My nursing program couldn't find us preceptorships!

[Abby481]

My school was unable to find senior preceptorships for one third of my BSN program. As many BSN students know, senior preceptorship is verymuch an inherent part of becoming a nurse. It is in many ways a right of passage, and it allows us to work in a clinical setting so that we can safely begin our careers as nurses. This has let us feeling angry, scared, and generally lost on how to find ways to increase our experience in the clinical setting. I've been applying for medical volunteer positions in the area, but was wondering if anyone else had ideas on what we should do. Also, does anyone know if BSN programs can legally let their students graduate without completing the minimum hours for senior preceptorship? Any info, advice, or words of wisdom would be a huge help!

[FutureCRNA?, BSN, RN]

I've met more than one nurse who didn't have one. I also met a student today who's program doesn't do that at all.

[llg, PhD, RN]

A lot of schools don't do them. Not all states require them. In fact, I think there are only a few states (if any) that do require them.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

My school was unable to find senior preceptorships for one third of my BSN program. As many BSN students know, senior preceptorship is verymuch an inherent part of becoming a nurse. It is in many ways a right of passage, and it allows us to work in a clinical setting so that we can safely begin our careers as nurses. This has let us feeling angry, scared, and generally lost on how to find ways to increase our experience in the clinical setting. I've been applying for medical volunteer positions in the area, but was wondering if anyone else had ideas on what we should do. Also, does anyone know if BSN programs can legally let their students graduate without completing the minimum hours for senior preceptorship? Any info, advice, or words of wisdom would be a huge help!

1) A preceptorship may be a rite of passage, but it isn't necessarily a right. Adjust your thinking (not just your spelling) on that.

2) As to how many hours of clinical your program must provide before graduating students, you can call your BoN and ask them. However, it is quite likely that you have met the minimum already.

3) Students graduate from nursing programs all the time without doing preceptorships.

4) Start calling hospitals all over the place, not just in your immediate area, and ask if you can do an unpaid externship as a student. Emphasize the "unpaid" part. You might get some takers. You wouldn't get paid for a student preceptorship, so you're not losing anything by this approach.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

3) Students graduate from nursing programs all the time without doing preceptorships.

[]

Yes, most of us make out just fabulous WITHOUT a preceptorship, just FYI.

Unless it is state required, like GrnTea stated, you may have the minimum requirements for graduation-check with the BON first.

[RNGriffin]

I graduated my program and never had a single precept experience.

I actually volunteered to be one of the students to forgo the preceptorship due to, I knew I would be taking the NCLEX soon and I knew the hospital world & textbook world were two very different things. I didn't want to be influenced by another nurse( good or bad) prior to sitting for boards. Not to mention, I was a LPN prior to becoming a RN and had already trained my mind not to only think "real world" but textbook.

[xoxJanexoxDoexox]

What if you are able to find someone willing to precept you and your school approves it? Is that even an option? We had a girl from our class ask an RN off the unit she worked on as a tech to precept her..the instructors approved it but it was at a hospital our college regularly uses for clinicals.