How to Become a Preceptor: (With or Without NPHub)

It’s natural for nurse practitioners to wonder how to become a preceptor. Nurses have a natural calling to give back, to put others first and help them with their problems. It’s what they do. 

The American Nurses Credentialing Center plays a crucial role in verifying preceptor hours for certification, which is essential for maintaining credentials.

Educating other nurses can be a rewarding path for nurse practitioners. But what’s the reward? And how do you even get started? 

It’s actually easier than you may think, and the reward goes beyond just helping the next generation of NPs.

NPHub has a preceptor program that can help you get started right away, but you can also go out on your own and find some students!

In this blog post we’ll talk about both scenarios.

First things first: what are the requirements to become a preceptor

If you take a look around on Google, you probably won’t find many resources on the exact requirements to precept a nurse practitioner student. This is because there aren’t any shared, countrywide guidelines on how to start precepting.

The only requirement that you absolutely need to have is experience. If you’re working with a university, which is very likely, they will ask that you have one or two years practicing as an NP. 

This is the most common scenario. Additionally, specific forms and documentation needed for compliance with certifying bodies are often required.

Other requirements are a bit more obvious, such as being licensed as an NP in the state you want to precept in, and the fact that you’ll be able to precept only in your specialty. 

Preceptor hours are also crucial, as they are often necessary for re-certification and can sometimes be converted into continuing education credits. It is also important to renew your certifications regularly and ensure you have the necessary documentation to maintain your credentials.

If you’re up-to-date with all the normal regulatory requirements, you’ll do just fine.

That being said, what about actual teaching skills? You might think you’re not going to be good at it because you’ve never had teaching training. That’s understandable.

However, we are here to tell you that precepting can be a wonderful experience if you are both patient and curious. And those are two values that most nurse practitioners already have.

After all, educating patients, listening to them, and working with them is already a part of your job description. Working with students is not the same as treating patients, but seriously, you already have more experience as a teacher than you might know.

How to get students

Before you make your decision, let’s talk a bit about the actual process of getting students.

As a nurse practitioner, all you have to do to start precepting (after making sure you have all the requirements ready) is fill out some paperwork and forms that enable you to start teaching. 

The NP program of your potential student has to verify that you have the required experience to teach them. It is crucial to submit these forms accurately and on time to avoid any delays in the certification process. 

Additionally, ensure you renew your certifications regularly to maintain your eligibility and avoid any interruptions.

One good reason to join our own preceptor community is that we handle that particular step for you. All you have to do with NPHub is create a preceptor account, search for students in your area, and then wait until the rotation starts.

However, we also like to encourage NPs to precept outside of our platform. Our main goal is to get as many NPs to precept as possible. You might already know this, but demand is at an all time high.

Getting students on your own

If you’re going your own way, that’s fine. You’ll just have to do some things by yourself, and the process of getting students into your clinic might take a little more time. That’s still not a reason to get discouraged: NP students need you!

If you’re taking this road, the best way to get students is to reach out to universities in your area and find out their exact requirements for preceptorship. 

Some of them might have their own preceptor communities that you can join. Documenting professional development activities in an online account immediately after each event is crucial for maintaining certification throughout a five-year cycle. 

Additionally, it is important to renew certifications to maintain your credentials and demonstrate continued competence.

Here’s an example from the University of Delaware. You fill out their preceptor form and they get in touch with you. You can also see a brief description of their requirements.

Here’s another example from Shenandoah University in Virginia. Look at the details: how many hours you would need to complete and how they’ll ask you to evaluate students. 

Be prepared to provide any necessary supporting documents during the application process.

Universities will check you out, maybe you will have a meeting, and then they will connect you with possible NP students to precept. Sometimes this process takes a few weeks while they develop an agreement with you and your place of work.

Want to learn more about the benefits of precepting with NPHub? Scroll down to the end of this article!

Gaining Preceptor Experience

Gaining preceptor experience is an essential part of maintaining certification and expertise in the nursing field. As a certified nurse, you can gain preceptor experience by mentoring graduate-level NP and/or Inter-professional Education (IPE) students in your Certificant Role and Population Focus. 

This experience not only helps you develop your leadership and teaching skills but also contributes to the growth and development of the next generation of nurses.

To gain preceptor experience, start by identifying opportunities to mentor students in your workplace or through professional organizations. Express your interest in becoming a preceptor to your colleagues or supervisors, as they might know of students in need of mentorship. 

Additionally, explore online resources and training programs designed to help you develop your preceptor skills. By actively seeking out these opportunities, you can enhance your professional development and make a meaningful impact on the nursing community.

Documenting Preceptor Hours

Documenting preceptor hours is crucial for certification renewal and maintenance. As a certified nurse, you can claim preceptor hours as a component of recertifying with continuing education (CE) and clinical practice hours. 

