Spotlight: Andrea Carrell’s journey as a nurse preceptor
Andrea Carrell was originally planning to study graphic arts and photography — until a dual enrollment anatomy course shifted her path.
“That made me more interested in learning about the human body and how things worked, as body systems, which then kind of guided my path more toward nursing and helping people,” she says.
Andrea has now been a nurse for 13 years at Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center and serves as a preceptor for the Arizona Transition to Practice Program.
Why it matters
The Arizona Transition to Practice Program isn’t just for new graduates — it also supports preceptors, like Andrea, with tools to become stronger educators and leaders. Through online modules and Zoom sessions, the program focuses on communication strategies, leadership development and real-world challenges nurses face in the workplace.
What she says
Andrea first learned about the program when her manager approached her about becoming a preceptor, since she was already training new hires. The program’s learning modules have had an impact on how she approaches mentorship.
“The online modules helped me figure out how I could be a better preceptor and trainer, especially for the new graduates, but also with conflict in the workplace and learning different strategies to help with different personalities that all come together in the workforce,” Andrea shares. “Learning how to work together and figure out problems where everyone can see everything the same way is crucial to building a high-performing team.”
One topic that stood out for her was communication, which included personality assessments and communication theories that helped her find her voice.
“I’m a pretty soft-spoken person who does not like to complain or bring up problems,” she says. “So just finding those little niches that are necessary to make changes and to bring those up in a confident manner to management or to other coworkers — that has helped me.”
Leading through learning
Andrea says the most rewarding part of being a preceptor is watching students become independent.
“I really enjoy watching them do scary things like talking to the doctors about problems, taking initiative on their own to solve problems with their patients and not necessarily relying on the older nurses or the charge nurses to do that for them,” Andrea says.
What’s next
The program also helped Andrea see herself as a leader.
“I didn’t realize how many ways you could be a nurse leader before taking this course,” she explains.
Outside of her clinical role, Andrea has become involved in advocacy work.
“I went to the state Capitol with the Arizona Nurses Association to meet with legislators,” she says. “Even as, you know, feeling like a nobody from a small town, but you can still make a big impact.”
Now, she’s considering her next career step — pursuing her master’s degree, likely in nursing education — and she’ll continue teaching at a local college.
“It’s really fun to see the students in nursing school make connections on what they’re learning in the classroom and how it applies to our patients,” Andrea shares.