NP Preceptor Charging Fee

[BackInTheSaddle, BSN, RN]

I came across a NP preceptor who charges a fee for precepting NP students. The fee is paid to the Preceptor's practice and the student pays it. Has anyone else had this experience? 

[db2xs]

This may not be of any help but I did not have to pay my preceptors and I think this is really sad that the preceptor is charging money. While on one hand I understand that it is their time, etc., at the same time, part of being an NP (at lease for me) is giving back to the future generation of NPs, which does not have to do with money. Maybe the prospective NP thinks also that paying money will make the preceptee understand their "value"? I don't know. I personally would not charge a preceptee. 

[pro-student]

For the individual NP, I think it’s fair. You’re asking them to devote a significant amount of time and effort meeting the requirements of your program, sharing their clinical knowledge, and mentoring you as an aspiring provider. They deserve to be compensated for all of that. Having a student will also likely slow them down considerably especially if you are earlier on in your training and increase their liability. Depending on how compensation is set up at the practice, it could literally cost them part of their income to allow a student to precept with them. 
 

The real shame is that so many NP schools have decided it is not their responsibility to provide or pay preceptors who are doing some of the most important parts of NP education. In a perfect world, NP programs would recognize that it is part of their job to hire, train, and provide clinical preceptors just like RN programs do. But that would also mean most people would be paying more for tuition, distance programs would virtually disappear (or at least not allow clinical far beyond their physical location), and the amount of students accepted would decrease. 
 

In the meantime, I don’t think it’s fair to blame the NP who knows their own value and doesn’t want to be taken advantage of. It’s really not their fault. It’s your program’s for not paying and recruiting preceptors themself and, tbh, a little bit yours for choosing a program that didn’t offer a full NP education. If the clinical is a good fit and the price isn’t exorbitant, I would pay it but make sure you’re clean about what you’re getting.

[nansno]

I have gotten to the point that I don't mind paying the "honorarium", but would just like to know up front how much.  If paying for a preceptor will make preceptors more abundant I'll do what ever it takes.  I know many students paying up to 2500.00 per rotation for hours.

Networking seems to help a little between students, but this is such an enormous problem nationwide that something really needs to be done by the ANA or AANP to promote graduates to precept and grow the next generation.  How will primary care ever catch up to the shortages if we don't help the next generations?

I promote to every NP I talk to precepting.  I encourage them and ask them what would motivate them to take on a student.  Most feel they simply don't have the time.  But as one preceptor keeps imparting on me, "as professionals we all have time for whatever we really value". If you value more time with your patients, you accept less pay.  If you value teaching the next generation, you lower your patient panel and ask for an honorarium to make up the difference.  It's all about priorities, and commitment to a cause. If your cause is maintaining your status quo, be honest and admit that you are not interested in growth or educating.

[amoLucia]

nansno - welcome to AN.