The Art of Precepting with Melissa Eisenhauer
Dr. Melissa Eisenhauer is a nurse anesthesia educator, administrator, and clinical mentor dedicated to preparing clinicians and preceptors for success in modern clinical learning environments. She is the Founding Program Administrator and Assistant Professor for the University of Evansville Nurse Anesthesia Program in Evansville, IN. She previously served as a Clinical Coordinator responsible for supervising students, evaluating progress, and strengthening partnerships between programs and clinical sites.
Dr. Eisenhauer continues active clinical practice while teaching, advising doctoral projects, and developing preceptor training programs, including formal continuing education modules designed to improve preceptor confidence and effectiveness. Through leadership roles at the state and national level, scholarly publications on preceptorship barriers, and extensive mentorship of doctoral learners, she focuses on building structured, supportive clinical teaching systems that enhance learner development and preceptor performance.
She currently serves as the Faculty Senate Chair for the University of Evansville, the Government Relations Chair for the Indiana Association of Nurse Anesthetists, and is a member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology Government Relations Committee. She was recently accepted as a candidate for induction as a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology at the AANA Annual Congress in Boston, Massachusetts in August 2026.
Episode Summary:
In this rich, conversation-forward episode, host Beth Quaas sits down with Dr. Melissa Eisenhauer — CRNA, nurse anesthesia educator, program administrator, and co-founder of Pinnacle Preceptor Academy. Melissa brings 24 years of CRNA practice and a growing body of research to a topic that touches every corner of clinical education: preceptorship.
From the barriers preceptors face in the OR, to the heartbreaking survey data on student experiences with clinical incivility, to the generational gap between how we were trained and how today's learners need to be taught — this episode is a masterclass in what it takes to build better clinical learning environments.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
- Shadowing is non-negotiable.
- Use prep platforms wisely.
- The stigma is real, but survivable.
- Why is important to attend your state and national association meetings.
- How to use doubt as fuel.
Resources & Links:
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