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Specialty Programs Practicum Manual for the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Post-Master’s Certificate:
Section 6. Practicum Application and Approval Process

License—Student and Preceptor

Students and preceptors must maintain an active, unencumbered license or the equivalent thereof in the state/country where students plan to complete their practicum experience. Students must have an RN license or a compact license with multi-state privileges in the state where practicum will occur.  Students eligible to complete practicum in another country must have an equivalent of a RN license in the country where practicum will occur.  If students are eligible and approved to complete practicum via telehealth, they must be licensed in the state where the patients/clients are located and meet all state board requirements for telehealth. License verification will be reviewed as part of the application and preceptor approval process. Practicum applications will not be approved until this review has been completed.

See Licensure Review of Students and Preceptors.

Professional Liability Insurance

Students must obtain and maintain professional liability insurance prior to application approval and before they can participate in a practicum. Students must have their own professional liability policy even if their employer or practicum site has a policy that covers students. A memorandum or certificate of insurance coverage for the active policy will need to be uploaded as an onboarding requirement in CastleBranch. The professional liability insurance must include a memorandum or certificate of insurance coverage with the following information:

  • Name, address, date of the policy, coverage amounts, coverage type and expiration date
    • Coverage dates: The insurance plan must cover the entire quarter in which practicum will occur. The dates must cover the duration of the practicum course(s).
    • Coverage amounts: Must be a minimum of $1 million per incident and $3 million aggregate.
    • Coverage type: The coverage type must be clearly stated in the memorandum or certificate of insurance coverage. Insurance coverage as an RN will not be accepted.
  • MSN NP and post-master’s NP program students must have coverage for a nurse practitioner student.
  • MSN students whose specialization programs include Nurse Executive, Nursing Education, Nursing Informatics, and Public Health Nursing must have coverage for a general nursing student.
  • DNP program students must have coverage for a general nursing student.

Most insurance companies offer student nursing coverage. Walden University does not endorse any specific insurance company, and students are free to shop for a policy that fits the practicum liability insurance requirements. However, from reviewing student applications, the most commonly used insurance providers include Nurses Service Organization (NSO), Healthcare Providers Service Organization (HPSO), Marsh, and Mercer.

The Office of Field Experience staff will work with students to resolve insurance issues if students provide early notification with a clear explanation. Students should contact the Office of Field Experience at nursingfield@mail.waldenu.edu.

Onboarding Requirements - Graduate Courses 

The Walden University College of Nursing Onboarding Policy requires practicum students to obtain specific verifications, such as health screenings and background checks, in order to be approved for practicum (“onboarding requirements”). Onboarding requirements are defined as a specific set of pre-practicum requirements established by the Walden University College of Nursing based on the most common field site requirements, which will enable students to potentially qualify for a wide range of field sites. These onboarding requirements vary from state to state; however, they generally include passing a background check, state-specific background screens (e.g., Abuse Screens, Fingerprinting, etc.), drug screening, health requirements, mandatory training, professional liability insurance, and any additional onboarding requirements that may be required by the field site. The onboarding requirements align Walden University with field site expectations and practices that have become standard in the healthcare industry. Because some health systems and field sites mandate onboarding requirements that are not detailed in the Affiliation Agreement, it is beneficial for Walden students to satisfactorily complete the onboarding requirements prior to the beginning of the term in which students will begin their practicum to avoid practicum delays. All students applying for graduate-level practicum courses must proactively and satisfactorily complete the Walden University onboarding requirements before the practicum application will be approved.

This is a Walden University requirement that applies to all students enrolling in graduate-level practicum courses. Being an employee of the field site does not exempt students from this requirement.

Onboarding requirements, including health screenings and background checks, will only be approved if submitted through Walden University’s designated provider, CastleBranch. The Office of Field Experience staff will confirm submission of all requirements in CastleBranch to approve practicum applications.

Please Note: Students are responsible for all expenses incurred for onboarding requirements and will NOT be permitted to start their field experience until onboarding requirements are satisfactorily completed.

Onboarding requirement results will be managed, stored, and tracked by CastleBranch. Onboarding requirements must be updated and renewed upon expiration of requirements in CastleBranch. A background check and drug test must be completed in the state where the practicum experience will occur and must be completed at least within 12 months of the term start. When required, Walden University will communicate the satisfactory completion of these requirements to field sites.

Students may submit a practicum application prior to completing onboarding requirements in CastleBranch if the application is submitted by the application deadline. However, practicum applications will not be approved until all onboarding requirements are marked as complete in CastleBranch. It is highly recommended that students complete onboarding requirements as soon as possible to avoid delays. Students must complete onboarding requirements by the deadline for onboarding requirements, which is the first day of the month one month after the practicum application deadline, to avoid delays in being approved and registered for a practicum course. It is important to complete CastleBranch onboarding requirements early to avoid technical and processing issues and delays.

