How to Find an NP Preceptor for Clinical Rotations

What’s the most stressful part of NP school? Finding time to study? All those tests? Finding time to still have fun? Finding a preceptor for clinical rotations? Okay, so there’s a few things that are stressful about going to school to become a nurse practitioner…but it will be totally worth it!

Clinical hours are an essential part of NP education, but it’s not always easy finding a preceptor that is available to take you under their wing. There may be a shortage of clinicians where you are located, or you may be trying to compete for placements with other medical programs (medical school, physician assistant programs, etc.) which can complicate your preceptor search.

In this post, we’ll go over some helpful strategies for securing a preceptor for your NP clinical rotations, including talking about our special partnership with NPHub!

3 Ways to Find an NP Preceptor

1. Get help from your program and institution.

Before you head off on your own search for an NP preceptor, definitely check in with your program and institution. Your program might have a database of prior preceptors that have been used before and that’s a great place to start! Some NP programs have a clinical coordinator that’ll help secure preceptor placements.

Also, if you do have a few leads or contacts on possible preceptors, your program may prefer that they reach out instead of you since they have to handle contracts and other paperwork.

You’ll also want to ask your program about any affiliation agreements they have. That means that the program or institution might have an agreement with a particular health system to agree to accept students for clinical placements.

And don’t forget to ask your faculty! They likely have colleagues in different clinical specialties that might be willing to precept students. 

2. Use your network.

If your program needs your help in finding a preceptor, then you should utilize your network. Ask your own healthcare provider for possible leads. Ask your colleagues at work about their connections. See if they can reach out to people they know that might be willing to accept a student and get permission for their contact information.

Another good tip is to attend local conferences and health fairs. It’s a great way to meet a potential preceptor in person and make a connection!

Then, there’s your own classmates and alumni. Clinical placements can be super competitive, or at least feel like that, but a classmate may have different connections you can utilize. Alumni of the program can be another helpful route to take. They were in your shoes before and may be more willing to help a student from their alma mater!

How should you reach out to a connection?

Once you receive contact information for a possible NP preceptor, consider how you’ll present yourself. Whether communicating through email or with a phone call, think about how to introduce yourself, discuss which NP specialty program you’re in, what your RN experience is, and what NP clinical experience you have. I’d also suggest sharing your resume or CV, which not only has a summary of your background, but also your contact information.

And don’t get discouraged—it’s okay to do a follow-up email or phone call after a few days. If you don’t hear back from the contact or they’re unable to precept, keep trying!

3. Check out the SMNP Reviews partnership with NPHub!

If you still can’t find an NP preceptor, or you’re looking for a stress-free experience from the beginning, then we absolutely recommend NPHub! They’be been helping thousands of NP students find preceptors since 2017. NPHub has a vast network of preceptors across specialties and is ready to help you find the best preceptor for your clinical rotation. Each preceptor is thoroughly vetted and you’ll have awesome support every step of the way.

There is a cost associated with NPHub, but they offer flexible payment plans to make it more affordable.

But here’s the best part…NPHub is offering $100 off their service when using a discount code from SMNP Reviews! We’re super excited about this partnership as it’s another way for SMNP Reviews to support you on your NP journey. Check out the “Resources” tab on the SMNP Reviews website for all the details!

Further Reading

All of us here at SMNP Reviews are excited for you to start your NP career and we hope you found this post helpful. Be sure to check out our other posts on the blog, podcast, or YouTube channel!

• Transitioning from Classroom Learning to NP Clinicals
• VIDEO: Maximizing Your NP Clinical Rotations: 5 Tips and Tricks for Success!
• PODCAST: Essential Tips for Thriving in Your NP Clinical Rotations