What the heck is a preceptor?

No, it's not a long lost dinosaur. It's a type of teacher - a mentor really. The most popular use of preceptors today is in nursing programs that are given online. These types of degrees require that a student (who is already an RN in most cases) do a considerable number of hours of "hands-on" clinical work for school, even if the online school is on the other side of the country from the student. That's where a local preceptor steps in. More here on nursing preceptors for clinical requirements in an online RN to BSN program.