Has there been any changes lately when it comes to finding your own preceptors for NP school? Is it easier now? More difficult? No change?
I was accepted into a distance ed PMHNP program (with campus visits) and will start the summer semester in a couple of weeks. However, they do NOT arrange preceptors and I have only encountered resistance thus far, even with placement sites that have contracts with my school. I don't want to be bothered with this once school starts and I get into the bulk of my studies. I should have done my research, so it's my fault.
I also applied to a traditional school which does work with their students to arrange preceptors. I haven't received notification of acceptance or rejection yet. If I'm accepted, I might withdraw from the distance ed program to save me some headache. This is why I want to know if there are any changes when it comes to finding preceptors.
Something I might have missed but I wonder if most of those having difficulty finding preceptors are ones who don't have nursing experience. I had no problem setting up preceptors from my professional contacts.
Or be so certain you will be willing to take on every NP student who asks you until you are walking in our shoes.
Would you be willing to share with future MHNP students what you typically look for and what are the issues you are having?
Is it that you can only take on so many at a time? Or are you reluctant to take any at all?
Honestly, I don't want to wait to walk in your shoes if there is a problem with this profession that nobody seems to want to share or communicate in a meaningful way.
Is there a better way to find preceptors that you can suggest?
Yes, Im constantly hearing the "walk in our shoes argument", its very helpful to students. Walden requires experience, so no that is not the case with my own school anyhow. I think when I am walking in "your" shoes, I will try and remember not to repeat those words to NP students who are seeking education & help. I somehow managed not to do this as an RN or a EMT, so I have a feeling its possible.
Nurses... lets continue to circle the wagons & shoot inward..its worked so well for us in the past.
I gotta get back to doing my HW at my sub-par school now, so I can become a sub par NP who did not merit educational opportunities :-)
Fellow students, Ill send you the info requested for advanced prep.
PS: any students who is in NP school should probably submit this conversation as a DQ post and align it with the ANA's position on contributing toward the profession.
Would you be willing to share with future MHNP students what you typically look for and what are the issues you are having?
Is it that you can only take on so many at a time? Or are you reluctant to take any at all?
Honestly, I don't want to wait to walk in your shoes if there is a problem with this profession that nobody seems to want to share or communicate in a meaningful way.
Is there a better way to find preceptors that you can suggest?
Sure, lets see if I can get them all. :)
What I look for in a NP student is someone with experience in the specialty, in my case psych. I also don't consider anyone I do not know unless they come highly recommended by a colleague or in a rare case a freaking family member. For me it is very time consuming because I want them to have an excellent experience and I attempt to pass along all the pearls I have been either given or figured out. I require someone who knows the basics, has an affinity for this field, and isn't going to make me embarrassed to have my name associated with them in the future. I'm not sure how things are in other areas but it sure seems as if psych in DC, MD and DE are rather incestuous and everyone knows everyone!
The above is the best way to find a competent preceptor.
I haven't ever felt there was a lack of sharing and or communicating in nursing. In fact overall I have been treated extremely generously by both fellow nurses and also MDs for my entire career. Most of the things I pass along are things someone else shared with me, I'm not reinventing the wheel. My advice would be not to let this stop you from becoming a NP if the NETY lore is the only thing concerning you. I have not found it to be overly prevalent.
Yes, Im constantly hearing the "walk in our shoes argument", its very helpful to students. Walden requires experience, so no that is not the case with my own school anyhow. I think when I am walking in "your" shoes, I will try and remember not to repeat those words to NP students who are seeking education & help. I somehow managed not to do this as an RN or a EMT, so I have a feeling its possible.
Nurses... lets continue to circle the wagons & shoot inward..its worked so well for us in the past.
I gotta get back to doing my HW at my sub-par school now, so I can become a sub par NP who did not merit educational opportunities :-)
Fellow students, Ill send you the info requested for advanced prep.
What a shame this is the only thing in my several posts that you seemed to latch on to.
I'm going to digress a bit and go back to the OP question. If I can still remember reading these last three pages :) I am applying to two schools. One completely distance, one with some campus visits (my number one choice). They state they will not set up preceptors and you need to find your own. However, I contacted them and insisted upon speaking with an academic advisor, not an enrollment counselor as most have you do. For both schools, if you are having difficulty finding a preceptor, they will provide a list of preceptors that have been used by students in the past (you can get this up front too, right after you are admitted). If that fails, they will assist in setting up a preceptorship for you as long as you are willing to travel to do it - these preceptors are usually located in the same city or close to the school). They said they basically don't want to advertise this fact because they feel no one will look for their own preceptors and they have limited resources in terms of preceptors they can call upon for this. They actually initially denied it, but when pressed did admit to it over the phone. I suspect there are a few other schools out there that have this option but do not advertise it as well.
Specializes in Family Medicine & Nursing Education.
Please do your due diligence. There's a big difference in a school that promises to actually place students with preceptors versus a school that promises to assist students in locating a preceptor - make sure it is in writing.
