Nurse Practitioner Programs Practicum Manual for the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Post-Master’s Certificate:

Section 3: Practicum and Program Information

The practicum experience helps students transition from the role of learner to that of scholar-practitioner. To achieve this transition, students develop and engage in a relationship with a Clinical Instructor and an approved preceptor, focusing on roles and role functions and the achievement of individualized Learning Objectives. The primary objective of the practicum is to provide students with the advanced skills necessary to serve as providers of primary care to selected populations and to prepare students to take the appropriate national certification exam.

Note: Students who changed specializations through enrollment and/or had to reenroll after a break in enrollment are readmitted under a newer catalog than the original catalog of admission. To confirm which catalog you are enrolled under, please contact Student Success Advising.

All NP practicum courses are offered through two courses, which includes a didactic and clinical course. The didactic course (NRNP/DRNP) includes the coursework and instruction to develop fundamental knowledge of the content area. The clinical course (PRAC/PRCM) includes the opportunity for students to complete the hands-on clinical experience in which students develop applied skills and integrate professional knowledge in providing advanced practice nursing care.

Practicum Courses: Students must successfully complete both the NRNP/DRNP and PRAC/PRCM of each practicum course number.

• NRNP/DRNP = Didactic component of the practicum course. This course is equal to 3 credits.
• PRAC/PRCM = Clinical component of the practicum course. This course is equal to 2 credits and requires practicum hours. Students must have an approved practicum application in order to be registered for a PRAC/PRCM course. PRAC/PRCM courses do have clinical related course assignments along with clinical hours.

Students must log in to Canvas for both NRNP/DRNP and PRAC/PRCM courses as they are separate courses and have different course assignments, requirements, and Instructors.

Students should refer to the course content section of this manual for further guidelines regarding course sequence. Students should refer to the university catalog for information on prerequisite for practicum courses. Students must contact their student success advisor to plan their program of study. If students receive financial assistance, students are advised to contact the Office of Financial Aid to understand how course registration affects their financial aid package.

Students enrolled in NURS 6512: Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning and the practicum courses must have access to the following tools to develop their assessment skills in their use of this equipment.

• Otoscope and ophthalmoscope
• Stethoscope
• Reflex hammer and tuning fork (256 cps)
• Penlight and monofilament tool

Notes: 

• If a student wants to appeal a course sequence policy or a prerequisite requirement and enroll in two NRNP courses during the same term, students must go through the appeal process through the Office of Field Experience. Students must be in good standing, and must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the NP core and specialty courses.  Academic Integrity or Code of Conduct violations, current and past, will be considered in appeal decisions. 
• If students drop or withdraw from a NRNP/DRNP course during the term or fail a NRNP/DRNP course due to Academic Integrity or Code of Conduct during the term, students must also drop the corresponding PRAC/PRCM course because NRNP/DRNP must be taken prior to or concurrently with the PRAC/PRCM course.
• DNP students in a Nurse Practitioner tracks cannot enroll in a DNP practicum course and a NP practicum course in the same term. 

Students may be allowed to register for two practicum classes (PRAC/PRCM)  in the same quarter if the following criteria are met and an approved appeal is on file in Meditrek with the Office of Field Experience:

• The two PRAC/PRCM classes are the only classes taken in that quarter. Note: An NRNP/DRNP class is not allowed to be taken concurrently with the two PRAC/PRCM classes.
• Student has taken and passed the NRNP/DRNP section of the corresponding PRAC/PRCM classes.
• Student must be in good academic standing.  Academic Integrity or Code of Conduct violations, current or past, will be considered during review of the two PRAC/PRCM appeal.
• Student must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the NP core and specialty classes. 
• Student must not have failed a PRAC or NRNP course in the past.  
• Student is not working full time during the quarter when registered for the two PRAC/PRCM classes. A statement from the student’s immediate supervisor confirming their employment status along with work schedule and hours must be included with the appeal. Students who are not currently employed must submit a copy of their leave of absence papers, separation paperwork, or signed attestation they are not working during the quarter.
• There must be separate preceptors and practicum sites for each PRAC/PRCM class. One preceptor or site may not be utilized for both clinical sections. Practicum hours for each course must be completed on separate dates.
• Students cannot double PRAC with their first practicum course.  Students must demonstrate successful completion of their first practicum course before requesting a double practicum course experience. 
• There are some restrictions on PRAC/PRCM sections that can be combined. See below.

Students must request to submit an appeal to double up on practicum courses through the Office of Field Experience.  Appeals must address all of the above criteria and are reviewed by program leadership for a decision. 

Restrictions on PRAC/PRCM Sections That Can Be Combined With Other PRAC/PRCM Courses.

Note: See the course sequence guidelines for NRNP/DRNP and PRAC/PRCM guidelines.

Telehealth Practicum Experiences

The College of Nursing NP programs allow for students in select specializations and courses to complete practicum experience via telehealth in specific states to meet course requirements. Telehealth is the provision of healthcare services remotely by means of electronics and telecommunications technology.

Telehealth for this purpose is defined as synchronous services that occurs when the provider and the patient are interacting with each other in a live real-time manner (e.g., video conferencing). Students may utilize telehealth as a method to deliver patient care under the supervision of their approved preceptor when approved for telehealth. Students must be onsite at the practicum site with the preceptor while conducting practicum via telehealth.

There are some states where Nurse Practitioner practicum experience can’t be approved for telehealth.  Students should review the list of state practicum restrictions at Restricted States - Restricted States for Practicum.

