Extra clinical hours?

[SlyFoxRN, BSN, RN]

I was wondering if anyone knows if you can do extra clinical hours during an NP program? I'm contemplating becoming an ACNP to work in an ED/urgent care one day, but if I can't find an ED job soon I might not have much experience. To combat this, I was thinking maybe I could do a lot of extra clinical hours in the program over the time I'm in it. I've noticed many programs require only around 700 hours, estimating 15-20 hours a week. If I did full time, I could do double that.

1. Anyone done that? Is it possible?

2. Could I just get multiple preceptors to do this?

3. Would it potentially help with ED NP jobs if they worry about me having little ED RN experience and I explain that I did double the required clinical hours to ensure I was we'll prepared?

[mammac5]

You'd have to check with your program. Where I attended school the Liability Insurance would cover only for assigned clinical sites, assigned preceptors, and the assigned number of hours.

[SlyFoxRN, BSN, RN]

You'd have to check with your program. Where I attended school the liability insurance would cover only for assigned clinical sites, assigned preceptors, and the assigned number of hours.

That's a bummer if true. I'd really like to have about double the clinical hours that most NP programs offer.

[TakeTwoAspirin, MSN, RN, APRN]

My program will allow you to do as many as you like (during semester only r/t insurance) but they won't allow you to accumulate them "officially" beyond what is assigned for the semester. You have to consider too that your preceptor may not want you there that many hours: they may be rotating other students through or just don't want to commit to more than a specific number of hours per week.

[Sha-Sha RN]

My program also lets you do more than the required hours within a semester. At the beginning of my program the former program director even encouraged us to do more than the 720 hrs that are required to complete the program to gain more experience. Of course all of this has to fit it with life, family, work schedules and as the previous person mentioned, if the preceptor can and/or want you to be with them for more hours.