 208px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHealth Cadre\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMO\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eML\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCOG\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRNM\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRN\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 208px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e35\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e54\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 208px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e27.3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e12.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14.8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e42.2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 208px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTraining facility\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eKafue\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eKabwe\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eChipata\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSolwezi\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 208px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e32\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e32\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e37\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 208px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e23.1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e24.6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e24.6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e27.7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMO-medical officer, ML-medical licentiate, COG-clinical officer general, RN-registered nurse, RNM-registered nurse midwife\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePre and post-training scores among healthcare providers\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBefore the training, Figure 2 shows that the mean score was 73.9% (standard deviation [SD] = 9.9%), which increased to 85.2% (SD=7.5%) after the training. The increase was statistically significant (p\u0026lt;0.001). The scores increased significantly in all the assessed health facilities (Figure 3) and among the healthcare cadres except the medical licentiates (Figure 4)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProportion of participants with competency pre- and post-training\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOverall, 69(52.7%) met the threshold (score of 75% or above) for competency before training was initiated, and 120(92.3%) were competent after the training program. Competency was similar between males and females and among the different healthcare cadres pre and post training. On the other hand, competency was different across the training facilities (Table 2).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 2. Participants\u0026apos; characteristics and competency on pre-test and post-test\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 160px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCharacteristic\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 265px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePre-test\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 198px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePost-test\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 160px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 132px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFail, n(%)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 132px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePass, n(%)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 104px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFail, n(%)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePass, n(%)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 160px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOverall\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 132px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e62(47.3)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 132px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e69(52.7)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 104px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10(7,7)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e120(92.3)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 160px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSex\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 132px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e28(45.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e34(54.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 132px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e39(56.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30(43.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 104px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5(50.0)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5(50.0)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e62(51.7)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e58(48.3)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 160px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ep-value\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 265px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.194\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 104px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;0.99\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 160px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCadre\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMO\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eML\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCOG\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRNM\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRN\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 132px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13(21.3)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2(3.3)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10(16.4)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10(16.4)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e26(42.6)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 132px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e22(31.9)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2(2.9)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6(8.7)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9(13.0)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30(43.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 104px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2(20.0)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1(10.0)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2(20.0)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5(50.0)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e33(27.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4(3.3)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15(12.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17(14.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e51(42.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 160px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ep-value\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 132px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.524\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 132px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 104px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.923\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 160px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTraining facility\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eKafue\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eKabwe\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eChipata\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSolwezi\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 132px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9(14.5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15(24.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14(22.6)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e24(38.7)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 132px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e21(30.4)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17(24.6)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18(26.1)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13(18.8)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 104px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1(10.0)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3(30.0)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6(60.0)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e29(24.