How long should you be in practice before you take a student?

[LKPAC]

FP here.  We have some NPs in our office who haven't been in practice themselves for over a year, but are training NP students.  My CP and I were discussing this and feel that a preceptor should be a little more seasoned.  Or at least have the ink dry on the own diploma.  Your thoughts?

[JMPAC]

I agree. I've only been in practice for two years and I don't quite feel ready for that. There are still things I've never seen in person, yet. I have let pre-PA students shadow once or twice because I do feel comfortable answering questions about that process and PA school stuff.

[amwillaert]

My personal rule on this as a clinical coordinator is 2 years before they can take an "observation only" student (first year didactic students). 3 years full time before taking a full time clinical phase rotation. You need to have your feet solidly under you as a PA before you can take on teaching responsibilities.

[Guest ERCat]

That's nuts. We had an NP two years out precept a student at my ER and thought THAT was too extreme. I had a preceptor in PA school who was a year out and it was not a good experience. She and I were basically learning and figuring things out together. I have been asked by my program to take on students but that feels totally wrong at this point as I've only been out a year and a half... I think I would need at least three years to feel competent enough to teach someone.

[DizzyJ]

I think 2-3 years should be minimum experience before taking a student. 

[GetMeOuttaThisMess]

They still don't trust me with one after 34 years I guess since no one ever asks.  UTMB for me is not just down the street here in N. Texas.  UTSW or UNT Ft. Worth don't know that I exist, or care.  I presume that they think I'll pull a Clint Eastwood and tell the student to  "get off my lawn".

[Guest ral]

At the critical access hospital I worked at (solo coverage in ER), the facility was a family practice clinical rotation site for UTMB PA students.  We got the wording changed up a few years ago, to allow students to slip over to the ER, to see and do cool things that they would have had to fight with physician interns and residents to do at the bigger hospitals (sutures, I&Ds, other minor procedures).  They loved the experience.  I enjoyed the teaching aspect of it.

That said, it's not something that an inexperienced provider should be doing, when they aren't proficient at it themselves.  I sure as heck wouldn't take on the role of precepting a student in an area that I didn't feel comfortable in myself.  It's a disservice to the student to not get proper training.  "See one, do one, teach one" has its limitations.