Need Help Finding a Preceptor

Buyer beware, BSN · Sep 14, 2016

Hi, I entering on my second year of FNP school I have already completed my clinical for Advanced Health Assessment and I am starting Adult Care this semester. I live in New Jersey and am having trouble finding a preceptor for OBGYN and Pediatrics. My school allows me to shadow an MD, PA, or NP does anyone have any suggestions? Thank you!

I'm very surprised that your school is allowing you to work with a PA in the event you can find one to help you out for a certificate of appreciation, a handshake and a "thank you for paying it forward." I'm convinced that the "working with a PA admonition" has been relaxed because many schools know and have known (deception) that the number of willing preceptors is far outweighed by the hoards of NP students looking for just the subspecialties you're after; namely OB/GYN, Peds preceptors. For male NP students the OB/GYN piece is way difficult. So what to do after you've come this far. I'm sure the school has suggested networking at NP gatherings, going door to door hat-in-hand and begging and in many cases paying willing preceptors out of pocket to train you for what the schools thinks should willingly be be for free. But notice the schools never take their own advice and train you for free; they want that tuition.

Caveat: with any school get the preceptor situation nailed down from the get-go. With all the NP, PA and medical school students looking for preceptorships the competition is fierce. Many of the aforementioned schools have contractual relationship with the community's available preceptors and that makes for an unlevel playing field for many.

Why this preceptor situation is the best kept secret in NP education is beyond me. Yet still these schools receive valid nursing accreditation when many can't deliver on their promises (deception).

I'll put it this way, would you attend a school that didn't assure you that you would have all the tools needed if you arrived in class on time, excelled in all your classwork, respected you instructors only to find that they knew all along that there would be no help with the preceptor piece of the degree?

I wish you luck and maybe you'll find a preceptor but with all your time and money involved this situation should not be a matter of luck.

The schools and faculty that aid and abet this ongoing scandal are scoundrels interested only in their own bottom line. So much for nursing collegiality.

When it comes to the bottom line it's everyone for themselves.

lhflanurseNP, APRN · Sep 21, 2016

Both of these areas are really hard to find rotations with. Have you tried your local health department? They do a LOT of women's health and depending on the state...pediatrics. There is a TON of paper work that will be required on the site's side...but you do get to see a LOT of interesting cases.

ms_sgr, BSN, NP · Jan 23, 2017

This site has a list of NP organizations that has preceptors listed http://www.theagapecenter.com/â€¦/Specâ€¦/Nurse-Practitioner.htm. The link is broken so you will have to copy and paste the organization name into the search engine. You can also check out https://npfinder.aanp.org[COLOR=#1d2129] to locate a preceptor. I hope that this helps. [/COLOR]