Students who do not meet these onboarding requirements prior to term start will NOT be permitted to begin their field experience until the onboarding requirements have been satisfactorily completed. In situations such as this, failure to satisfactorily complete the requirements prior to term start may result in denial of the practicum application and delay of field experience and academic progress.

Students who have a negative background check report and/or a positive drug test report, through CastleBranch, will be required to report their background check and/or drug test to their practicum site of this information, and the practicum site will need to confirm they will allow the student to complete the practicum experience at the site prior to the approval of a student’s practicum application.

If an approved field site requires something in addition to what is required by Walden University, additional screening packages can be obtained through CastleBranch, at the request of the Office of Field Experience, to fulfill those requirements. It is recommended that students also contact their nominated field site directly to ensure they have completed all onboarding requirements of the field site.

See the Onboarding Frequently Asked Questions in the FAQ section for more information and the list of Onboarding Requirements.

CastleBranch

CastleBranch, Walden’s designated vendor for onboarding requirements, provides a secure platform to complete onboarding requirements. Onboarding requirements include, but are not limited to, the following items: background screenings, a drug test, health requirements, trainings, professional liability insurance, and any additional onboarding requirements that may be required by the field site. Students must complete onboarding requirements online via the Walden portal for CastleBranch. Students must satisfactorily complete all the requirements listed in the CastleBranch portal to begin their practicum. The practicum application will not be approved until all the requirements have been satisfactorily completed.

When ordering the background screening, students will be provided a Disclosure and Authorization Form by CastleBranch, which all students must sign in advance of obtaining the background check. The Disclosure and Authorization Form is required by federal law. Although the Disclosure and Authorization Form references an employment check, for these purposes, it also applies to students applying for field experience.

Students complete onboarding requirements in a Walden University College of Nursing package online via the Walden portal for CastleBranch. The College of Nursing is unable to accept packages with other schools in CastleBranch. Any questions regarding the purchase of a screening package can be answered by CastleBranch at 1-888-723-4263. For questions regarding the field site, onboarding requirements, or practicum application process, please contact nursingfield@mail.waldenu.edu.

During the term, all onboarding requirements must be renewed prior to the requirement expiring. All requirements that expire before the start of the term must be renewed by the onboarding deadline and prior to application approval.  Students must complete a background check and drug test annually through CastleBranch at least within 12 months prior to the term starting.

Instructions on how to sign up for CastleBranch and complete onboarding requirements in CastleBranch is outlined in the CastleBranch & Onboarding Guide.

Onboarding Requirements—Undergraduate Courses

Field sites may require students to complete additional onboarding requirements and require Walden to verify that the additional requirements have been satisfactorily completed. If this is the case, students will need to contact the Office of Field Experience for information about onboarding.

Onboarding requirements may include, but not be limited to, background screenings, drug screening, health requirements, required training and professional liability insurance, and any additional onboarding requirements that may be required by the field site. Requirements must be submitted for approval online through Walden University’s designated provider, CastleBranch. CastleBranch provides a secure platform to complete onboarding requirements for practicum. Onboarding requirements are managed, reviewed, stored, and tracked in CastleBranch.

If required by the site, all onboarding requirements must be completed satisfactorily before the practicum application may be approved. Students will have the option to mark their CastleBranch status on their application in Meditrek®. However, the practicum application will not be fully approved until the CastleBranch screening package is completed. It is highly recommended that students complete requirements in CastleBranch as soon as possible to ensure timely approval of their practicum application and avoid practice delays.

The Office of Field Experience staff will confirm submission of all requirements in CastleBranch in order to approve practicum applications. Please be aware that students are responsible for all expenses incurred for onboarding requirements. If a field site requires Walden to verify that onboarding has been met, students will not be permitted to start their field experience until onboarding requirements are satisfactorily completed.

Preceptor Commitment Form

The Preceptor Commitment Form is an agreement with the preceptor to participate in the preceptorship with a Walden University nursing student. The Preceptor Commitment Form is an official form and requires the preceptor to complete the form in its entirety. Students are NOT to complete this form on behalf of the preceptor. Preceptor designees and administrative staff are NOT permitted to complete this form on behalf of the preceptor. The form is student, course, term, and field site specific. Thus, a form is required to be completed for each student for each class every quarter.

This Preceptor Commitment Form is different from the Affiliation Agreement. The Office of Field Experience staff at Walden will work directly with the administrator at the field site to establish an Affiliation Agreement, which is a legal agreement directly with the field site.

The Preceptor Commitment Form is emailed directly to the preceptor nominee at the time students enter the preceptor nominee information on the Meditrek® application in the “Preceptor and Field Site Information” section. The preceptor nominee should review the form, complete it in its entirety, and sign the form. Preceptor Commitment Forms can also be found online.

