Why You Shouldn't Wait Until August to Book a Preceptor

We have always said that booking a preceptor shouldn’t be so stressful for NP students, and we are doing everything we can to make the journey easier for you. Our network is full of available preceptors. Our customer service is eager to help you out. We have everything students need to get started on their search. However, we also believe that the best thing you can do right now is getting started on your own.

When it comes to getting a preceptor, making good use of your time will go a long way. We have to deal with many cancellations every day, especially with the current pandemic, and we want to help you avoid that in the long run. Is it always hard to find a preceptor? Not necessarily, but it can be hard to secure it. For that reason, we believe you shouldn’t wait until August to start looking for a place to do your rotations for this fall season.

Why shouldn’t I wait until August to start looking?

Finding a good preceptor is something that takes some work. You have to find someone close to you. You have to find the right specialty, the right clinic. There are lots of places that might be full of students like you. So full that they won’t be able to take another student until next year, for example.

If you get started today, you will have enough time to do some networking and get familiar with possible places for your practicum. Waiting until fall starts will probably result in unwanted stress. Again, we see cases like this all the time. Not every student that comes our way is desperate, but many see our service as a last resort. This approach is not ideal.

Oh my! But where do I even start?

We have answered this question many times. Remember that you can always sign up with NPHub if this is your first time. However, here are some things you should be doing right now if you plan to do this on your own:

1. Joining your state association
2. Joining the ENP network
3. Looking for preceptors on Facebook and LinkedIn

These are three steps that you can take right away. They will help you make this whole process a lot easier. Get online and start compiling a list of possible sites where you might have a chance to practice. Many people underestimate the time and effort needed to find available rotations, and you can get ahead of them if you follow this advice.

LinkedIn and Facebook are two social platforms that can get you a lot of professional contacts. Instagram and Twitter, maybe not so much. Having good Facebook and LinkedIn profiles will do wonders for your career as an NP, especially today when digital platforms are becoming more relevant because of COVID-19.

Another thing to consider is looking for smaller clinics: the big ones can make it harder for you to submit your paperwork and get it approved. When you submit your stuff to a large clinic, it usually goes through a lengthy approval process. This process can take months. However, if you have been paying attention and are eager to get started, you will probably have enough time for it.

Some things that you shouldn’t do

We do not recommend going door-to-door to find a preceptor. The pandemic has made it hard for many of them to take on new students. Cold-calling and cold-emailing are also not recommended for the same reason.

If you are not familiar with these two terms, they mean sending an email or making a call asking for a service without prior introduction. You can still do this if you have no other option, but consider sending an email first asking for time to have a short meeting over the phone. An email can help you introduce yourself properly. You can talk about your experience, your skills, and your expectations. Don’t be the person that’s just asking for a preceptor to take them. If you think about it, it’s not very professional.

What happens if I decide to wait?

We are not saying that you won’t be able to find a preceptor if you choose to wait. It all depends on how prepared you are. It is much better to get a head start because things are always changing with COVID-19. It has always been hard for NPs to find preceptors. Can you imagine how hard it is at the moment? There’s so much that you can use to your advantage to stay ahead, so why not start right away? Today’s small effort is tomorrow’s big success.

Booking a preceptor with NPHub

Remember that we offer a broad network of available preceptors, no matter where you are. You can sign up today and start looking at hundreds of possible clinical sites. We’ll manage your paperwork and stay with you every step of the way, that’s a promise. Couldn’t secure a preceptor with us? Don’t worry. We have a guaranteed refund policy if things don’t work out. Find out why we are the ideal preceptor matching agency by going into our website and seeing what we can offer.

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Check for preceptor availability at: http://www.nphub.com/student/browse-rotation

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