NP student needs a preceptor; program wants a resume and references... from nurses

[Febrifuge]

I'm not mad, I'm just confused.

 

I work in an Urgent Care, and I'm part of a big health system. I'm a solo provider, working evenings and weekends, so it's just me, the lab tech, the X-ray tech, the front desk person, and my trusty LPN or CMA as rooming staff. Aside from the NP who I alternate weekends with, I don't think I know any "Masters or Doctorate-trained nurses," which apparently is where I have to get my references from.

 

Hopefully my SP will suffice.

 

I can't tell if I should be offended or not. This is a newer relationship between my employer and this NP program, which I gather is one of the newer ones around here. I understand that when I was a student, all my preceptors must have gone through some sort of vetting process, and in principle I think of this as a good thing. Quality control and all; a lousy preceptor often means a lousy learning experience.

 

But I want to say "come on guys, this student is going to be in her practicum. Don't you think it's time to ease up on the 'Nursing vs Medical' rhetoric? She'll be out in the real world soon enough, and as far as my employer and job description are concerned she and I will theoretically be interchangable."

 

Anyone else go through something like this? Are there red-flag signs that would alert me I don't want to be a preceptor for a given program?

[Guest Paula]

I'm a little confused on your question. Are you being asked to precept an NP student? I precepted an NP student briefly and had to submit my curriculum vitae to her NP school. I do not have a master's and that was ok with them. The experience was good, but short as the student had some scheduling problems, and I was only able to spend a few afternoons with her. I hold the belief that if you are asked to precept, the school should vet you and you them. What criteria for the student do they have? What are their expectations? Does your clinic have a contract with the school and are all the liability procedures in place,etc.

 

Some NP schools do not allow PAs to precept their NP students. It is a loss all around for those restrictions.

[Febrifuge]

Yes, I am being asked to serve as a preceptor for an NP student.

 

The school and my employer are still working out the details, but a contract is being put in place.

 

The student sent a very nice email outlining what she needs to accomplish in terms of her program's requirements, and also in terms of her own goals and expectations.

 

I agree that in general, preceptors should be vetted, but then again I am continually evaluated and supervised by my employer, so in a sense I feel like if I'm good enough to work alone in my clinic, I should in theory be good enough to be a preceptor. I do feel like it's a little weird to be asked to provide all this information as though I were applying for a job; I'm the one who is being asked to help out, after all.

 

More than anything, I think it's the reference letters that rub me the wrong way. I feel like my SP's opinion about whether I'd make a good preceptor should be the beginning and end of it. Chasing down colleagues I don't necessarily see all that often and asking them to fill out a form seems like work I (and they) maybe shouldn't have to do.

 

I was hoping to get some perspective from others who might have been in similar situations, to see if I'm being overly sensitive. It sounds like all they needed from you was a CV. That seems pretty reasonable.