Frontier Nursing University · clinical placement

A preceptor lined up before Clinical Bound.

FNU tells its students plainly that they are “responsible for securing their clinical site.” We do that search for midwifery, FNP, WHNP and PMHNP students in nearly every state, and we help you get the CSAF and Clinical Credentialing details right the first time.

Find my preceptor How it works

Start your placement plan

Tell us your FNU track and where you live. A placement advisor replies with what an FNU-ready preceptor and site look like for you.

750clinical hours in every FNU MSN and PGC track, plus visit counts

40births for nurse-midwifery students, at least 8 in a hospital

20,000+sites and preceptors on FNU's Community Map, and still students come up short

What FNU gives you, and what stays on your plate

FNU backs its students with Clinical Advisors, a Community Map of sites and preceptors, and Regional Clinical Faculty who approve each site. The commitment itself is yours to win: a preceptor with at least a year of advanced practice who says yes, at a site that will sign FNU's affiliation agreement, submitted on the CSAF in time for Clinical Bound.

That stretch is where terms slip. A preceptor on the map may already be committed, a site can stall in credentialing for months, and midwifery students also need the births. That stretch is exactly what we take on: finding the preceptor, screening them against FNU's preceptor rules, preparing what Clinical Credentialing will ask for, and staying on call if a preceptor withdraws.

FNU's Regional Clinical Faculty and Clinical Credentialing approve every site and preceptor. We make sure what they review is complete and built around FNU's rules from the first CSAF.

How it runs

From a name on a list to hours in your Clinical Log

In the order FNU works, so nothing on your CSAF comes back.

FirstYour track and dates

Track, county, Clinical Bound date and the term your practicum starts.

ThenThe search

A preceptor whose credentials and setting fit your track, near you or by telehealth within FNU's cap.

NextCSAF and approval

You submit the CSAF; your RCF and Clinical Credentialing review. We help you get the details right.

FinallyHours and visits

You log hours and visit counts, and we stay on call if a preceptor withdraws.

FNU clinical planner

Pick your FNU track

Your clinical courses and hours, who can precept you, where, and when to start looking. From FNU's own catalog and programs of study.

750clinical hours, plus 40 births

NM750 Clinical Boundhours per course not published NM751hours per course not published NM752hours per course not published NM753hours per course not published

Who precepts: Ideally a CNM or CM as primary preceptor, a year or more in practice
Where: Settings where you can reach 40 births, at least 8 in a hospital
Start looking: Months before Clinical Bound: credentialing can take several months

Plan my Nurse-Midwifery placement Nurse-Midwifery guide

750clinical hours

FNP750 Clinical Boundhours per course not published FNP751hours per course not published FNP752hours per course not published FNP753hours per course not published

Who precepts: An NP with a year or more in practice; up to 40% of hours with an MD, DO or PA
Where: Family practice across the lifespan, to meet the visit counts by age
Start looking: Months before Clinical Bound; submit the CSAF early

Plan my FNP placement FNP guide

750clinical hours

WH750 Clinical Boundhours per course not published WH751hours per course not published WH752hours per course not published WH753hours per course not published

Who precepts: An advanced-practice clinician in women's health with a year or more in practice
Where: Gynecologic and prenatal care, to meet FNU's visit counts
Start looking: Months before Clinical Bound

Plan my WHNP placement WHNP guide

750clinical hours

MH750 Clinical Boundhours per course not published MH751hours per course not published MH752hours per course not published MH753hours per course not published

Who precepts: A psychiatric provider with a year or more in practice; up to 135 hours with a therapist
Where: Psychiatric settings; telehealth capped at 450 hours
Start looking: Months before Clinical Bound

Plan my PMHNP placement PMHNP guide

750clinical hours, as for your specialty

Same clinical courses as the MSNhours per course not published

Who precepts: The same preceptor rules as your specialty's MSN track
Where: As for your specialty
Start looking: As for your specialty: before Clinical Bound

Plan my Post-graduate certificate placement Post-graduate certificate guide

500DNP practice hours (1,000 with your master's)

DNP850hours per course not published DNP851hours per course not published DNP852hours per course not published DNP853hours per course not published

Who precepts: No placement service from FNU; your project site and practice hours
Where: FNU encourages your own workplace
Start looking: Before the practicum courses begin

Plan my DNP placement DNP guide

FNU systems

The FNU pieces you will deal with

Each one named the way FNU names it, with what FNU publishes and what stays behind its login.