If the preceptor nominee completes the form electronically, they must agree to the Walden University Policy on Electronic Signatures. If the preceptor nominee does not complete the form electronically, they must print legibly and provide a signature at the bottom of the form.

After the preceptor nominee completes and signs the form, they should send it directly to the student. The student will then upload this form as part of their application in Meditrek®. The student is responsible to upload the Preceptor Commitment Form in Meditrek® and link it to their application.

Upon final approval of the student application, the preceptor will receive a confirmation email with a Preceptor Orientation.

More information for preceptors can be found online; click on the Course Information tab to review Course Objectives and clinical checklists.

If preceptors have any questions, they may contact the Office of Field Experience at nursingfield@mail.waldenu.edu.

Affiliation Agreement With Practicum Field Sites

An Affiliation Agreement is a legal contract between Walden University and a practicum field site. The Affiliation Agreement should not be confused with the Preceptor Commitment Form. Accreditation standards and university policy require that an Affiliation Agreement be in place before students start their practicum.

Coming to a mutual agreement about the terms of the Affiliation Agreement can take time, sometimes several weeks or months. In most cases, Walden is able to reach a mutual agreement with student practicum sites. There are times, however, when a field site and Walden are not able to enter into an agreement or cannot reach an understanding on the terms of the agreement due to a variety of factors that may be out of either organization’s control. When there is reason to believe that the Affiliation Agreement between Walden and a site will not be completed, Walden will make every effort to notify students in a timely fashion. If there is enough time, Walden works with students as they try to find a new preceptor nominee and site, even if the Office of Field Experience is continuing to work with the first site. Students are strongly encouraged to identify alternative practicum sites and preceptor nominees as back-up options.

Walden requires that Affiliation Agreements be finalized for every field site where practicum will occur. If students plan to complete practicum hours at multiple sites, an application must be submitted and approved for each and every field site and preceptor nominee. If students plan to complete practicum hours with a contract agency and will be logging hours at multiple sites, an application must be submitted and approved for each physical field site.

In some cases, the Affiliation Agreement with a planned practicum site may not be completed and it may be too late for students to find a new site prior to the start of the current term. If this happens, students are delayed a term while they search for a new site and preceptor nominee. In this instance, students are allowed a limited exception to apply for the next term so that they can prepare a new application. Walden is not able to predict or control delays, but they are avoided if possible. It is highly recommended for students to arrange for alternative back-up field sites and preceptor nominees.

Field Site Administrator—Affiliation Agreement Contact

Students must enter the field site administrator contact information in the application in Meditrek®. The contact information for the field site administrator is entered in the “Affiliation Agreement” section of the application in Meditrek®.

Students are responsible to obtain the contact information for the appropriate individual at the field site with authority to sign a legal contact. Preceptors may know whom to contact at practicum sites; otherwise, students should ask if their practicum site has an education or staff-development manager or a risk manager. Authority to sign the Affiliation Agreement could possibly be handled by a dean, chief nursing officer, director, CEO, or other administrator; large organizations may have an on-site legal department and an attorney who signs Affiliation Agreements. The person who signs the agreement must be authorized to do so by the practicum site. The individual authorized to sign the agreement is usually not the preceptor.

Note: It is very important to enter the correct contact information in Meditrek® for the contact at the field site because inaccurate information will delay processing of the agreement.

Process for Affiliation Agreements

Generally, field experience coordinators will begin reviewing all practicum applications after the application deadline. Field experience coordinators will review applications to determine if there is an active Affiliation Agreement in place with the field site. If so, a field experience coordinator will email the field site administrator acknowledging the existence of an Affiliation Agreement. If there is no Affiliation Agreement in place with the field site, a field experience coordinator will email the field site administrator with instructions on establishing an Affiliation Agreement with Walden University. If there is an Affiliation Agreement in place with the field site, the Affiliation Agreement section of the student’s application will be marked as complete. Students may monitor the status of the Affiliation Agreement in Meditrek®. Instructions on how to review the status of an application review is outlined in the Application Status and Definition guide.

Note: If a field site administrator has not received an email about the Affiliation Agreement, the student should take the following actions as soon as possible, to avoid delays:

  • Confirm the contact information is correct for the field site administrator in the application in Meditrek®. If the contact information is incorrect, please email nursingfield@mail.waldenu.edu with the correct contact information and the Affiliation Agreement information will be resent.
  • If the contact information is correct, confirm whether the field site administrator checked their spam or junk email folder for the email.
  • If the field site administrator has not received the email, the student or the field site administrator may email sonaffiliation@mail.waldenu.edu with a request to resend the Affiliation Agreement information.
  • If the field site administrator would like the Affiliation Agreement information to be faxed to them, the student or the field site administrator may send an email request to sonaffiliation@mail.waldenu.edu.

