Welcome Preceptors

Thank you for partnering with Felician University’s School of Nursing to support the next generation of advanced practice nurses. Your guidance and expertise are essential to our students' clinical education and professional development.

This guide outlines our online Nurse Practitioner (NP) programs, your responsibilities as a preceptor, and important resources for a successful clinical experience.

About Felician University’s Online NP Programs

Felician University offers flexible, CCNE-accredited online Master of Science in Nursing programs (MSN) and post-Master's certificates (PMC) with the following Nurse Practitioner concentrations:

• Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
• Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)

Preceptor Responsibilities

As a preceptor, you play a vital role in the student’s clinical education by providing supervision, mentorship, and evaluation.

Preceptor Expectations:

• Provide direct support and encouragement to the student
• Offer a variety of learning experiences appropriate to the NP role and patient population
• Educate the student on site-specific policies, procedures, and guidelines
• Coordinate student clinical days and times in alignment with your schedule, communicating any changes promptly
• Support the student’s skill development and professional behaviors
• Maintain or co-sign the student’s time log to document clinical hours
• Report any issues, concerns, adverse events, or unfavorable outcomes to the appropriate faculty contact at Felician in a timely manner
• Offer frequent feedback on student performance, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement
• Notify faculty if the student is not meeting course objectives
• Complete all required midterm and final evaluations as requested

Preceptor Qualifications:

• Current, unencumbered RN and APRN license in the state of practice
• APRN must maintain a joint collaborative agreement or joint practice protocol as required by the board of nursing in NJ or in state of practice as applicable.
• MD or DO must be board certified
• National board certification in your NP specialty (i.e., PMHNP, FNP)
• Minimum one year of experience in an advanced practice role
• Interest in mentoring and guiding graduate nursing students

Student Responsibilities

Students also have several responsibilities to ensure a productive clinical experience:

• Arrive on time and take appropriate breaks
• Review personal clinical goals with their preceptor and revise as needed
• Collaboratively determine a clinical schedule that aligns with the preceptor’s availability, avoiding conflicts with academic coursework
• Make their clinical rotation a scheduling priority and avoid other obligations during assigned clinical hours
• Maintain a cooperative and professional attitude
• Demonstrate effective communication with patients, staff members, and the preceptor
• Uphold clinical and ethical guidelines for advanced nursing practice
• Maintain active RN license and any additional credentials required for the site
• Immediately report adverse events or clinical concerns to both their preceptor and faculty
• Seek out new learning opportunities and request guidance when necessary
• Accept feedback and guidance with a positive, professional attitude
• Progressively develop clinical reasoning, skills, and confidence in the NP role
• Notify both faculty and preceptor of any emergency schedule changes

Important Information Before the First Day

To ensure a smooth start, it’s important to cover the following with the student prior to or during the first clinical day:

• Shift schedule
• Required dress code (as outlined in the student handbook and site policy)
• Parking policies and procedures
• ID badge requirements and processes
• Computer and electronic health record (EHR) access and training
• Expectations for timeliness, professionalism, preparedness, and participation
• Clinical absence policy and procedures for schedule changes
• Current skill level and position within the program’s course progression
• Course-specific clinical objectives (provided by Felician faculty prior to placement)
• Preferred method of communication for routine and urgent matters (email, phone, text, etc.)

Clinical Rotation Preparation

Orientation Process Orientation procedures vary by clinical site. The preceptor should work with the student and Felician faculty to ensure appropriate onboarding. On the first clinical day, preceptors should orient students to:

• The practice site layout and patient care areas
• Emergency procedures and safety protocols
• EHR system access and documentation expectations
• Clinic-specific workflows and patient assignment processes
• Key staff introductions

Necessary Documentation

All required documentation for preceptors and clinical sites will be managed by the Felician University clinical placement team. Preceptors should check their email for any credentialing or documentation requests as needed.

Setting Expectations, Goals, and Objectives

Felician faculty will provide course objectives and rotation expectations for each clinical experience. At the start of the rotation:

• The preceptor and student should review these objectives together
• Discuss any personal learning goals the student would like to achieve
• Establish realistic opportunities and timelines for skill development
• Review the student’s current knowledge, prior clinical experience, and areas for growth

Preceptors in specialized settings (such as urgent care, mental health clinics, or community health centers) may add additional learning goals to align with the scope of practice at that site.

Formative Evaluation Process

An essential role of the preceptor is providing formative and summative feedback throughout the rotation. On the first day, preceptors should explain their expectations for regular feedback and evaluation.

Evaluation Process:

• Provide continuous, constructive feedback throughout each clinical day
• Discuss strengths and areas for improvement with the student frequently
• Document concerns or notable achievements as they occur
• Complete formal midterm and final evaluations using the forms provided by Felician University
• Notify faculty promptly if a student is struggling to meet expectations or objectives

Regular feedback ensures that students can progress appropriately in clinical reasoning, patient management, and professionalism.

Nurse Practitioner Practicum Curriculum

Frequently Asked Questions