S E RVICE
A day in the life of a preceptor and her student BY LAURA NEWPOFF
A preceptor serves as both an educator and a mentor to a student. Katherine Doughty (MS ’11), a certified pediatric primary care nurse practitioner, has been precepting student Megan Baloy for two semesters. Doughty is on the nurse practitioner teams for emergency medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Center for Family Safety and Healing. Baloy is completing a Master of Science in Nursing from The Ohio State University College of Nursing’s graduate entry program, due to graduate in May. Baloy needs two semesters of preceptorship as part of her clinical requirements for her degree. The pair’s work relationship takes place at The Center for Family Safety and Healing, on Nationwide’s campus downtown. The Center addresses all aspects of family violence, including child abuse and neglect, teen dating abuse, domestic violence and elder abuse. At The Center, cases include exams for children in foster care as part of the hospital’s Fostering Connections Program, a provider of comprehensive healthcare services. Baloy assists Doughty with examinations. Baloy sees patients first, performs tasks such as physical exams and developmental screenings and then completes anticipatory guidance for Doughty. 36 | nursing.osu.edu