Options for Sites to Establish an Affiliation Agreement With Walden

  • Field site is willing to sign the Walden University standard Affiliation Agreement: The Affiliation Agreement is emailed directly to the field site administrator. The field site administrator signs the agreement and returns it to the Office of Field Experience.
  • Field site would like to use the Walden University standard Affiliation Agreement with changes: Walden’s standard Affiliation Agreement is emailed directly to the field site administrator. The field site administrator should make redline changes to the template agreement in Microsoft Word, and then return the Word document with track changes to the Office of Field Experience. A Walden University contract administrator will then review the requested changes to either accept them or engage in further negotiation with the field site in an effort to reach an agreement. The process of negotiating an Affiliation Agreement may take time, and the length of time it takes to complete negotiation is not entirely within Walden University’s control. Accordingly, students are strongly advised to identify back-up sites and preceptor nominees.
  • Field site would like to use its preferred template for an Affiliation Agreement: The field site administrator should email the field site’s preferred template to sonaffiliation@mail.waldenu.edu. A Walden University contract administrator will review the template and communicate directly with the field site administrator to negotiate the terms of the contract. The process of negotiating an Affiliation Agreement may take time, and the length of time it takes to complete negotiation is not entirely within Walden University’s control. Accordingly, students are strongly advised to identify back-up sites and preceptor nominees.

As noted above, coming to a mutual agreement about the terms of the Affiliation Agreement can take time, sometimes several weeks or months. In most cases, Walden is able to reach a mutual agreement with students’ practicum sites. There are times, however, when a field site and Walden are not able to enter into an agreement or cannot reach an understanding on the terms of the agreement due to a variety of factors that may be out of either organization’s control. When there is reason to believe that the Affiliation Agreement between Walden and a site will not be completed, Walden will make every effort to notify students in a timely fashion. If there is enough time, Walden works with students to find a new preceptor nominee and site, even if the Office of Field Experience is continuing to work with the first site. Students are strongly encouraged to identify alternative practicum sites and preceptor nominees as back-up options.

Affiliation Agreement Status in Meditrek®

Students can monitor the progress of the Affiliation Agreement process on their application checklist in Meditrek®.

  • Information Submitted by Student: Application has been submitted by the student. The field site Affiliation Agreement information has NOT been reviewed by the Office of Field Experience staff.
  • Initial Request Sent to Field Site: Walden University does not have an existing agreement for this field site. The field experience coordinator has sent an email request to the field site administrator to initiate an agreement. Reminders are emailed to the field site administrator every 2 weeks when the Affiliation Agreement process is in this status. Emails are sent using the contact information of the field site administrator listed by the student on the application.
  • Awaiting Response From Field Site: The field experience coordinator has received a communication from the field site organization but has not received an agreement template from the field site and/or is awaiting a follow-up response from the field site organization.
  • Submitted to Walden Field Experience: Information has been submitted regarding the field site and is being processed by the field experience staff to move to the next stage.
  • In Legal Negotiation Between Walden and Field Site: Walden University’s contract administrators are in negotiation with the field site to complete an Affiliation Agreement.
  • Completed and Approved: The Affiliation Agreement has been fully executed and approved.

Application and Approval Process

Application Deadlines

The deadline for submitting a practicum application is the first day of the month three months before the term you plan to start your practicum course.. An application received after the deadline date will be considered a late application.  The Office of Field Experience allows students to open, complete, and submit late practicum applications directly in Meditrek through two weeks after the application deadline.  There is no guarantee that applications submitted late will be reviewed and processed.  After the two-week late application period, the waitlist opens.   

Practicum applications are term, course, practicum site, and preceptor specific.  Students must submit a separate application for each field site and preceptor nominee every quarter, subject to the same deadlines listed above, even if the field site and preceptor remain the same. Students will not be registered for practicum courses if there is not an approved application on file in Meditrek® for the quarter.

Students should be aware of their program of study and anticipate when they will be ready to begin the practicum. Students are encouraged to contact their student success advisor early with any questions about their program of study. Students are responsible to know in what quarter they will begin their practicum courses.

Walden advises students to submit their application via Meditrek® as early as possible. Students are encouraged to submit their application for practicum at least six months prior to the practicum start. Experience has shown that the applications that are completed in haste and submitted near the deadline are most frequently those that are missing items, have errors, or have other problems that can lead to denial of the application and delay academic progress.

If an application is submitted after the application deadline, there is no guarantee that application review, approval of the site and preceptor, and negotiation of an Affiliation Agreement will be completed prior to the term start. Submitting an application by the application deadline is strongly advised to allow enough time for processing to ensure that an application is reviewed and potentially approved in time. There are many factors outside of Walden University’s control that significantly impact whether an application can be approved, such as the time it takes to negotiate an Affiliation Agreement with the student’s preferred site, verify preceptor nominee licensure and review preceptor nominee qualifications, receive the Preceptor Commitment Form, and for the student to complete the onboarding requirements. Late applications are processed in the order they are submitted in Meditrek®. If an application is unable to be approved for the requested quarter, it will be closed, and a new application must be submitted in Meditrek® for the next quarter.