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e29(24.2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e32(26.7)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30(25.0)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 160px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ep-value\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 132px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.040\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 132px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 104px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.045\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 94px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMO-medical officer, ML-medical licentiate, COG-clinical officer general, RN-registered nurse, RNM-registered nurse midwife\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eWe aimed to evaluate MDP training intervention among HCPs from selected facilities in Zambia. We noted a significant increase in knowledge scores among the respondents, and this increase was consistent across all the healthcare cadres and health training facilities. Additionally, the proportion of HCPs with competency significantly increased after the training, although this was different across health facilities.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe increase in knowledge among HCPs, following the multidisciplinary preceptorship training noted in this study, is consistent with similar studies [7\u0026ndash;9]. The observed increase in knowledge scores after training underscores the importance of the preceptorship training program in enhancing understanding of preceptorship principles, clinical teaching methods, and mentorship skills.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe consistency of improvement across cadres ranging from medical licentiates and clinical officers to registered nurse midwives could also suggest that the training content was appropriately designed and relevant to a multidisciplinary team of healthcare workers [10].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eStructured preceptorship and mentorship training programs have previously been shown to improve not only the knowledge of HCPs but also the quality of clinical teaching and supervision of students and other staff members [11\u0026ndash;13]. The MDP training used in this study could also explain the observed results, likely through fostered teamwork, mutual learning, and interprofessional collaboration, all of which are critical in a healthcare system [14, 15].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe significant increase in competency scores post-training further demonstrates the program\u0026rsquo;s ability to translate knowledge into practical skills applicable in clinical settings [16]. The MDP model emphasises experiential learning, critical reflection, and supportive supervision, all of which are essential for developing competent and confident HCPs .\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe differences in competency levels observed between facilities before and after the training may reflect variations in baseline capacity, institutional culture, and resource availability. Nonetheless, the overall improvement across facilities indicates that the training was adaptable and effective even in differing institutional contexts.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe increase in competency scores also suggests that the training effectively bridged the gap between theoretical understanding and practical application, a common challenge in health worker training [17]. The observed gains are particularly encouraging given the limited availability of structured preceptorship programs in Zambia. They underscore the value of integrating experiential learning, simulation, and supervised practice into preceptor development initiatives. Scaling up the preceptorship training in all the health facilities across the country could strengthen the health workforce\u0026rsquo;s capacity to mentor, teach, and deliver high-quality patient care and clinical training.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStrengths and limitations\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo the best of our knowledge, this was the first study to evaluate the training of HCPs in a multidisciplinary approach involving participants from various healthcare cadres, which allowed for a more comprehensive understanding of preceptorship capacity across the health system. Additionally, the use of standardised assessment tools and structured facilitation ensured consistency in content delivery and evaluation. However, the findings of this study should be understood in the context of some limitations. The evaluation was limited to a small group of HCPs from selected training facilities, which may restrict the generalisability of the results to other settings in Zambia. Additionally, the study relied primarily on pre- and post-test assessments conducted shortly after the training, which may not fully capture long-term retention of knowledge and competencies.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eWe successfully conducted a pilot of a MDPtraining program, which showed a significant increase in knowledge and competency. Structured preceptorship programs are effective in improving HCPs\u0026rsquo;competencies and interprofessional training, which enhance team collaboration and skills transfer. To optimise preceptor skills in clinical training in Zambia and similar settings, it is essential to intensify and sustain the support for local training, with a focus on preceptor skills development in local training hospitals.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Abbreviations","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionList\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eACEZ\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdvancing Vocational Clinical Education in Zambia\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eCOG\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eClinical Officer General\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eHCP\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHealth Care Professional\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eMDP\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMultidisciplinary preceptors\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eML\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedical Licentiate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eMO\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedical Officer\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eRN\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRegistered Nurse\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eRNM\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRegistered Nurse Midwife\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eUNZA\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUniversity of Zambia\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eVCE\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVocational Centre of Excellence\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConsent to participate was not obtained from individual participants, as this was deemed unnecessary. Therefore, a waiver was obtained from the University of Zambia Biomedical Ethics Committee, Reference number 6220-2024.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailability of data and materials\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting Interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that they have no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research received no funding\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthors’ contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMKL-Conceptualising, supervision, data interpretation, initial draft manuscript writing, revision and proofreading final manuscript, MMK-data interpretation, initial draft manuscript writing, revision and proofreading final manuscript, MKM-initial draft manuscript writing, revision and proofreading final manuscript, WS revision and proofreading final manuscript, JS-revision and proofreading final manuscript, HMS-revision and proofreading final manuscript, BV-revision and proofreading final manuscript, SN-revision and proofreading final manuscript, MC-revision and proofreading final manuscript, MM -, supervision, data interpretation, analysis, initial draft manuscript writing, revision and proofreading final manuscript\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eWynne K, Mwangi F, Onifade O, Abimbola O, Jones F, Burrows J, et al. Readiness for professional practice among health professions education graduates: a systematic review. Frontiers in Medicine. 2024;11:1472834.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eCushing R. Clinical preceptor development and the benefit of structured teaching techniques: a scoping review. The Journal of Physician Assistant Education. 2024;35(1):52-61.