Also taking the 3Ps at the same time as a clinical rotation will be nothing short of disastrous. There will be a great deal of content to read, case studies to research and history/physical paperwork to complete. Thus, taking the 3Ps at the same time will be stressful. Those courses are content-rich, detailed oriented, and time consuming. I would suggest you weigh that carefully during your due diligence.
What I look for in a NP student is someone with experience in the specialty, in my case psych. I also don't consider anyone I do not know unless they come highly recommended by a colleague or in a rare case a freaking family member. For me it is very time consuming because I want them to have an excellent experience and I attempt to pass along all the pearls I have been either given or figured out. I require someone who knows the basics, has an affinity for this field, and isn't going to make me embarrassed to have my name associated with them in the future. I'm not sure how things are in other areas but it sure seems as if psych in DC, MD and DE are rather incestuous and everyone knows everyone!
The above is the best way to find a competent preceptor.
I haven't ever felt there was a lack of sharing and or communicating in nursing. In fact overall I have been treated extremely generously by both fellow nurses and also MDs for my entire career. Most of the things I pass along are things someone else shared with me, I'm not reinventing the wheel. My advice would be not to let this stop you from becoming a NP if the NETY lore is the only thing concerning you. I have not found it to be overly prevalent.
Thanks for this.
No, NETY is not my main concern at all. The quality of the NP programs are.
I'm more concerned that people seem so unsure of NP students capabilities. I get that you need to be selective but it makes me feel as if the NP programs are lacking something if they accept so many students nobody wants to work with.
Final question:
Do you think that allowing pre-NP students to simply shadow more will help to prepare them better and build better relationships leading to potential preceptors? (I know that a lot of Pre-PA students clock many shadowing hours before getting into PA programs. There does seem to be more general shadowing opportunities for PA's than NP's, or am I missing something?)
Yes, Im constantly hearing the "walk in our shoes argument", its very helpful to students. Walden requires experience, so no that is not the case with my own school anyhow. I think when I am walking in "your" shoes, I will try and remember not to repeat those words to NP students who are seeking education & help. I somehow managed not to do this as an RN or a EMT, so I have a feeling its possible.
Nurses... lets continue to circle the wagons & shoot inward..its worked so well for us in the past.
I gotta get back to doing my HW at my sub-par school now, so I can become a sub par NP who did not merit educational opportunities :-)
Fellow students, Ill send you the info requested for advanced prep.
Remember, for the majority of the practicing NPs posting on this thread this is a professional issue not a personal one. At this time, the issue is personal to you and, as such, you are responding in a defensive way: you don't need to, no one is singling you or your program out. FWIW, I have several colleagues that are Walden grads who are excellent NPs and one who is positioned pretty strongly in the local NP leadership.
Your thoughts on this issue may change once you finish your didactic and clinical education and enter practice for yourself. No one likes the "walk in my shoes" argument, but being a provider is a much different role from being an RN or an EMT and once you start your clinical experience and practice you may develop a better understanding of that.
While it is noble that you want to take on the most unprepared students so you have the best chance of preparing them for practice, it if a difficult notion to maintain. For better or worse, personally and professionally, I review resumes and take the students I think will be the best fit for me and my practice as well as have the demonstrated academic aptitude to practice safely and professionally. I can take three of these students or one unprepared student, so I feel that balances my "good to the profession".
No, NETY is not my main concern at all. The quality of the NP programs are.
I'm more concerned that people seem so unsure of NP students capabilities. I get that you need to be selective but it makes me feel as if the NP programs are lacking something if they accept so many students nobody wants to work with.
Final question:
Do you think that allowing pre-NP students to simply shadow more will help to prepare them better and build better relationships leading to potential preceptors? (I know that a lot of Pre-PA students clock many shadowing hours before getting into PA programs. There does seem to be more general shadowing opportunities for PA's than NP's, or am I missing something?)
I don't think there is an overwhelming sentiment that all NP programs are so lacking that no one wants to work with their students. Right now there are so many students who need precepting and many who imo seem rather ill prepared to begin this journey. Speaking only for myself I'm not overly concerned with the school but more with the individual student. Personally I think the school itself influenced my practice in a very minimal way. For me it was more about my strong psych background and even more so my excellent preceptors.
To me most of the lack of preceptors is a problem for those who have not worked in the field. Seriously what RN who has worked in this field for any length of time doesn't have a few Docs or NPs they can beg a favor from to precept? One of my best experiences was a ED doc who I was introduced to from a Pediatrician I had worked with for years.
As for shadowing I would think any exposure and professional contacts one can make is always a positive. I'm willing to do a shadow shift or few hours with anyone because I love those who have the insight to want more information and a first hand feel for psych. If there was a student I wasn't so hot on precepting but they came for a shadow day and I thought they had decent nurse experience and seemed to have an affinity for psych I might consider it. Although saying "never" probably isn't a good idea lets just say at this point there is no way I would consider precepting a NP student who has not worked as a nurse no matter who was asking me.
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Jules A, MSN
8,864 Posts
Something I might have missed but I wonder if most of those having difficulty finding preceptors are ones who don't have nursing experience. I had no problem setting up preceptors from my professional contacts.