To document your preceptor hours, you will need to complete the Preceptorship Form, which can be found under the tab “Recertify” in the AANPCP 2016 Certificant & Candidate Handbook.

When documenting your preceptor hours, make sure to include the following details:

• Date and duration of preceptorship
• Name and credentials of the student(s) you mentored
• Description of the preceptorship experience
• Number of hours spent on preceptorship

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It is essential to keep accurate and detailed records of your preceptor hours, as this will help you track your progress and ensure that you meet the requirements for certification renewal. 

By maintaining thorough documentation, you can easily complete the necessary forms and submit them on time, ensuring a smooth renewal process.

Maintaining Certification and Expertise

Maintaining certification and expertise is critical for nurses who want to stay current with the latest developments in their field. You can maintain your certification and expertise by engaging in ongoing professional development activities, such as continuing education (CE) courses, workshops, and conferences.

Also, you will need to meet the renewal requirements set by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). This typically involves completing a certain number of CE credits, submitting supporting documents, and paying the renewal fee.

Staying organized and keeping track of your professional development activities will make this process more manageable.

In addition to meeting the renewal requirements, you can also maintain your certification and expertise by:

• Staying up-to-date with the latest research and developments in your field
• Participating in professional organizations and networking with colleagues
• Seeking out opportunities for leadership and professional growth
• Reflecting on your practice and identifying areas for improvement

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By maintaining your certification and expertise, you can demonstrate your commitment to providing high-quality patient care and stay competitive in the job market. 

Engaging in continuous learning and professional development will not only benefit your career but also enhance the care you provide to your patients.

What is it like to become a preceptor?

You might find it a little hard the first few times. Depending on the school you’re precepting with, you might not be able to control how many students come to you. 

It is also crucial to track your certification expiration date to ensure you remain eligible to practice and can submit renewal applications on time.

That’s why it is important to get organized. Try to remember how it was when you had a preceptor. What things did you like about that experience? What things do you wish had been different? Make sure to stay informed about the renewal process to maintain your certification.

You have the talent it takes to be a good preceptor. You just need a few resources to start the journey.

Here’s a cool guide from Vancouver Coastal Health on precepting. It’s a Canadian guide but the tips apply for US preceptors too. This guide does a good job of explaining the role of a preceptor and how to start teaching students.

Our preceptors usually report high levels of satisfaction with their role. Once they get accustomed to their students, many find the experience refreshing and very educational.

Many NPs who have hectic schedules believe that students will slow them down. But this is usually not the case.

What are the benefits of becoming a preceptor (on your own)?

As an NP preceptor, there’s a good chance that you’ll have access to many university resources and perks.

For example, Johns Hopkins University offers some online courses for preceptors and the opportunity to network with faculty and the nursing community. 

ANCC certification is crucial for professional development, as it demonstrates continued competence and knowledge expansion.

On the other hand, the hours you spend precepting can give you CE credits. The ANCC and the AANP both have guidelines to turn your precepting hours into continuing education credits. Once your renewal application is approved, you will receive a new certificate along with additional documentation.

Being a preceptor is also a great way to further your career development. If you’re looking to get into a leadership or administrative position down the line, the hours you spend precepting will look great in your CV.

Also, becoming a preceptor is a great opportunity to learn lots of new things from students, and keep your clinical knowledge fresh.

What are the benefits of becoming a preceptor with NPHub?

If you haven’t seen our preceptor website already, the first thing you should know is that we pay our preceptors!

This is a very controversial topic for many NPs. A lot of people think that we shouldn’t do this. However, we stand firmly in our decision to compensate our hard working preceptors. The role of American Nurses in the certification process highlights the importance of professional recognition and continuing education.

We believe that preceptors deserve to be paid for their teaching work, so this is an opportunity for you to earn something on the side while nurturing the future generations of nurse practitioners.

You can always donate your salary if you believe preceptors shouldn’t be paid. However, we should say that most of our preceptors are completely happy with this exchange, and there are hundreds of them!

You’ll also get all the other benefits of becoming a preceptor on your own. NPHub does not work parallel to universities: we work with them. The only difference is that we do all the heavy lifting for you.

We try our best to simplify the process so you can get a student with a couple of clicks and a couple of emails. All the necessary paperwork is done through our system. It is crucial to gather and submit accurate documentation to ensure a smooth certification process.

Last, but not least, you get to choose your own students! All students have a profile on our website, so you can look at them and decide if they’re a good fit for you.

You now know how to become a preceptor, be it by your own effort or with a preceptor matching service like NPHub. 

We hope you end up becoming one either way, so you can help us in the mission of getting every NP student to graduate on time!

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