Anyone Drop out of Online Program d/t lack of Preceptor?

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  1. Have you (or someone you know) had to drop out of an NP program d/t lack of preceptor

    • 4
      Yes (explain below)
    • 19
      No

12 members have participated

I'm looking into NP programs, some of which are online. The online ones don't set up the preceptor, and I don't know any FNPs or anyone who could serve as one. I'm worried this could cause me to have to quite halfway through the program after I've spent a large chunk of money and time.

Has anyone on here started at an online program and had to drop out due to not finding a preceptor? I see so many posts on here looking for preceptors and it makes me worry that it's not easy at all. Advice?

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Some brick and mortar ones don't either, btw.

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Specializes in ICU, CCL, Tele, Some Management, TNCC.

Get your business clothes on and start meeting people. Get connected with MDs as some programs allow preceptors to be physicians (at least for a % of ur work)... Start networking and cashing in favors haha. If you work in a hospital- ask thd rounding physicians, ask for names of people to approach. Go visit them with references, resume and info about your college. Schmooze if you gotta ;) I'm going to use the people I know in my PCP office, nursing friends, familiar rounding MDs etc

Good luck!

thanks! ~b. Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

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I just finished from an online NP program, and I wouldn't have it any other way! I like the idea of my being able to have a say in who will teach me. It cuts through the personality issues that can eat students up. My school had a contract with Minute Clinic, and I went to one with a FNP as preceptor. Ask your school to see about setting up an agreement or contract with the or other retail clinics like Target or Walgreens. It is simple and paperwork only. I had a set preceptor cancel on me, and Minute Clinic saved my career. I wouldn't have been able to finish my last semester without her offer! I had her as preceptor in my first year, and she offered to have me back when in need. I also did LOTS of calling to physicians practices around my area up to 100 miles away over two years and saved my notes for future use. I definitely did my footwork. The prison system may be an option too. Get creative and be willing to drive.

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Specializes in ER.

I would not go the online route unless you have preceptors lined up in advance. I had verbal commitments from several of the docs/np's I work with before I signed up for an online program. All the brick and mortar schools in my area do set up preceptors for their students. I don't know anyone who dropped out, but I do know several people in my program who had major delays in completing the program due to trouble finding preceptors.

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One can get connected with local NP associations and can also try the eNP network, it helped me.

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Specializes in Family Practice, Urgent Care.

Have you established some relationship with some doctors while working as a RN? This is how I received some of mine. Ask friends, friends of friends, blind calling, etc. It takes some effort for sure.

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If you know you are going to do an online program, in my experience (two MSNs online) it is best to ask the school if they can send the contract to the places you think you want to go for clinical. I live in a rural area and only have a few options, so when the contract wasn't approved for one agency, I had the other to fall back on. Start this at least 6 months before you need to start clinicals. Find out what your rotation requirements will be at the start of the program if possible. Planning ahead will help save headaches down the road.

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I am currently attending a brick and motar university which offers the MSN as a "hybrid" program (online+face to face time). We have to find our own preceptors and for me it has not been that difficult. This was mainly because I live a small town about 60 miles from the school whereas most of my classmates live in the same city as the school. My friend on the otherhand lives towards Atlanta which has plenty of competition for preceptors because of various NP/PA/MD programs. She didn't have trouble finding primary care preceptors but has had to endure a long struggle to find her Peds and women's health preceptors. We started clinicals in August and she just had her first WH clinical last week and is still in the process of having paperwork filled out for Peds. Needless to say she is very behind and will have to hustle to get her hours (still obtainable at this point). I had my Peds clinical set up a year before I needed it but that fell through the cracks when two physicians left the practice (who still sees the same same patient load as before). I got lucky to find one without much effort. My friend called over 100 physician offices and asked every MD she worked with at the hospital before she obtained preceptors. Like the others have mentioned, START EARLY. Have a back up plan and then have a back up plan for your back up plan. A lot of offices told my friend they were "transitioning" and couldn't take students. With the many changes to healthcare, I foresee that happening more often than one might think. I wouldn't shy away from an online school because of the preceptor issue though.

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Specializes in Emergency.

My online program offers alot of help to it's students including a timeline of what step in the process you should be at in lining up preceptors each semester. For example, you should be networking, joining state/local NP groups during the first semester. I think it's six months prior to clinicals they want you to be working with the site and preceptor to get the contract signed (actually the coordinator does most of that), etc. I would hope any school that doesn't assign preceptors would be able to give you this kind of help.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, CT Step-down, Home Health.

I don't know anyone personally, but I have seen several posts on various websites with people saying that their graduation was delayed for one or more semesters d/t lack of preceptors. I tried to narrow down preceptor options as soon as I got accepted into programs and quickly found out that it is not an easy feat. I even tried many of the suggestions that have been listed on this site. Bottom line is there are just more students than preceptors. In the end, I decided to go to a brick and mortar school that provided preceptors (many do not). Its been an adjustment since I got my BSN online and loved that format. Plus this school is a little more expensive than the two online programs I got accepted into; but, I at least I will not have to worry about finding preceptors. No regrets so far.

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Specializes in Internal Medicine.

I'm with others on this. I needed to find 4 preceptors for my program and having worked in a hospital for several years, already had 2 preceptors lined up before I was even started school. Working in critical care, finding a preceptor for Women's Health and Pediatrics was more of a challenge in my FNP program. Luckily, Texas has a great NP organization that offers free membership to first year students and provides a preceptor database. I signed up and just started sending out emails to anyone on the list. Within a week it was done. I even helped some classmates find some preceptors just by asking my preceptors if they knew of anyone for other students, and they were incredibly helpful.

I realize it can be a daunting task if you are a newer nurse or just don't know that many people, but with a little bit of effort and some hustle it can be done. The worst thing that can happen is someone tells you "no", and it most instances I have seen, that rarely happens. Find you local and state NP organizations and just start carpet bombing folks with emails.

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