 

Waitlist for Late Applications: 

It is important for students to submit their practicum application by the application deadline to avoid delays.  The application deadline is important to allow enough time to complete the practicum approval process to ensure all accreditation, compliance, regulatory, onboarding, and practicum site requirements are complete.   Students submitting an application after the application deadline will be delayed.  To accommodate late applications once the application submission period ends in Meditrek, the Office of Field Experience has a waitlist for late applications.  The waitlist is only available for a very limited time.  The waitlist will close at any time, without notice, for a variety of factors including the volume of requests and length of time before the start of the term.  

To be initially eligible for a waitlist late application, students must have a preceptor secured and have extenuating circumstances.  Students must also have all onboarding requirements compliant and valid for the upcoming term in CastleBranch.  

Students interested in submitting a late application through the waitlist process must submit a “Waitlist Late Application Request” form in Meditrek because students are unable to open new applications in Meditrek once application submission period ends.  This request process is only available when the waitlist is open.  The response time on requests for a waitlist application is 5-7 business days.  If granted a waitlist late application, students must be ready to submit their practicum application in Meditrek immediately.  Once an application is submitted, the application gets placed on the waitlist and is processed in the order it is submitted in Meditrek.  Final approval and registration decisions for waitlist applications are made beginning two weeks before the start of the term and continues through the start of the term.   Placement on the waitlist does not guarantee that a practicum application will be approved. 

Once the waitlist is closed, new requests for late applications will no longer be accepted through the waitlist.  The ability for students to submit a late application through the waitlist is not a guarantee. 

Review the Waitlist Late Application Instruction Guide for more information about the waitlist. 

Meditrek®

Walden provides Meditrek® for nursing students as the system for managing the practicum experience. Students use the Meditrek® platform to manage the practicum application and approval process; log their practicum hours; and manage the practicum evaluation process. Meditrek® serves as a portfolio of the field experience and documentation of the work that students perform as part of their educational experience. This can be of particular importance during the verification of education requirements for certification and licensure.

  • Students should receive Meditrek account information during their first term.  If students have not received their Meditrek account information, they should INSERT INSTRUCTIONS FROM CASSIE.
  • Students can access Meditrek® online. Students may use Single-Sign-On through their student portal and use the same username and password they use to log into their student portal.
  • Changes to programs, specializations, and modalities in Meditrek®:
    • If students change specializations within the same degree program, they can change their specialization directly in their Meditrek account. 
    • If students change degree programs, they must email nursingfield@mail.waldenu.edu to request their account be updated to the new degree program in Meditrek. 
    • If students change from course-based to competency-based learning (Tempo Learning) program or vice-versa, they will have separate accounts in Meditrek® for the different programs. Students should contact the Office of Field Experience when changing programs to update their Meditrek® account.
  • Students utilize Meditrek® to submit their practicum applications each term for every practicum course. Instructions on how to submit a practicum application in Meditrek® is outlined in the Application Tutorial and FAQ.
  • Students can utilize Meditrek® to monitor the status and progress of their applications each term. Instructions to monitor the application status and review status are in the Application Status Review Guide & video.    

Application Submission

Students need to be sure to submit an application in Meditrek® by the application deadline to ensure enough time for application processing and course registration.

Each practicum course requires a separate application. This is necessary because each practicum course has distinct requirements. Students must also submit a new and separate application each time they wish to change preceptors and/or practicum sites. If a student is using multiple preceptors for one course, separate applications must be submitted for each preceptor. If students are using multiple field sites to complete practicum hours, separate applications must be submitted for each field site.

Instructions on how to submit your practicum application in Meditrek® is outlined in the Application Tutorial and FAQ.

Application Steps

  • When students successfully submit their application, they will receive an automatic email from Meditrek® stating it was submitted and finalized. Applications will NOT be reviewed until a complete application is officially submitted in Meditrek®.
  • The application has different sections, and each section is reviewed simultaneously by different field experience coordinators. Students should monitor their email account for emails from the Office of Field Experience staff requesting updates to their application. Students are encouraged to check the status of their applications often.
  • The Affiliation Agreement is separate from other parts of the application processed and negotiated simultaneously.
  • Students will receive an email via their Walden email address when their application status changes (see “Application Status” for definitions and further actions needed). Students should monitor their email closely for additional information regarding their application. Students should monitor their spam/junk email folder for important emails from the Office of Field Experience.