Telehealth Requirements

Telehealth for practicum experience is defined as the use of video conferencing with audio support as a means for interacting with preceptors and patients. All students must submit a practicum application for telehealth, even if they will be conducting telehealth with a previously approved preceptor. Students must not log hours via telehealth until the application for telehealth is fully approved in Meditrek®. Practicum hours will not be counted if the preceptor is not approved for telehealth in Meditrek® with a submitted Telehealth Questionnaire Form. Applications for telehealth go through the standard review, Affiliation Agreement review, and approval process.

Scenarios for telehealth for what is permitted: 

                Scenarios of what is permitted for telehealth: 

• Patient is remote/virtual via telehealth while the student and preceptor are together onsite. 

NOTE:  This does not count for an onsite direct patient care practicum experience since the patient is remote/virtual. Any use of video and audio systems for patient care is considered telehealth practice regardless of the physical location of the preceptor, student, or patient.   

 

Scenarios of what is NOT permitted for telehealth: 

• Patient, preceptor, and student are remote/virtual.
• Patient and student are remote/virtual, but the preceptor is onsite. 
• Patient and preceptor is onsite, but the student is remote/virtual.
• Patient and student are remote/virtual, but the preceptor is onsite.
• Patient and student are onsite, but the preceptor is remote/virtual.
• Patient is onsite, but the preceptor and student are remote/virtual.
• Telephone assessment of patients is not permitted, video and audio must be involved.

 

Preceptor requirements include:

• Preceptors must be providing the same type of services and serving the same type of patients as required by the course as outlined under the “Course-Specific Requirements” section of the application. 
• Preceptors must be physically or virtually present during telehealth visits. Students cannot be involved in telehealth sessions without the presence of the preceptor.
• Preceptors must meet all standard preceptor requirements outlined in this manual.
• Preceptors providing telehealth must be licensed in the state(s) where the patients/clients are located.
• Preceptors must be providing telehealth services via a HIPAA approved system.
• Preceptors must be meeting their state Board of Nursing regulations for telehealth.
• Preceptors must complete a Telehealth Questionnaire Form, which students upload to their application in Meditrek®.

Student requirements include:

• Students are not allowed to conduct telehealth visits without the onsite presence of the approved preceptor.
• Students must be onsite at the practicum site with the preceptor when conducting practicum via telehealth.  Students are not permitted to conduct telehealth in private homes of preceptors. 
• Students must be licensed in the state(s) where the patients/clients are located. Students must NOT log hours via time logs or patient logs for patients that are not located in the state where the student is licensed.
• Students must have audio and video on their device and turned on for all video telehealth sessions. Telephone appointments are not permitted.
• Students are not permitted to join telehealth services during vacations or illnesses when they cannot physically be at the site with the preceptor.
• Students must identify their type of clinical as telehealth and upload the Telehealth Questionnaire Form completed by their preceptor when they submit a practicum application in Meditrek®.
• Students must NOT conduct personal business or use personal cell phones during telehealth practicum hours. Cell phones may only be used to communicate with their preceptor during the practicum telehealth video time.
• Students must have access to electronic medical records for the patients they are participating with in appointment sessions, through telehealth modalities, for purposes of learning through chart review, documentation practices, etc. If the practicum site does not permit student access to electronic medical records, the student documented patient encounters may be rejected.

Practicum Hour Limits and Requirements for Telehealth

If approved for telehealth, the following are acceptable levels of telehealth activity by specialization program and course(s):

• Physical in-person practicum experiences are the required experience, as they provide a better-quality learning experience (to be physically in the same location of the preceptor), as this experience encompasses the office experience with EMRs, multidisciplinary teams, etc. If approved for telehealth, students must have access to electronic medical records and the following are acceptable levels of telehealth activity by specialization program and course(s):
• AGACNP clinical hours/patient encounters: 0%
• AGPCNP clinical hours/patient encounters: 25%
  • 6552
  • 6565
• FNP clinical hours/patient encounters: 25%
  • 6552 
  • 6568
• PMHNP clinical hours:
• 6635: 25%
• 6645: No telehealth is accepted
• 6665: 75%
• 6675: 75%

 

Note: The percentage of telehealth hours is based on the total percentage of the course hours. Also, if students have multiple preceptors for one course, they are still only able to log the percentage of hours for the total hours of the course, NOT by individual preceptor.

Also Note: The required format for telehealth is the student at the practicum site with preceptors together seeing patients through video and audio platforms. Students joining telehealth session from their individual homes away from preceptors does not provide optimum learning experiences and is not permitted as students lack access to electronic medical records, multidisciplinary team experiences, etc.

Students must satisfactorily complete all the requirements of their practicum courses in accordance with the information provided in the course syllabi. Practicum is an onsite practicum experience and practicum hours must be completed onsite at the practicum site with the preceptor. 

The following activities count toward required practicum hours:

• Direct patient care. 
• Shadowing the preceptor (maximum of 8 hours per quarter per preceptor approved); shadowing is defined as following and observing preceptor with no direct patient care. These 8 hours are utilized as orientation to the facility and practice. 
• Attendance at rounds or meetings that specifically discuss patient care and coordination (multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary teams).
• Documentation in the patient’s medical record. 

The following activities are not included as practicum hours:

• Travel time to and from practicum activities. 
• Continuing education offerings or staff meetings. 
• Extensive chart review. 
• Requirements such as orientation or required training mandated by health care agencies. 
• Communication (e.g., emails, phone calls), unless conferencing about patients. 
• Assignments related to the didactic portion of the course. 
• Meal breaks.
• Preceptor directed reading, research, or assignments. 
• Entering patient encounters or time logs into Meditrek®

Go to NP Practicum Courses by Specialization for Students With Catalog Years Before Spring 2018

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NP Practicum Courses by Specialization for Students With Catalog Years Beginning Spring 2018