The Challenge of Finding A Preceptor Your School Will Approve

At PreceptorLink®, we see firsthand the challenges that NP students face when trying to find the right preceptor. A recurring issue we’ve noticed is that students often don’t know their school’s specific requirements. This can result in the dreaded word: DENIED!  Argh! You can’t believe it!! But unbelievably, it turns out that you found a preceptor who doesn’t meet your program’s requirements! It’s an incredibly frustrating situation, especially after all the challenges of finding a willing preceptor and completing the required paperwork, only to find out that your school won't approve it.

We’re here to try to help you get the right submission the first time! Yes, ultimately, it’s the student’s responsibility to know the requirements for each course, and your school will be the first to tell you when they mark your request as denied! If only they made it easier to see whether the preceptor you finally found will be approved! Let’s see if we can help with that!

With nearly 500 NP programs across the country, each with different requirements, we simply can’t track every school’s specifics. Requirements vary widely from one program to another and even from one course to the next within the same program. That’s why it’s essential for students to be well-informed about the precise guidelines that their programs have set. Knowing these details upfront can save you time, reduce stress, and get you that “Approved” notification! Yeah!

Know Your School’s Requirements for Each Course

Before you start searching for a preceptor, check your program’s clinical manual and review the requirements for each specific course. Schools often outline detailed criteria that your preceptor and clinical site must meet. We recommend going through each of these requirements carefully. Some programs even have requirements around the types of patients you must see, the services provided at the clinical site, and whether or not the preceptor needs to be board-certified. These details matter and can make the difference between an approved and a denied preceptorship.

Here’s a guide to the most common requirements we see schools impose. Use this to help you double-check that you’re on the right track.  I recommend you review it for each course so you get it right the first time:

1. Types of Patients: What kinds of patients are you required to see? Are there specific age groups or patient types that must be included in your hours? On the flip side, are there patient types that are explicitly excluded? Knowing these details will help ensure that your preceptor’s practice aligns with what’s needed.
2. Types of Services: Verify the services that must be provided at your site. For example, if your program requires a focus on family medicine, working with a specialist alone might not be sufficient. Confirm that the services match your course’s learning objectives.
3. Preceptor Qualifications: Schools vary widely in terms of which preceptors they’ll accept. Some programs require board-certified MDs or DOs, while others are open to non-board-certified physicians. (Read my prior blog, which talks about why physicians don’t re-board certify.) NPs generally are board-certified, so that is not usually an issue. (However, oddly, BC is not required in CA and NY!)  If your focus is in a specific area like psychiatric care, some schools may require a PMHNP (Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner) or a therapist, while others may not. Clarify these requirements to avoid surprises down the road.
4. Site Requirements: What type of clinical setting does your program allow? Some schools limit preceptorships to specific types of sites, such as private practices, hospitals, “inpatient,” or community clinics. Others have broader criteria. Double-check this information to ensure your site qualifies.
5. Non-Acceptable Preceptors and Sites: Many schools list specific preceptor types and sites that are not acceptable. This list often includes certain types of NPs, PAs, non-board-certified MDs, and some therapist roles. Having clarity on these restrictions can prevent a lot of unnecessary back-and-forth and denials.
6. Required Hours and Patient Encounters: Understand how many clinical hours you need for each rotation and if there are minimums for specific patient encounters. For example, you may need a total of 160 hours, but within those hours, at least 80 encounters may need to be with pediatric patients. It’s also important to know if you need to see patients across age ranges, such as pediatrics, adolescents, adults, and older adults, to meet all age-specific requirements.
7. Patients per Hour: Some programs require a minimum patient flow or specific number of patients seen per hour. Verify this to make sure your preceptor’s practice can support these requirements.
8. NP Preceptor Requirements: Some programs have requirements on the number of preceptors who must be NPs. Check with your school to see if this applies.
9. Exact Dates for Rotation and Submission Deadlines: Confirm the dates for your rotation and note the submission deadline for preceptor information. Missing this deadline can delay your clinical placement and affect your timeline for program completion.
10. Paperwork for School Submission: Gather all paperwork required by your school, including proof of liability insurance, immunization records, and any additional documentation. Completing this in advance can help avoid last-minute issues.
11. Location for Rotation: Sometimes, you can do your rotation in another location or virtually. Confirm if your school allows the location. This varies from school to school. You might be able to drive to a different state or stay with a relative, but your school may not allot that state. Are you allowed to do the rotation virtually? Confirm for this particular rotation. 
12. Complete Preceptor and Site Information: Before you submit your preceptor details, make sure you have all the required information:

Taking the time to review each of these areas and clarifying any uncertainties with your program will help ensure your clinical placement is approved without delays or setbacks. At PreceptorLink®, we’re dedicated to supporting NP students in finding qualified preceptors who align with their career goals and program requirements. Sometimes, it feels like an impossible task to read through and understand everything! However, it really is mandatory to understand your school requirements. If you are not sure, clarify things in writing with your school. (Trust me on this!)  