Starting an Application

  • Students must select the application type to start a new application. The application types are as follows:
    • Primary Application: The application is the primary application for approval of the preceptor nominee and field site for the quarter and course.
    • Supplemental Application: The application is for approval of an additional preceptor nominee and/or field site, which is needed to supplement the primary application for the quarter and course. Supplemental applications are often needed to complete course requirements or to log the required hours.
    • Replacement Application: The application is replacing a previously submitted application for approval of a different preceptor nominee and/or field site for the quarter and course. Replacement applications are often needed if a previously nominated preceptor is no longer able to precept or does not meet the requirements.
    • Remedial Application: The application will be used to complete course requirements after the term has been completed for the prior term (e.g., for students who received an Incomplete [“I”] grade in the course during the prior term and need to log hours during the next quarter). Students must contact the Office of Field Experience to open a remedial application after an Incomplete grade is issued. 
  • Students must select the correct course number and correct term when opening a new application. Applications will NOT be reviewed if the incorrect term is selected. Students are responsible to ensure they are selecting the correct quarter for the application submission. The term of the application cannot be changed.
  • Practicum Applications for Telehealth: Students eligible to complete part of their practicum hours via telehealth must follow the standard process for completing and submitting an application in Meditrek® but must select telehealth as the type of clinical experience in the “Preceptor and Field Site Information” section of the application.

Forms to Complete in Meditrek®

  • Field Site Information & Affiliation Agreement Section: Students need to identify, with the help of the preceptor and/or practicum site contact, the appropriate individual at the practicum site to negotiate and sign the Affiliation Agreement. This individual may be the CEO, dean, contracts manager, site director, human resources, owner, or president. Large organizations may have an on-site legal department that reviews such agreements and may have an attorney who signs Affiliation Agreements. Students will complete contact information for the field site and the field site administrator who would be responsible for facilitating the Affiliation Agreement. The required information is as follows:
    • Field site name and address
    • Name of administrator authorized to negotiate and sign the Affiliation Agreement
    • Contact information for the field site administrator
      Note: Students need to ensure correct contact information is entered in Meditrek® as wrong contact information will delay processing.
    • Healthcare organization: If the field site is under a healthcare organization or parent company, the agreement may be under the name of the healthcare organization, so the name of the healthcare system or organization is needed.
  • Student Information: Students must enter the following information in this section:
    • Student’s name
    • Gender, date of birth (DOB), last 4 digits of SSN
    • Address
    • Phone numbers
    • Walden ID number
    • Walden email address
    • Emergency contact information
  • Student RN License:
    • Date RN license earned/renewed
    • Date RN License expires
    • RN License number
    • State of RN License
    • Acknowledgement if license is part of the Nurse Licensure Compact with multistate privileges

  • Note: Students do not need to upload or send a copy of their RN license. The Office of Field Experience will conduct an online verification of all licenses.

  • Preceptor Information: Students will complete information about the preceptor nominee and field site in the application to provide information about the qualifications and appropriateness of the site. It is important for students to include as much information as possible about the preceptor nominee and field site to assist the Office of Field Experience staff to determine if the preceptor nominee and field site will meet the requirements of the practicum course. The required information is as follows:
    • Preceptor nominee contact information to include name, title, phone number, and email address
    • Preceptor nominee credentials
    • Preceptor nominee information to include education degree, licensure, certification, license number, state of license, and expiration date
    • Field site description
    • Preceptor nominee and field site information:
      • Description of the preceptor nominee job responsibilities
      • Description of how the preceptor nominee will provide the student with an appropriate practicum experience to meet the Learning Objectives of the course
      • Description of how the field site will provide the student with an appropriate practicum experience to meet the Learning Objectives of the course
      • Supporting information or documentation to support the nomination of the preceptor and field site

  • Note: Once this section is complete, the preceptor information can be submitted, and an email will be sent to the preceptor nominee with the Preceptor Commitment Form.

  • Preceptor License/Certification:
    • Type of license/certification
    • Date license/certification earned/renewed
    • Date license/certification expires
    • License number
    • State of license/certification
    • Acknowledgement if license is part of the Nurse Licensure Compact with multistate privileges

  • Note: Students do not need to upload or send a copy of their preceptor’s license. The Office of Field Experience will conduct an online verification of all licenses.

  • Student Authorizations and Acknowledgements:
    • Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) Release: Students will complete a FERPA release when completing and submitting an application in Meditrek®. The FERPA release authorizes Walden University to release all information, without limitation, regarding enrollment and academic records for the purpose of arranging for, participating in, and being evaluated on the field experience.
    • Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Requirements Acknowledgement: Students in Walden University's nursing programs are required to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), as well as all field experience site-specific policies and procedures related to privacy and security of health-related information.
    • Nursing Practicum Manual Acknowledgement. 
    • Technical Standards Acknowledgement.

