Why is it so hard to find a preceptor?

Nursing Students NP Students

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I am very frustrated! I am a FNP student for an online distance program so I have to find my own places for clinical, but finding a place has been very difficult! I am trying to prepare ahead, unfortunately that hasn't worked out for me.

I understand the time, stress, and legalities it places on the practice and NP, I just don't understand why past experiences with students should influence the decision for me. I am my own person with valued experience, I feel so discouraged.

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Specializes in ICU, ED, cardiac, surgery, cath lab..

I'm sorry you're feeling discouraged. Have you looked at your local NP organizations? I know here in North TX, we have the North TX NP organization that has a list of preceptors available. Of course, you have to pay your dues to join the org to be able to see the list. You can also go to the FNP Networking Group on Facebook and ask if anyone is willing to precept. Hope you find who you're looking for. If I were a FNP (I plan to), I'd be more than willing to precept. :)

Here's the link to the Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/nursepractitioner/

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Thank you for the advice and comments, I will check into the facebook page, I am a member of the AANP, would it be beneficial to become a member of my state's NP group?

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I feel for you! I thought I was going to have to actually quit a couple of times because I could not find a OB or peds preceptor. I finally did but it took forever! I don't know what state you live in but I would be happy to help you out but I live in Missouri.

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Specializes in ICU, ED, cardiac, surgery, cath lab..

It couldn't hurt. Joining a professional organization that shares the same interest as you may help in networking and finding connections. I plan to join our organization when I begin FNP school, so I develop relationships and browse available preceptors ahead of time.

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I am in Indiana, thanks for the thought though! My first NP clinical isn't until January, but I am a planner and like to think ahead, I have time... Do you think I am planning too soon?

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It's because too many students are attending programs that don't lift a finger to help find training. Buyer beware.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, OR, FNP.

As a FNP, I work 12 to 14 hours a day. My employer stopped allowing reduced patient load to help teach ACLS, BLS, precept, etc. If I have to carry a full load - when do I have time to help precept? Students deserve my time - I'm simply not allowed to give it. Self-preservation over 100 hour workweeks - I know; selfish again.

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Specializes in FNP.

We're also competing with med students...and the clinics get paid for that. Can you use an NP, PA or MD/DO? I lined up a preceptor even before starting my program by talking to my NP and children's pediatrician. While in that first clinical, I lined up my next clinical with an internal med physician. I'm struggling a bit now to get someone to return my call for my prenatal, and am working with my own organization to arrange my final NP preceptorship. I realize I'll have to set them up early (at least a semester in advance to avoid competition from others) travel for clinicals, arrange them all on my own, etc... its frustrating, when so often, you can't talk to the providers, but I need to be persistent to get into the setting I want (good learning environment, known history with students, etc). If there's a community health center, low-income clinic, have you tried there? My own NP may be willing for my last one, however I don't want all my clinicals within the same clinic, so that I have a bit of a broader base for my resume / CV. Can you talk to other students who've gone through the program? Good luck - its certainly tense and frustrating until you get that first one lined up...

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We're also competing with med students...and the clinics get paid for that. Can you use an NP, PA or MD/DO? I lined up a preceptor even before starting my program by talking to my NP and children's pediatrician. While in that first clinical, I lined up my next clinical with an internal med physician. I'm struggling a bit now to get someone to return my call for my prenatal, and am working with my own organization to arrange my final NP preceptorship. I realize I'll have to set them up early (at least a semester in advance to avoid competition from others) travel for clinicals, arrange them all on my own, etc... its frustrating, when so often, you can't talk to the providers, but I need to be persistent to get into the setting I want (good learning environment, known history with students, etc). If there's a community health center, low-income clinic, have you tried there? My own NP may be willing for my last one, however I don't want all my clinicals within the same clinic, so that I have a bit of a broader base for my resume / CV. Can you talk to other students who've gone through the program? Good luck - its certainly tense and frustrating until you get that first one lined up...

That's not true actually. Med students are not preceptored (if that's a word) by non-physicians. During our pre-clinical years, we are taught by PhDs and MDs/DOs and during our clinical years, we're almost exclusively taught by physicians only. Exceptions are just certain procedures (ex. learning from a nurse how to place a cath in or getting more experience placing IVs). I'm pretty sure that, at all med schools in the US, it's not allowed for non-physicians to be teaching clinical medicine to med students.

So, you shouldn't have any competition from med students regarding your NP preceptors. If you're trying to set up a physician as a preceptor, of course you're going to be less of a priority than the med student. Justifiably so.

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We're also competing with med students...and the clinics get paid for that. Can you use an NP, PA or MD/DO? I lined up a preceptor even before starting my program by talking to my NP and children's pediatrician. While in that first clinical, I lined up my next clinical with an internal med physician. I'm struggling a bit now to get someone to return my call for my prenatal, and am working with my own organization to arrange my final NP preceptorship. I realize I'll have to set them up early (at least a semester in advance to avoid competition from others) travel for clinicals, arrange them all on my own, etc... its frustrating, when so often, you can't talk to the providers, but I need to be persistent to get into the setting I want (good learning environment, known history with students, etc). If there's a community health center, low-income clinic, have you tried there? My own NP may be willing for my last one, however I don't want all my clinicals within the same clinic, so that I have a bit of a broader base for my resume / CV. Can you talk to other students who've gone through the program? Good luck - its certainly tense and frustrating until you get that first one lined up...

Forgot to mention one thing. That's really, really scary that your schools don't offer organized clinical training for you guys! Seems like graduates will have a broad range of training, even within a single institution, if they have to fend for themselves and find preceptors wherever they can. How do the schools ensure everyone gets a similar clinical training experience?

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There is no competition with MD students since this is a FNP program designed for primary care clinical, which is not permitted to be done in an urgent care or speciality clinic. However, we do have organized training which requites a certain amount of clinical time per course between the life span as a FNP would encounter. Yes it is our responsibility to arrange our clinical location since it is an online distance program which allows me to be a mom and work full time, but even if the school provided a location for us, the experience would not be the same as no student or healthcare provider are the same and experiences encountered depend ultimately what the student takes from the experience, how they are educated by the preceptor, and the population they encounter. Every nurse I have been a preceptor for in the nursing in the ER did not get "similar clinical training" in their experience.

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