FAQs

No. Clinical practicum courses must be taken one at a time.

Yes, Refer to curriculum plan.

It is up to the student to work with their preceptor for an agreed-upon schedule to complete the clinical hours required for each clinical course.  A total of 180 practicum hours are to be completed in a 7 week term.  This averages out to about 26 practicum hours per week.

FNP: NURS 7048 Family Nurse Practitioner 1 Practicum – 180 hours NURS 7049 Family Nurse Practitioner 2 Practicum – 180 hours NURS 7050 Family Nurse Practitioner 3 Practicum – 180 hours NURS 7051 Family Nurse Practitioner 4 Practicum = 60 hours Total 600 hours   AG-ACNP: NURS 7038 Adult Gerontology Acute Care 1 Practicum – 180 hours NURS 7040 Adult Gerontology Acute Care 2 Practicum – 180 hours NURS 7042 Adult Gerontology Acute Care 3 Practicum – 180 hours Total of 540 hours

Via Medatrax.

Students are highly encouraged to explore clinical opportunities in their own geographic location. All clinical site and preceptor information will be verified as students submit their information for approval.

Yes. Clinical rotations may be completed at the student’s place of employment. However, students must abide by the following rules:

• Clinical hours cannot be completed in the student’s direct unit or patient care area.
• An immediate supervisor cannot be the student’s preceptor.
• Students cannot perform clinical hours during any time they are being paid as an employee (they cannot be “on the clock”).

The clinical site must be appropriate for the specialty of the program and the patient population required for each specific course. See grid below for program-specific information. Refer to your syllabus for expectations and objectives. Contact your clinical faculty/clinical coordinator for additional information.  

Program	Acceptable Clinical Sites
Adult Gerontology Acute Care NP (AGACNP)	Must be in an acute care setting 540 total clinical hours that may be completed in the following specialty settings. Free-Standing ED’s, Urgent Care, etc.
Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)	Must be in a primary care setting 600 total clinical hours that may be completed in the following specialty settings: Adult Primary Care Gerontology Primary Care Pediatric Primary Care Women’s Health Primary Care

Preceptor information must be submitted to the university two months prior to the clinical start date for approval. It is highly recommended that students submit two months prior to the start of each clinical rotation.

No.

The student will begin the clinical site request and preceptor request via Medatrax.  This process needs to begin when the student is admitted to the program.  This process may take many months.  The student needs to complete the three-page document (located on Medatrax) which includes the “Student Preceptor Agreement” and the “Clinical Site Request”.

Students should notify the Graduate Clinical Coordinator, Mrs. Nicole Wells at [email protected], as soon as possible if any such changes occur. This depends on how long the clinical clearance process takes at the facility. If the preceptor is at a facility where an affiliation agreement is needed, there is no guarantee these negotiations will be finalized prior to the start date. In this case, the student might need an alternate clinical site.

Students should submit preceptor information via Medatrax. Once the clinical process is complete and the student has been verified as “clinically ready”, they will receive a notification in the Mail Center via Medatrax.

Preceptors must be approved prior to the start of clinicals.

Preceptor information must be submitted to the university two months prior to the clinical start date for approval. It is highly recommended that students submit two months prior to the start of each clinical rotation.

The number of preceptors varies based on clinical rotations/clinical courses. These hours may be split among multiple approved preceptors. There is no defined number of preceptors required for the NP program.

No, Youngstown State University does not contract with a third party to assist with locating preceptors or clinical sites. Students are discouraged from using a third party, especially if payment for services is required.

If students need assistance with clinical placement, Youngstown State University cannot guarantee a clinical placement within your immediate vicinity. Students may be required to commute outside of their local area for clinical placement. Notify Graduate Clinical Coordinator, Mrs. Nicole Wells at [email protected] if unable to locate a preceptor at least 90 days in advance.

Helpful tips on securing a preceptor can be found on the Graduate Nursing Program BB site.

Youngstown State University highly encourages students to secure their own preceptors (to best accommodate schedule and location).

No, students are not permitted to use their direct supervisor as their preceptor. Students are also not permitted to perform clinical rotations during hours they are working as an employee at a facility.

Only one-year requirement for both FNP and AG-ACNP.  Physicians do not need to have one full year of experience.  Only NP. Preceptor Qualifications by Program:

Program	Degree / Experience / Qualifications
Adult Gerontology Acute Care NP (AGACNP)	Must have two years' experience MSN minimum degree Credential requirements: Can be an MD, NP or DO. May not be a physician’s assistant.
Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)	Must have one year experience MSN minimum degree Credential requirements: Can be an MD, NP or DO. May not be a physician’s assistant.

Yes. Students will need to have access to a computer or laptop and a printer. Students will be required to download, upload, and scan documents for Medatrax including signature authority for a clinical request and your preceptor’s signature for the preceptor request. Students will also need access to a lockdown browser with a camera. Medatrax Training Video

We understand that certain clinical rotations may be affected related to COVID-19 restrictions. For additional information about COVID-19, refer to the Graduate Nursing Student Handbook. Students should notify their clinical faculty of any changes.

Students should notify their preceptor and clinical faculty if there are any emergencies or unexpected situations that arise during clinical hours.

Program courses are set up within an optimal sequence for successful progression. Courses scheduled within certain categories and courses within each set of categories may be taken in any order. For additional information, refer to the curriculum plan or course listings.  Practicums are required to be completed in succession.

Students can take up to two courses at a time. Course practicums are taken sequentially and one at a time.  Please remember that each course includes 6 hours of content per week and will require 20 hours per week of study.

Students will submit clinical clearance items via CastleBranch. For additional information, see the Graduate Nursing Student Handbook.

A Graduate Clinical Coordinator will be assigned to work with students throughout the program. For questions regarding clinicals, students should reach out to Mrs. Susan Vinkler at [email protected]

A Graduate Nursing Student Handbook is provided during orientation. Program updates and announcements will be communicated by faculty via the student’s YSU email, course announcements, Graduate Nurse Program BB site announcement.

• Refer to your Curriculum Plan for program-specific information as to when clinicals begin.
• The earlier students can secure a preceptor, the better. Students should submit preceptor information no later than two months prior to the start of each clinical rotation to be sure they are approved and avoid any delays.

Specific expectations related to clinical programs can be found in the Graduate Nursing Handbook and course syllabi. The Family Nurse Practitioner program includes a pediatric rotation. The following are the clinical hour recommendations for the Family Nurse Practitioner program:

• 600 total clinical hours
• Minimum of 200 hours in Adult Primary Care
• Minimum of 100 hours in Pediatric Primary Care
• Minimum of 75 hours in Women’s Health Primary Care

The following are the clinical hour recommendations for the Adult Gerontology Acute Care NP program:

• 540 total clinical hours
• Focus areas may include intensive care, internal medicine, emergency/trauma, Long term care and other specialty areas (cardiology, pulmonology, neurology etc.).
• The student may concentrate on populations of special interest, such as the underserved, minority health or geriatrics if that is a focus of student special interest.