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eGriffiths M, Creedy D, Carter A, Donnellan-Fernandez R. Systematic review of interventions to enhance preceptors\u0026rsquo; role in undergraduate health student clinical learning. Nurse education in practice. 2022;62:103349.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eGholizadeh L, Shahbazi S, Valizadeh S, Mohammadzad M, Ghahramanian A, Shohani M. Nurse preceptors\u0026rsquo; perceptions of benefits, rewards, support, and commitment to the preceptor role in a new preceptorship program. BMC Medical Education. 2022;22(1):472.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eUlrich B. Mastering precepting: Sigma Theta Tau; 2023.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eRic\u0026oacute;s C, Alvarez V, Cava F, Garcia-Lario J, Hernandez A, Jimenez C, et al. Current databases on biological variation: pros, cons and progress. Scandinavian journal of clinical and laboratory investigation. 1999;59(7):491-500.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eWang M, Yang L, Zhang S, Wu M, Sun Z, Shen L, et al. The impact of a multidisciplinary experiential training model on knowledge, attitude and practice of healthcare workers in maternity health management: a preliminary study. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare. 2024:3029-39.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eCory MJ, Hebbar KB, Colman N, Pierson A, Clarke SA. Multidisciplinary simulation-based team training: knowledge acquisition and shifting perception. Clinical Simulation in Nursing. 2020;41:14-21.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eMerrell KW, Konney TO, Acheamfour O, Lucido J, Aduse-Poku AY, Kumar A, et al. Participant evaluation of a multi-disciplinary oncology preceptorship training program for oncology health professionals from Kumasi, Ghana. Journal of Cancer Education. 2024;39(4):360-7.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eGola M, Brambilla A, Barach P, Signorelli C, Capolongo S. Educational challenges in healthcare design: Training multidisciplinary professionals for future hospitals and healthcare. Annali di Igiene Medicina Preventiva e di Comunit\u0026agrave;. 2020;32(5):549-66.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eEdward K-l, Ousey K, Playle J, Giandinoto J-A. Are new nurses work ready\u0026ndash;the impact of preceptorship. An integrative systematic review. Journal of professional nursing. 2017;33(5):326-33.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSchwerdtle P, Morphet J, Hall H. A scoping review of mentorship of health personnel to improve the quality of health care in low and middle-income countries. Globalization and Health. 2017;13(1):77.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eKein\u0026auml;nen A-L, L\u0026auml;hdesm\u0026auml;ki R, Juntunen J, Tuomikoski A-M, K\u0026auml;\u0026auml;ri\u0026auml;inen M, Mikkonen K. Effectiveness of mentoring education on health care professionals mentoring competence: a systematic review. Nurse Education Today. 2023;121:105709.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eHardie P, Darley A, Langan L, Lafferty A, Jarvis S, Redmond C. Interpersonal and communication skills development in general nursing preceptorship education and training programmes: A scoping review. Nurse Education in Practice. 2022;65:103482.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eCarney PA, Thayer EK, Palmer R, Galper AB, Zierler B, Eiff MP. The benefits of interprofessional learning and teamwork in primary care ambulatory training settings. Journal of interprofessional education \u0026amp; practice. 2019;15:119-26.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eJiang Z, Wang J, Chen X, Li Y, Ni D, Zhu J, et al. Competency-based ultrasound curriculum for standardized training resident: a pre-and post-training evaluation. BMC Medical Education. 2024;24(1):1516.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eBashkin O, Otok R, Kapra O, Czabanowska K, Barach P, Baron-Epel O, et al. Identifying the gaps between public health training and practice: a workforce competencies comparative analysis. International journal of public health. 2022;67:1605303.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-medical-education","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"meed","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Medical Education](http://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/meed/default.aspx","title":"BMC Medical Education","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Preceptorship, Multidisciplinary preceptorship, Vocational Centres of Excellence, Pretest, Posttest, Competency, clinical skills","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8934601/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8934601/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBackground\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n Health professions education is essential for preparing competent healthcare professionals. In Zambia, there is a need to bridge the gap between theoretical and practical applications in clinical settings. Preceptorship programs have emerged as a promising solution, providing structured, supervised clinical training for learners or newly qualified practitioners.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe University of Zambia (UNZA) and SolidarMed, under the \"Advancing Vocational Clinical Education in Zambia\" (ACEZ) project, introduced multidisciplinary preceptorship (MDP) training in January 2025. This was to build the capacity of healthcare professionals at four Vocational Centres of Excellence (VCEs) across three provincial hospitals and one general hospital. This evaluation assessed preceptors' competencies following the establishment of VCEs and preceptorship training.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethods\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n The MDP training targeted 141 healthcare workers, cutting across professions. A 10-day standardised, competency-based workshop was conducted between January and August 2025. Pre- and post-training assessments were performed using a 50-item multiple-choice questionnaire to assess participants' change in knowledge and competency. Statistical analysis involved paired t-tests and two-way ANOVA to assess the change in scores after preceptorship training.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n Out of 141 healthcare workers, 131 participated in the pre-test and 130 in the post-test. The overall mean score increased significantly from 73.9% (SD = 9.9%) to 85.2% (SD = 7.5%) post-training (p \u0026lt; 0.001). The proportion of participants with competency (≥75% score) increased from 52.7% to 92.3%, with gains observed across all cadres. The percentage increase in competency\u003cu\u003e \u003c/u\u003ewas similar for males and females and among the different healthcare cadres, but different for health facilities\u003cdel\u003e.\u003c/del\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusion\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe successfully piloted multidisciplinary preceptor training, which resulted in a significant increase in knowledge and competency. The training enhanced participants' educational skills, bridging gaps in clinical education and strengthening the preceptorship framework. Future training should target nationwide preceptorship training among healthcare providers to improve clinical skills.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Evaluating a Novel Multidisciplinary Preceptorship Model for Healthcare Workers in Selected Health Facilities in Zambia","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-03-11 08:55:36","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8934601/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-04-07T14:13:01+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"181032173953491399090806689260942523565","date":"2026-03-24T16:20:09+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-03-05T16:04:02+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-03-05T15:50:48+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2026-03-05T11:36:01+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-03-05T11:22:55+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"BMC Medical Education","date":"2026-03-05T07:40:39+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-medical-education","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"meed","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Medical Education](http://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/meed/default.aspx","title":"BMC Medical Education","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"61536909-439f-446c-b349-a319eb43cf2b","owner":[],"postedDate":"March 11th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-11T08:55:36+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-03-11 08:55:36","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8934601","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8934601","identity":"rs-8934601","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}