Subject: Academic Affairs

Policy: Role and Expectations of Preceptors as an Extension of Graduate Program Clinical Faculty

Revised: 4/14/25

Effective Date: Summer 2025

Review Date: Spring 2028

Responsible Party: Level 1: GAAC, Level 2: Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

 

Introduction and Purpose:

Use of clinical preceptors with graduate nursing students may be an appropriate option for MRJCON graduate clinical courses. Use of clinical preceptors provides a consistent one-to-one relationship throughout the semester which presents an effective environment for clinical learning. The preceptorship experience is a collaborative process involving the faculty, preceptor, and student.

 

Policy:

Per Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Standard II-G (2024), Montana State Board of Nursing (MSBON) Administrative Rule 24.159.665, Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME) Criterion II.U., and NONPF Criterion I.K. (2022), clinical preceptors are academically and experientially qualified for the specific population-focused area of practice; have the expertise to support student achievement of expected outcomes; and may be used to enhance, but not replace, faculty-directed clinical learning experiences. When using preceptors, faculty members adhere to university policy and remain responsible for:

  1. Ensuring safe, accessible and appropriate student supervision based on client health status, care setting, course objectives, and student level of preparation.
  2. Ensuring appropriate preceptor qualifications and scope of responsibility.
  3. Ensuring preceptor competency related to assigned area of clinical teaching and willingness to serve as a role model and educator to the student.
  4. Ensuring preceptor orientation to the role and program expectations and evaluation for continued performance; and
  5. Providing the lecture and laboratory portions of the course.

Definitions:

Per MSBON Administrative Rule 24.159.301, the following definitions will further guide the role and expectations of clinical preceptors in the MRJCON graduate APRN programs:

  1. Competency: performing skillfully and proficiently the functions that are within the role of the licensee, and demonstrating the interrelationship of essential knowledge, judgement, and skills.
  2. General Supervision: Provision of guidance by a qualified nurse for the accomplishment of a nursing task or activity with initial direction of the task or activity and periodic inspection of the actual act of accomplishing the task or activity.
  3. Direct Supervision: the supervisor is on the premises and is quickly and easily available.
  4. Immediate Supervision: the supervisor is on the premises and is within audible and visual range of the patient.
  5. Preceptorship: Supervised training in the role, population focus, or specialty area of APRN practice.

 

Procedures:

Preceptor Qualifications:

Graduate program preceptors are qualified health care professionals who collaborate with faculty to facilitate and supervise nurse practitioner, nurse-midwifery, and clinical nurse leader student learning experiences in a faculty approved clinical setting.

Preceptors for the graduate nursing programs will meet the following qualifications:

  1. Family Nurse Practitioner and Nurse-Midwifery criteria:
    1. Hold active unencumbered licensure in Montana or approved state.
    2. Nationally certified as an NP, CNM, PA, or physician as outlined in (g).
    3. Attended and graduated from a program/ institution that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the US DOE.
    4. Hold at least a master's degree with a minimum of one year of experience in advanced role.
    5. May not be related to or in a relationship with the graduate nursing students.
    6. Recognized as an APRN with prescriptive authority or recognized as APRN meeting federal guidelines [VA clinics, military, US Public Health Service Corps]
    7. Physicians actively involved in clinical practice, licensed as MD, DO, or recognized as MD/DO meeting federal guidelines.
    8. For nurse-midwifery, fifty (50) percent or more of the precepted time must be with qualified CNM preceptors with preparation for teaching and competence commensurate with the teaching assignment.
  2. Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Criteria:
    1. Hold active unencumbered licensure in Montana or approved state.
    2. Nationally certified as an PMHNP, Psychiatric CNS, or PA with Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) in Psychiatry and supervision from a psychiatrist, or physician as outlines in (g) or psychotherapist outlined in (i).
    3. Attended and graduated from a program/ institution that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the US DOE.
    4. Hold at least a master's degree with a minimum of one year of experience in advanced role.
    5. May not be related to or in a relationship with the graduate nursing student.
    6. Recognized as an PMHNP APRN with prescriptive authority or recognized as APRN meeting federal guidelines [VA clinics, military, US Public Health Service Corps]
    7. Physicians actively involved in clinical practice, licensed as MD, DO, or recognized as MD/DO meeting federal guidelines [board certified psychiatrist or Doctor of Osteopathy- board certified in psychiatry].
    8. Must provide medication management of mental health disorders; may also provide psychotherapy.
    9. Psychotherapy hours may be precepted by psychologists and lecensed mental health counselors actively involved in clinical practice and providing therapy/ counseling. Additional criteria include:
      1. Board certified or licensed with at least 1 year of clinical practice.
      2. Examples include licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC), licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), licensed addiction counselor (LAC), or board-certified psychologist.

