Walden University’s Practicum Pledge

We Pledge To Be Your Practicum Matchmaker 

In fall 2022, as part of our Practicum Advantage™ services, we launched the Walden University Practicum Pledge^™ for MSN-NP and DNP-NP students. In summer 2023, we expanded it to all BSN, MSN, and DNP students. Walden’s Practicum Pledge^™ is an exclusive service offered by our institution to support you on your journey to become a nurse practitioner. To help you navigate the practicum process and better ensure a successful placement, we’ve developed a truly collaborative process that involves you, our dedicated Field Placement Team, practicum sites, and preceptors. If you have worked to identify your own site and preceptor but have been unsuccessful (see additional requirements below), Walden’s Practicum Pledge^™ will match you with a site and preceptor.

Practicum Pledge Registration Requirements

Students must:

• Complete two coaching calls with a Field Placement Coordinator prior to the Practicum Pledge registration deadline for each course and term.
  • Complete all required professional preparation tasks as assigned by a Field Placement Coordinator.
  • Have documentation that at least five practicum sites and/or preceptors that have formally denied their practicum. Denials must meet the following criteria:
    • must have completed the first coaching call prior to approaching sites and preceptors and receiving denials that will be used for the applicable Practicum Pledge registration;
    • must be either a signed letter on letterhead or an email from a work-issued email (please note: emails from Gmail, Yahoo, etc. will not be accepted);
    • documentation of denial must be completed by an administrator at the site (e.g., the office manager, administrator, human resources, education coordinator, or owner, and is typically not the preceptor unless the preceptor owns the facility);
    • potential preceptors and sites must meet the preceptor and course requirements as outlined in the Practicum Manual; and
    • site denials may not be re-used from previous Practicum Pledge registrations.
    • Please note: Denials will be verified directly by a Field Placement Coordinator.
• Registration for Practicum Pledge through Meditrek by first day of month approximately nine months prior to starting each PRAC or PRCM course for which they are requesting support. (Practicum Pledge registration deadline calendar: https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/practicumpledge)

Please note: If a student misses the Practicum Pledge registration deadline, we will still support them in the process of identifying possible sites and/or preceptors for that practicum via Practicum Advantage. Students who miss the Practicum Pledge registration deadline may still register for the Practicum Pledge for future practicum courses by the appropriate deadline(s).

Student Obligations Post-Match/Pre-Practicum Experience

Students must:

• Possess an unencumbered RN license allowing for practice in the state where the practicum will occur, a clear background check, clear drug test, and appropriate liability insurance upon securing a match via Practicum Pledge.
• Complete the onboarding process through CastleBranch by the practicum application deadline.
• Complete on time all onboarding requirements of the practicum site (no later than eight weeks prior to the first day of the practicum or the date determined by the site, whichever comes first).
• Complete the onboarding process through CastleBranch by the practicum application deadline.
• Submit their practicum application by the practicum application deadline.
  • Undergraduate deadlines:
    https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/fieldexperience/son/ApplicationProcess/Undergrad
  • Graduate deadlines:
    https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/fieldexperience/son/applicationprocess

Practicum Pledge Terms and Conditions

Practicum Pledge is associated with a specific term and course. Any changes in student status including, but not limited to, failure of a practicum prerequisite course, taking a leave of absence, etc., may require reregistration for the Practicum Pledge.

Although Walden will make every effort to find a preceptor and site that meets a student’s needs, their unique request or location may require additional travel or other restrictions. Walden may match a student to a site that requires travel by the student deemed geographically accessible. Walden may match a student to a site that requires travel by the student of up to 100 miles. Local conditions may necessitate a student to travel farther than 100 miles; these include but are not limited to low population areas, low supply of healthcare providers, or other reasons that may require finding more distant sites. Walden may find a match that satisfies the practicum requirements for the course but requires multiple sites and preceptors. The student may not be matched for the term that the student requests. If a student declines the match from Walden, Walden has met their commitment of matching the student. If Walden matches the student through the Practicum Pledge and the student does not complete all of the practicum site’s requirements, Walden has met their commitment of matching the student. This includes, but is not limited to, not meeting the site’s onboarding criteria; having a current, pending, or past action on the student’s license requiring acknowledgement from the site; etc. If Walden matches a student through the Practicum Pledge and the preceptor decides to cancel their preceptorship due to the student’s violation of Walden’s Professional Competence and/or the Code of Conduct policies in the Student Handbook, Walden has met their commitment of matching the student. Additionally, the student will no longer be eligible for any future or existing Practicum Pledge applications. If Walden matches a student through the Practicum Pledge and the preceptor decides to cancel their preceptorship due to reasons related to the preceptor changing jobs or a change of schedule with the practicum site, then Walden will find an alternative match for the student for a future term, but it may not be in the term the student originally planned to enroll in that practicum. If Walden matches a student with a site through the Practicum Pledge, and Walden is unable to contract with the practicum site, Walden will be responsible to find an alternative match for the student. However, the site may not be available in the term the student originally planned to enroll in that practicum. If Walden matches the student through the Practicum Pledge and the student does not successfully complete that practicum course, then Walden has met their commitment of matching the student.

Walden reserves the right to modify the Practicum Pledge, including the right to cancel such pledge, to the extent such is necessary due to reasons beyond its control, including, but not limited to, national emergencies and pandemics. The terms and conditions of the Practicum Pledge are subject to change at Walden’s discretion. Walden will endeavor to provide students with reasonable advance notice of such change. The Practicum Pledge only applies to the following program specializations:

• RN to BSN (course-based and Tempo Learning)
• MSN
  • Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
  • Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
  • Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) Primary Care
  • Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
  • Nurse Executive (course-based and Tempo Learning)
  • Nursing Education (course-based and Tempo Learning)
  • Nursing Informatics (course-based and Tempo Learning)
  • Public Health Nursing
• DNP
  • Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
  • Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
  • Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) Primary Care
  • Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
  • Traditional
  • Executive Leadership

We are committed to assisting students with a successful match. Students will not be required to select the site or preceptor selected by Walden. Even after Walden has provided a match, students may choose to continue the search process to find a site or preceptor that better matches their personal and professional preferences and utilize our Practicum Advantage^™ services.

Additionally, if a student misses the Practicum Pledge registration deadline, we will still support them in the process of identifying possible sites and/or preceptors for that practicum via Practicum Advantage. Students who miss the Practicum Pledge registration deadline may still register for the Practicum Pledge for future practicum courses by the appropriate deadline(s).