ProcessFNU clinical placement processHow an FNU clinical site gets from a preceptor's yes to your first clinical day: CSAF, RCF acceptance, Clinical Credentialing and Clinical Bound, in order.FormClinical Site Approval Form (CSAF)What FNU's Clinical Site Approval Form (CSAF) is checked against, how it moves from the Community Map to your RCF and Credentialing, and why CSAFs stall.DatabaseFNU Community MapFNU's Community Map lists 20,000+ sites and preceptors Frontier students have used. How to search it, what a listing won't tell you, and where it runs thin.ContractsClinical CredentialingWhat FNU Clinical Credentialing does once your RCF accepts a site: affiliation agreements, insurance, preceptor credentialing, and why it can take months.CampusClinical Bound (X750)Clinical Bound (NM750, FNP750, WH750, MH750) is FNU's 5-day skills session in Versailles. You cannot register until a site is identified and submitted.FNU systemClinical hours: 750 per trackEvery FNU MSN and PGC track needs 750 clinical hours over 19 weeks plus visit counts. What counts, the weekly limits, and what FNU does not split by course.

All FNU clinical systems

Programs

Your track, your preceptor

Every FNU program with clinical hours, and who you need for it.

MidwiferyNurse-Midwifery preceptorWhat FNU nurse-midwifery students need: a CNM or CM preceptor, a hospital for at least 8 of 40 births, and a site accepted before NM750 Clinical Bound.FNPFNP preceptorFNU FNP students need family practice sites that cover newborns to older adults, 750 hours, and no more than 40% of time with an MD, DO or PA. How to plan it.WHNPWHNP preceptorFNU WHNP students need 300 gynecologic and 150 prenatal visits within 750 hours, ideally with a WHNP preceptor. Which sites fit and how to line them up.PMHNPPMHNP preceptorFNU PMHNP students need a preceptor with psychiatric prescribing authority, 750 hours, at most 135 therapist hours and a 450-hour telehealth cap. Plan it here.PGCPost-graduate certificate (PGC)FNU's post-graduate certificate uses the same 750-hour clinical block as the MSN but reaches Clinical Bound sooner. Gap courses, runway and preceptor planning.DNPDNP project site and hoursFNU DNP students lead a quality improvement project at a practice site, often their workplace, with a mentor and sponsor across DNP850 to DNP853 and 500 hours.

All FNU programs

Stuck right now

When the plan breaks

Straight answers for the weeks when a practicum is at risk.

StuckCan't find a preceptorTried FNU's Community Map and your own network and still have no preceptor? Why the search stalls, what to try next, and where outside help fits.UrgentNeed a preceptor fastClinical Bound or a new term is close and you have no site. A clear look at FNU's credentialing lead time, the registration gate, and what can still move.StuckPreceptor dropped outYour preceptor withdrew before or during your FNU practicum. Who to tell first, how to close out properly, and how a replacement site gets approved again.HoursBehind on clinical hoursShort on hours or visit counts mid-practicum at FNU? How to measure the gap, the weekly limits and caps that apply, and how to add a site that fills it.ApprovalSite not approvedYour RCF or Clinical Credentialing turned a site down. The FNU rules behind the usual reasons, from preceptor experience to New York, and how to fix each one.New YorkNew York clinicalsNew York limits FNU clinicals to six MSN nurse-midwifery residents a year. What FNP, WHNP, PMHNP and PGC students do instead, and the federal site exception.

FAQ

Before you start

Does FNU find preceptors for its students?

No. FNU says students are responsible for securing their clinical site, and it supports that with Clinical Advisors, the Community Map and Regional Clinical Faculty. See what FNU's Clinical Advisors do.

What exactly do you do?

We look for a preceptor and site that fit your FNU track, check them against FNU's published preceptor rules, and help you prepare what the CSAF and Clinical Credentialing ask for. If a preceptor withdraws, we look again. How it works walks through it.

Will FNU approve a preceptor you find?

FNU gives the final approval: your Regional Clinical Faculty member accepts the CSAF and Clinical Credentialing signs the affiliation agreement and credentials the preceptor. We match every lead against FNU's rules and prepare the details with you, so what reaches them is complete from the start.

How much does it cost?

It depends on your track, the hours and visit counts you need, where you live and how soon Clinical Bound is. You get a written quote before you commit. See what shapes the cost.

I'm in New York. Can you help?

FNU's clinicals in New York are limited to a few nurse-midwifery students a year, and NP tracks cannot do clinicals there. The New York page explains the rule and the options.

Placement desk

Your site submitted before Clinical Bound.

Tell us your FNU track, your county and your Clinical Bound date. We look for a preceptor and site that fit FNU's rules for your track, and help you get the CSAF and credentialing details right.

Matched to your track: CNM/CM, NP, or the right mix FNU allows
Ready for the CSAF, the RCF and Clinical Credentialing
In person near you, or telehealth within FNU's caps

Start your placement plan

A placement advisor replies with what an FNU-ready preceptor and site look like for you.