Selection of Preceptors

  1. MSU works to place students in a collaborative manner with each individual student to identify potential preceptors and exeriences where the student hopes to obtain clinical experiences.
  2. An initial meeting is scheduled to explore all four clinical rotations with specific focus on the first clinical rotation and a draft Graduate Student Clinical Placement Plan is developed approximately 1-year prior to the start of clinical rotations. This plan is reviewed and approved by the program lead.
  3. Preceptors are required to provide a CV/ resume, evidence of degree, experience, current licensure and national certification. This documentation is verified and stored in the Typhon clinical tracking system.
  4. The clinical placement team will confirm current clinical contracts with agencies.
  5. Clinical contracts and associated preceptor paperwork must be completed in its entirety for the student to start the clinical semester. Students whose placements are not confirmed by the 15th day of the semester may be unenrolled in the clinical course.

Preceptor Orientation of Role and Expectations

  1. Preceptors are orientated to their role by the program lead. The preceptor is expected to:
    1. Introduce the student to the practice setting, including policies and procedures.
    2. Assist the student in a systematic approach to clinical problems and record keeping.
    3. Assist the student with the role progression (student observes, then does History and some of the PE, then complete History and PE, etc. Student puts forth possible diagnosis, plan and discusses.) The student spends minimal time in a strictly obervational role.
    4. Review and co-sign client record.
    5. Introduce the student to medical record keeping format.
    6. Engage the student in differential diagnosis discussions.
    7. Engage the student in critical thinking and problem-solving discussions.
    8. Engage the student in discussions regarding long-term management issues, helping the student to determine reasonable follow-up plans.
    9. Demonstrate consistent and appropriate use of referrals and comminuty referral strategies.
    10. Demonstrate a committment to health promotion/ wellness strategies/ anticipatory guidance.
    11. Discuss own practice model in terms of outreach/ follow-up strategies for acute, chronic, and unstable clients.
    12. Demonstrate cost-effective/ cost-conscious approach to diagnosis and treatment.
    13. Engage the student in discussions of philosophical positions regarding client autonomy (including interactions and decision-making).
    14. Demonstrate client advocacy.
    15. Demonstrate a committment to collaboration with clients and other providers.
    16. Provide formative and summative evaluation of the student. At the end of the semester, preceptors complete an evaluation of the student and sign off on the student time logs via Typhon.
  2. Orientation of preceptors will include an overview of the assigned clinical course including clinical objectives, clinical hours, evaluation forms, competencies the student is expected to achieve, responsibilities of the preceptor, review of preceptor handbook and student handbook, and use of Typhon for documentation.

Evaluation of Preceptors

  1. Each semester students are required to complete a preceptor evaluation, clinical site evaluation, clinical skills documentation, and upload SOAP or other required documentation to Typhon.
  2. Assigned clinical supervisors make contact with the clinical agency each semester per policy to evaluate both the student performance as well as the preceptor-student interaction.
  3. Clinical supervisors complete a preceptor evaluation each semester which is stored in the Typhon clinical tracking system.
  4. Evaluative data is used for individual and program quality improvement.

Internal control considerations, if applicable: