Nursing Student Know-How: Finding a Preceptor for Your Practicum

Key Takeaways

To prepare for your MSN program preceptor search, keep the following in mind:

• Start your search for a preceptor at least three to six months before your practicum begins.
• Contact your program’s field education coordinator to understand specific requirements.
• Leverage your professional network, alumni connections, and nursing associations.
• Walden University's Practicum Pledge® provides support if needed.
• Preceptors must be master's- or doctorate-prepared and be properly credentialed in a field related to the role and focus of the practicum experience.

What Is a Nursing Preceptor?

A nursing preceptor for a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) practicum is a master's- or doctorate-prepared nurse who is licensed and credentialed to practice in their state and area of specialization. During your MSN practicum, you’ll work under their direct supervision to apply classroom knowledge in real-world clinical settings.

This hands-on experience is essential for developing the skills and competencies required in advanced nursing practice.

Why Finding the Right Preceptor Matters

The nursing practicum is an exciting stage in a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree program. While the number of practicum placements, hours, and settings may vary depending on a nursing school’s requirements, MSN candidates seeking preceptors share a common goal: to find the best possible match for the richest educational experience.

The right preceptor can:

• Provide mentorship that helps shape your nursing career development.¹
• Offer exposure to specialized patient populations and clinical scenarios.
• Model evidence-based practice and professional excellence.
• Help you develop critical thinking and clinical decision-making skills.

How to Find a Nursing Preceptor: Step-by-Step Guide

Finding the right preceptor requires planning, persistence, and strategy. Follow these steps to secure a nursing practicum placement that aligns with your educational goals.

Step 1: Start Your Search Early
Begin your search at least three to six months before your practicum start date. Early preparation can lay the groundwork for a rewarding nursing practicum. Nurse educators stress the importance of starting early to account for schedules, logistics, credentials verification, and other moving pieces. This proactive approach can also help minimize the risk of having to make last-minute decisions. Talk to your MSN degree program’s practicum coordinators first. They can help explain your nursing school’s requirements and timeline and point you toward available resources for further guidance.

Step 2: Understand Your Program Requirements 
Before reaching out to potential preceptors, it’s important to understand the key requirements for your practicum. This may include knowing your required hours, the qualifications and credentials your preceptor must have, the approved clinical settings and patient populations, as well as any documentation, legal requirements, and approval timelines you’ll need to plan for.

Once you’re familiar with the requirements and process, create a timeline so you can chart your progress and stay on course. Some MSN degree-seekers find it useful to create a spreadsheet to organize their search. Include columns for:

• Contact name and facility
• Date contacted
• Response received
• Next action needed
• Status (pending, approved, declined)

Step 3: Utilize Multiple Channels to Find a Preceptor in Nursing 
When you’re ready to survey your options, here are some of the resources MSN candidates use in their search for a preceptor in nursing:

Online Nursing School
In some master’s in nursing programs, field education coordinators may be available to suggest possible clinical sites for practicum placements. These are often locations where other MSN students have worked with preceptors to earn their practicum hours. 

Nursing Career Network
The professional contacts you’ve made in your nursing career so far may yield a wealth of nursing preceptor leads. And your nursing school connections can widen the scope. Talk to faculty members and other students in your master’s in nursing online degree program. If you’ve joined Sigma Theta Tau, the international nursing honor society,  you might confer with other members of that network. Alumni are also a great source of ideas, and some of them may also serve as preceptors.

Dr. Alvin Mena Cantero, who earned Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degrees online from Walden University, says the connections he made through the school’s alumni group helped him find a clinical preceptor. Dr. Cantero, the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Alvin Clinica Familiar in Houston, now pays it forward by offering preceptorship services to nursing students at Walden.

Professional Associations
You may also find a nursing preceptor for your practicum placement through one of the many professional nursing organizations. These nursing networks include the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the Illinois Society for Advanced Practice Nursing, which lists preceptor opportunities in multiple states. There are also sources like ENP Network, which offers a directory of nurse practitioner preceptors.

Step 4: Seek Additional Support as Needed
Walden University understands that finding a site or preceptor can be challenging and we are dedicated to supporting you at every step of the way to ensure a timely and successful placement. Walden University Practicum Pledge® creates a collaborative search process between our nursing students and our large network of field sites and preceptors. If after several tries, you’re unable to identify your own site and preceptor, we pledge to help you find a preceptor and site. We’ve added a dedicated Field Placement Team to explain the process and requirements and proactively partner with you to offer site and preceptor matching. The Walden University Practicum Pledge™ gives our students added confidence as they embark on their NP journey.

Advance Your Nursing Skills

If you’d like to earn a nursing degree, Walden’s online nursing programs can help you achieve your education goals. Our online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree program lets you tailor your studies to your career interests. If you want to provide direct patient care, there are five nurse practitioner specializations that prepare you to pursue certification and credentialing. If your career path is in leadership or education, you can focus your MSN degree in indirect patient care specializations that include Nursing Informatics and Public Health Nursing.

You’ll work toward your practicum placement by using innovative technology like the interactive i-Human patient simulation software and engaging in timely coursework. All of the didactic faculty members in Walden’s master’s in nursing online degree program have doctoral degrees. With more than 50 years of experience in providing distance learning, Walden understands that working professionals need flexibility to achieve their educational goals. Walden’s MSN degree program lets you earn a degree while staying active in your nursing career and personal life. 

Working with a preceptor while you earn a master’s degree in nursing will help broaden your experience and prepare you for your life’s work: providing skilled patient care.

Walden University is an HLC-accredited institution offering a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree program online. Earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.

¹www.nursingworld.org/content-hub/resources/nursing-resources/benefits-of-mentorship-in-nursing/

Walden University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (www.hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.