Documents to Upload in Meditrek®

Students are responsible for uploading all documents in Meditrek® to complete their application. For the most up-to-date information regarding applications and Meditrek®, including webinars, tutorials, and FAQs, refer to the Office of Field Experience website.

Note: See section on “Practicum Requirements” for more details on these requirements.

  • Preceptor Commitment Form:
    • This form is sent directly to the preceptor nominee via email when students submit the preceptor information section in Meditrek®
    • Preceptor nominee must complete the form in its entirety and sign the commitment form
    • Preceptor nominee should submit the form directly to the student for the student to upload in the application in Meditrek®

Note: Preceptor Commitment Forms must be completed by the preceptor nominee. Students should NOT complete the Preceptor Commitment Form on behalf of the preceptor nominee. Preceptor designees and administrative staff are NOT permitted to complete this form on behalf of the preceptor. Students should NOT utilize their own computer to complete the Preceptor Commitment Form with the preceptor.

Also Note: If it is believed the student completed it on behalf of the preceptor, a case will be reviewed by the academic integrity analyst. Concerns about who completed the Preceptor Commitment Form may result in a Code of Conduct inquiry. Students found to have completed the Preceptor Commitment Form are subject to discipline. For more information about the Code of Conduct, please refer to the Walden University Student Manual, Section 3: Student Expectations and Responsibilities.

  • Telehealth Questionnaire Form (For Telehealth Practicum Only):
    • If students are eligible to complete their practicum experience via telehealth, a Telehealth Questionnaire Form is required. The Telehealth Questionnaire Form is an official form and requires the preceptor to complete the form in its entirety. Students are not to complete this form on behalf of the preceptor. The form is student, course, and term specific. Thus, a form is required to be completed for each student for each class every quarter.

See Telehealth Practicum Experiences for more information.

  • Students must select the type of their clinical experience in the practicum application in Meditrek® in the “Preceptor and Field Site Information” section of the application. Students should select “Telehealth Patient Care Only” or “Onsite & Telehealth Patient Care” in the “Type of Clinical” field in the practicum application in Meditrek®.
  • The Telehealth Questionnaire Form is emailed directly to the preceptor nominee at the time students enter the preceptor nominee’s information on the Meditrek® application in the “Preceptor and Field Site Information” section and select telehealth in the “Type of Clinical” field of the application. The preceptor nominee should review the form, complete it in its entirety, and sign the form. The Telehealth Questionnaire Form can also be found online.
  • After the preceptor nominee completes and signs the form, they should send it directly to the student. Students are responsible to upload this form as part of their application in Meditrek®. It is the students’ responsibility to upload the Telehealth Questionnaire in Meditrek® and link it to their application.

If preceptors have any questions, they may contact the Office of Field Experience at nursingfield@mail.waldenu.edu.

Application Status

Students can log in to Meditrek® at any time to see the status of their application by clicking on the course on their list of applications. Instructions on how to review the status of your application is outlined in the Application Status and Definition guide. The statuses are as follows:

  • Closed: The application is closed due to inability to approve the application. Students are emailed with specific details for the closed application.
  • Incomplete—Started: Students have started the application but have not submitted the complete application in Meditrek®. The application will NOT be reviewed until it is completed and submitted in Meditrek®.
  • Incomplete: Students have started the application and submitted the practicum setting information but have not submitted the application in Meditrek®. The application will not be reviewed until it is completed and submitted in Meditrek®.
  • Submitted: The application has been submitted in Meditrek®. This application is either queued up for review or is under review by the Office of Field Experience. The Office of Field Experience begins application reviews after the application deadline. Applications will remain in this status while the application is being reviewed.
  • Returned: The application has issues or corrections that need to be resolved by the student and resubmitted for review. Students should review the email notification for further details, next steps, and instructions for resolving the issue with the application. This application will not be reviewed until the issue is resolved and the application is resubmitted in Meditrek®.
  • Pending: The application is under review by the Office of Field Experience but is awaiting additional review (e.g. expiring license review, license action review)
  • Registration Restriction: The application was approved but course registration was unable to be processed. The approval is rescinded until the registration restriction is resolved. Students must resolve the registration restriction and notify nursingfield@mail.waldenu.edu to be approved and registered.
  • Preapproved: Application is preapproved. Everything is approvable, including the Affiliation Agreement. Walden must receive approval from student’s state Board of Nursing. Once approval is received from the state Board of Nursing, the application will be finally approved and student will be registered for the practicum course.
  • Approved: The application and practicum experience have been approved by the Office of Field Experience. Students must verify directly with their field site to ensure they have met all the requirements of the site to begin practicum.
  • Approved and Registered: The application has been approved by the Office of Field Experience and the student is registered for the course. Students must verify directly with their field site to ensure they have met all the requirements of the site to begin practicum.