Please let me know if this information has been helpful or what advice or questions you might have. I wish you the best of luck in your journey. Feel free to reach out if you need assistance or further guidance.

Lynn McComas is the CEO and founder of PreceptorLink and a recognized expert in precepting nurse practitioners and advanced practice provider students. With over two decades in primary care, Lynn has served as a coach, advisor, mentor, and preceptor for countless healthcare professionals, including NPs, nurses, and medical assistants. She co-founded a successful skills and procedures business and speaks nationwide on NP-related issues.

Lynn is also a regular contributor on LinkedIn, KevinMD, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram @preceptorlink, X @LynnMcComas, and her blog, where she addresses the growing NP and PA professions and the urgent need for preceptor sites. Her unique perspective, shaped by her business, clinical, and educational experiences, positions her as a key voice in tackling preceptor shortages. Lynn is committed to driving change—through a paradigm shift in NP education, reducing barriers, offering preceptor incentives, and advocating for reforms within the profession.

For easy reference, use the checklist below to help you confirm you’ve met all necessary requirements before submitting your preceptor information.

Let us know if you have any questions or need further guidance! At PreceptorLink®, we’re always here to help you navigate this crucial stage of your NP education.

Comprehensive Preceptor & Site Selection Checklist for NP Students

Step 1: Preliminary Review

• Read Your Program Manual Thoroughly: Familiarize yourself with your school’s clinical requirements to avoid missed details.
• Identify Requirements for Each Course: Understand each rotation’s specific requirements to ensure the preceptor and site align with them.

Step 2: Preceptor & Site Requirements

• Patient Type Requirements:
• Service Types Provided by Site:
• Acceptable Preceptor Choices:
• Site Acceptability:
• Non-Acceptable Preceptors: Ensure your preceptor does not fall under any of the following excluded roles unless explicitly allowed:
• Location of Preceptors/Site: Ensure your school allows that state and/or virtual rotation for that particular rotation.  

Step 3: Clinical Hour Requirements

• Total Clinical Hours Required: Confirm hours needed for each rotation (e.g., 160 hours).
• Patient Encounters: Note if specific patient encounters are required within those hours (e.g., 80 pediatric encounters within 160 hours).
• Age Group Encounter Requirements: Check if there’s a minimum number of encounters with specific age groups
• Rotation Duration Requirement: Confirm the minimum number of weeks (e.g., 8 weeks) for a varied and comprehensive learning experience. Some schools allow you to compact all hours into a smaller block. Others require it to be spread out over the whole rotation.

Step 4: Preceptor Availability & Deadlines

• Rotation Dates: Confirm exact start and end dates with your preceptor to align with your school’s schedule.
• Preceptor Information Submission Deadline: Be aware of the exact date by which preceptor details must be submitted to your program.
• Student Paperwork Submission Requirements: Complete and submit required student documents (e.g., liability insurance, immunization records, etc.) in advance to avoid delays.

Step 5: Collect All Required Preceptor & Site Information

• Legal Name of Preceptor: Confirm the correct legal name of your preceptor.
• Preceptor’s Title & Credentials: Record preceptor’s full title (e.g., FNP-BC, MD) and relevant credentials.
• Preceptor’s Work Email: Obtain their work email, as it’s often more reliable for communication.
• Phone Numbers: Collect both work and personal phone numbers for emergency contact.
• Authorized Contact for Legal Agreements: Identify the correct person (e.g., administrator or practice owner) who can sign legal agreements for the site.
• Business Information:

Step 6: Verify Requirements for Patient Flow

• Patients Per Hour: Confirm if there’s a required patient flow or specific number of patients per hour that the site should meet.

Step 7: Verify Preceptor Credentials by School’s Standard

• Number of Required NP Preceptors: Some schools require a certain percentage of your preceptors to be NPs. Confirm this if applicable to your program.

Final Verification & Submission

• Double-Check All Information: Before submitting, confirm that all details match school requirements and that preceptor/site information is accurate.
• Understand the Approval Process Timeline: Ask your program about how long the approval process will take to prepare in advance.