Our Clinical Placement team will assist you in finding placement sites to meet the required clinical education component of Texas Woman's University's (TWU) Family Nurse Practitioner degree and certificate program. Clinicals occur in tandem with the didactic coursework to prepare you for your future as a Family Nurse Practitioner.

TWU believes you are only as successful as your training, which is why we have taken the stress out of the clinical placement process. You will be provided with clinical sites and preceptors for all graduate-level clinical rotations, so you can focus on coursework and building competency instead of worrying about the logistics of clinical placements.

Additionally, you may find clinical placement sites to be potential locations for future employment opportunities upon graduation.

TWU's Master of Science in Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner (MS-FNP) program requires three (3) robust direct patient care experiences, totaling 780 clinical hours in order to graduate.

Required Family Nurse Practitioner Clinical Rotation Courses

• Primary Care Disease and Restorative Health Practicum I - 180 clinical hours
• Chronic Disease & Restorative Health Practicum II - 300 clinical hours
• Primary Care Disease Management Across the Lifespan Practicum III - 300 clinical hours

Shortly after enrollment, you will be provided with a placement intake form you are required to complete that captures your competencies, experience and placement preferences.

While the placement team is securing sites and preceptors, you are responsible for completing clinical clearance requirements in preparation for placement, including:

• Drug screening
• Background check
• Recommended vaccinations and screening

Student will not be permitted to begin placement until the clearances are complete. Once the sites have been approved by the College of Nursing, TWU will share the placement site details with you prior to placement.

During the placement experience, you will have access to faculty and a plethora of tools to help make the rotation easy and stress-free. Faculty will also be available to mentor and support you throughout the rotation should there be any technical questions about procedures, patient interactions and general proficiencies.

At the end of the placement rotation, you and your preceptor will review requirements, complete surveys and formally close the placement rotation. If you have multiple rotations, you will receive the next preceptor/site details.

The Placement team will ensure your clinical site and preceptor are located within your regional area and meet all the requirements - from restricted settings and support to education and experience. Once you have received your site information, your only responsibility will be to contact the site and discuss your clinic hours.

Clinical orientation is different for each site, but you can expect to complete the clinicals clearances, learn about appropriate dress codes and the necessary clinical tools.

Your responsibilities during clinical rotations include:

• Reviewing goals and objectives for fulfilling clinical requirements
• Providing your preceptor with daily written objectives and evaluation forms
• Reviewing existing clinical protocols and TWU protocols with your preceptor
• Documenting all clinical encounters using a SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Plan) format
• Ensuring you are always under the supervision of your preceptor

Your preceptor is there to be your on-site role model and to help you develop as a nurse during your clinical rotation. They will:

• Bridge the gap between theory and actual practice
• Orient you to the practice setting (key personnel, organization and institutional policies)
• Help you plan clinical assignments
• Provide one-on-one supervision and daily feedback
• Review and co-sign all documentation in the clinical records

Clinical faculty and your preceptor will be your main support during clinical rotation courses. You will also record your assessment /recommendations in SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Plan) Notes. This will be reviewed and critiqued so you can achieve better practice methods.

You will be evaluated on a pass/fail basis. There are no letter grades given during clinicals. With the repetition of practice and assessment, as well as a variety of patient cases, you will learn the clinical skills necessary to confidently pursue a career providing primary care as a Family Nurse Practitioner.

A dedicated admissions counselor is ready to provide detailed answers to any further questions you may have about the clinical placement process, admissions requirements, tuition rates, program details and requirements as well as full course descriptions.

To learn more about the stress-free clinical placement process, schedule a convenient time to talk with an admissions counselor using our easy online appointment scheduling system.