Field Site Requirements

Some field site requirements state that preceptors will be assigned after the Affiliation Agreement has been completed, or they may require Walden to submit Placement/Rotation Requests prior to approval. Students must still submit an application with a practicum site and preceptor in Meditrek® by the application deadline so students must plan ahead of the application deadline to complete the site processes.

In order to begin the process for sites that require an affiliation agreement or placement/rotation process to be completed prior to assigning a preceptor, students must submit a request form for an affiliation agreement or placement/rotation in the “Practicum Application” section in Meditrek account. This is a request form to begin the affiliation agreement and/or placement/rotation process and is not an official practicum application.   

Once the preceptor is assigned, students must submit their practicum application by the application deadline in Medtirek.  

Application Review and Approval

Applications must be completed in their entirety and submitted in Meditrek®. Applications in incomplete or incomplete-started status will not be reviewed by the Office of Field Experience staff. Students are responsible to ensure an application is finalized and submitted in Meditrek® by the application deadline.

Generally, field experience coordinators will begin reviewing applications after the application deadline. Applications are reviewed in the order they are submitted in Meditrek®. Approval of the application must occur prior to the student starting the practicum course and logging hours. Students cannot begin logging practicum hours until their practicum application is fully approved, they have been registered for the course and the course/term has begun.

Students are able to monitor the progress of their application review by logging into their Meditrek® account, accessing the application checklist, and clicking on the course number. The application checklist will list the review status of each section of the application. When a section of the application is approved, that will be listed next to the section with the date approved.

Application Approval

  • The application must be submitted in Meditrek®. Incomplete applications will NOT be reviewed.
  • The nursing field experience coordinators will process student practicum applications and notify students if applications are returned or if changes are needed. However, students are responsible to know the status of their practicum application and to submit a complete application. Instructions on how to review the status of an application is outlined in the Application Status and Definition guide.
  • The field experience coordinators will review student application materials. If an application is denied, students will be notified, and, in most cases, they will be given an opportunity to revise their application within a short amount of time.
  • If an application is approved, an email will be sent by Meditrek® to the preceptor and to the student.

Course Registration and Start

Registration for the practicum courses is subject to review, based on whether students meet course prerequisites and have an approved practicum application on file.

Approval of a practicum application does not guarantee the ability of students to be registered for practicum courses. Course availability is determined based upon when the practicum application is approved. Walden University abides by the rules and regulations required by various state Boards of Nursing. Walden is committed to adhering to the academic standards and compliance requirements as determined by various state nursing boards. For this reason, Walden’s College of Nursing is not able to offer an unlimited number of practicum course sections.

Once a student is registered, they are unable to change course sections to ensure the correct faculty-to-student ratios in each course section for accreditation purposes, and to ensure course load balance, optimizations, and cohorting of sections to meet various state Boards of Nursing Faculty licensure requirements.

Students are responsible to ensure all holds are removed from their account. If students have been withdrawn, on a leave of absence, or have not been continuously enrolled at Walden, they must contact Student Success Advising to return and be reinstated at Walden. The Office of Field Experience staff will not be able to process a course registration if students have a hold on their account, are not actively enrolled, or have not been reinstated.

Students who do not meet the application requirements and deadlines found in this manual will be dropped from the practicum course until all appropriate documents are on file and approved and all course prerequisites are met by all appropriate deadlines for practicum and registration. If students fail a prerequisite course, they are responsible for contacting their Student Success Advisor or Tempo Coach and the Office of Field Experience for support with steps required. Failing a prerequisite course may delay their progression in their practicum course(s). If students believe they have met all the requirements for starting the practicum and are not registered for a practicum course, they should contact the nursing field experience coordinators at nursingfield@mail.waldenu.edu.

Students should NOT start logging practicum hours until their practicum application is fully approved in Meditrek®, they have been registered for the practicum course, and the term has started.

Registration Timeline

Students will be registered upon full approval of their application. The Office of Field Experience staff will process course registrations after the practicum application is approved for course-based students. Tempo-based students should contact their Tempo Coach for course registration after they receive notification for registration from the Office of Field Experience.  Students will not be registered for a practicum course until their practicum application is fully approved in Meditrek®.  Students will be dropped from practicum courses if they do not have an approved practicum application. 

Timeline of Course Registration – Course-Based Courses

  • If the practicum application is approved 4 weeks or more prior to term start, the Office of Field Experience staff will process the registration approximately 4 weeks prior to term start once registration opens.
  • If the practicum application is approved less than 4 weeks prior to term start, the Office of Field Experience staff will process the registration approximately 2 business days after the application is approved.

Note: It takes between 24 and 48 hours for students to see their course information in Canvas.

Timeline of Course Registration – Tempo-Based Courses

  • If the practicum application status is “Approved and Registered” and an email has been received confirming approval, Tempo students may add the practicum course to their learning plan.  Tempo students should contact their Academic Coach for support.