Introduction In this article I will discuss how preceptors and educational leaders have contributed to my nursing career and many others. The mentors who have the greatest influence on nurses are the ones who stick by them and help give them the motivation they need to overcome obstacles. In the first few paragraphs I will discuss my personal experience with a mentor and the characteristics he possessed that were helpful to me. Mentors have been a huge influence in my career and many others. In the last section of this article, I will discuss some of my personal experiences with examples and support why I like the features by referring to peer-reviewed articles. Preceptors are essential and irreplaceable in the nursing profession and in this article I will describe how they are active in the life and profession of every nurse. Characteristics of a Preceptor The qualities that I think are essential to being an excellent preceptor for someone in the nursing field are support/motivation. The preceptor must be an individual who has the senses to know when a nurse is struggling and give him the necessary support to continue and overcome the obstacles he is facing because there are daily challenges that every nurse faces. The next important characteristic is that the nurse must be knowledgeable in their area of ​​nursing. This characteristic is important because if another is faced with a dilemma they may be available as a resource because many nurses seek out a preceptor when they are unsure of the path to take before or after a situation arises. Honesty is the best solution for every situation and is one of the most important character traits to develop. The preceptor must be responsible, sincere and always...middle of paper...the hectors were amazing and left an impression and that is one of the reasons why I am the nurse and hope to precept my students at the same way by supporting them and guiding them along the best path. One day, when one of my mentees looks back on their professional career, I hope they can see how important it was for them to have a mentor especially in nursing school and as a new graduate nurse. Works Cited Ihlenfeld, J.T. (2005). Recruitment and mentorship of graduate nurses in the intensive care unit. Dimensions of critical care nursing, 24(4), 175-178.Pellatt, G. (2006). Nursing mentors. The role of mentors in supporting pre-registration nursing students. British Journal Of Nursing, 15(6), 336-340. Sorensen, H. J., & Yankech, L. (2008). Precepting in the fast lane: Improving critical thinking in new graduate nurses. Journal of continuing education in nursing, 39(5), 208.