Preceptors/Clinical Sites

[ShayKenzie]

hello, im new to this site and had a few questions about post-master online programs.

As i was researching what programs offer PMHNP post master's certification online, some schools have a required number of clinical hours to complete and you have to set up your own clincals.i saw people on this forum talking about finding preceptors and clinical sites.

what is the difference between the two?

if i am going to apply to a pmhnp online post-master's program, can all of the clinicals hours be at one psych/mental health location? (i.e. outpatient clinic, hospital) or do we have to rotate like clinicals in nursing school and i have to find multiple clinical sites and preceptors?

thanks in advance!

[Corey Narry, MSN, RN, NP]

That would be a question you would ask the individual schools. As a general rule, clinical rotations must meet the competencies required in the particular NP specialty track. PMHNP programs are now redesigned as mental health across the lifespan (Family PMHNP) so your rotations must expose you to all ages and all types of settings. If one large facility could offer this spectrum of services, I don't see why it won't be allowed by a school.

As a disclosure, I'm an ACNP. In my program, you could technically spend all your clinical rotations in one academic medical center in various in-patient departments from ER, Wards, to ICU. You would have different preceptors for those but the setting is the same.