Secure the best nursing clinical preceptor for you: 8 helpful questions

Maybe you’ve managed to find a health care provider willing to serve as your clinical preceptor (well done!) or maybe you want to prepare for the search process (good for you!). Either way, you'll want to ensure the clinical preceptor you choose checks all the necessary boxes.

Clinical preceptors are a vital part of your advanced nursing practice education. They serve as role models and facilitate a safe and structured real-world environment for you to apply the complex, specialized skills gained in your initial coursework.

To get the most out of your clinical experiences and secure the best nursing clinical preceptor for you, here are eight helpful questions to ask providers before you take the next step.

Find out how much time this provider can dedicate to you throughout the term and whether there are other providers at the site who could support you in completing your hours, if something unexpected happens.

Each specialty requires clinical hours with specific patients. For example, if you're in a Family Nurse Practitioner program, you must complete a set number of clinical hours in women's health, pediatric primary care and adult primary care settings to graduate. So, it's important your clinical preceptor's patient population and setting align with your course demands.

As you know, clinical preceptors are in high demand. Some preceptors agree to take on more than one advanced nursing practice student at a time, which is OK, but it’s important to know how this could impact your time with the practitioner.

Affiliation agreements formally define the relationship between the clinical site, academic institution, clinical preceptor and advanced nursing practice student. Clinical sites sometimes require students to set up an agreement before they can enter a setting, so find out if you need one and who to contact at the clinical site to get the process started.

UC's clinical site coordinators work with advanced nursing practice students on a case-by-case basis to facilitate these agreements.

Some health systems use web-based platforms, such as ACEMAPP or myClinicalExchange, to onboard and manage students completing clinical hours. It's important to know whether you will need to interact with these systems to secure this practitioner as your clinical preceptor.

Do you need to wear a white coat, scrubs or simply dress professionally? Do you need to display a student ID from your college or university to enter the clinical site? These are important to know before your first day to ensure you’re prepared.

If your practitioner must enter a hospital setting, you could need hospital privileges or an affiliation agreement to accompany this person. Know what's required to avoid interruptions during your clinical experiences.

Some practitioners choose to charge advanced nursing practice students for clinical hours. If that’s the case, ask this person how much they charge, how and when you'll pay, and under what circumstances you could request a refund.