Join our team as a Preceptor
Preceptors play a vital role in shaping the future of nursing. Whether you’re guiding a BSN student through their first clinical rotation or mentoring an advanced practice nursing student as they refine their skills, your experience and leadership make a lasting impact. At Herzing University, we deeply value the connection between classroom learning and real-world practice—and that connection starts with you.
Pre-Licensure Areas of Practice
- Medical Surgical Nursing
- Mother Baby Nursing
- Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing
- Community Health
- Nursing Leadership
Post-Licensure Areas of Practice
In addition to serving as a preceptor for our BSN students, opportunities in other areas of practice include:
- Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Nursing Leadership and Administration
- Nurse Educator
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
- Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
- Public Health
Preceptor Responsibilities & Requirements
Serving as both a teacher and mentor, you will guide Herzing nursing students throughout their clinical journey, offering resources, direction and encouragement to apply evidence-based practices in dynamic healthcare settings. As a preceptor, you’ll find that students bring varying levels of independence and skill, and part of your role involves assessing their readiness and helping them grow in confidence and competence toward greater autonomy. Your mentorship enriches their learning experience and helps them build the confidence and competence needed to become capable nursing professionals.
Requirements of preceptors include:
- Have a current, unencumbered license without prior history of any disciplinary action or flag on his/her license.
- Have a minimum of one-year current experience in his/her specialty area.
- Be actively employed at the clinical site the student is requesting on the clinical application.
Specific preceptor criteria for advanced practice students
Preceptor requirements include:
- Board certified nurse practitioners (family, adult, pediatric, neonatal, women’s health, geriatric).
- MD board certified in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, or a relevant population-focused area.
- DO board certified in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, or a relevant population-focused area.
- Certified Nurse Midwife with a master’s degree or higher.
- Physician Assistant with a master’s degree or higher.
Preceptor requirements include:
- Board-certified nurse practitioners (adult-gerontology acute care or acute care).
- MD board certified in Emergency Medicine, Pulmonary/Critical Care, Hospitalist, Internal Medicine, or relevant population-focused area.
- DO board certified in Emergency Medicine, Pulmonary/Critical Care, Hospitalist, Internal Medicine, or relevant population-focused area.
- Physician Assistant with a master’s degree or higher
Preceptor requirements include:
- Board certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners or Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist with prescriptive authority.
- MD board certified in Psychiatry.
- DO board certified in Psychiatry.
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist or a PsyD or PhD licensed psychologist can serve as a preceptor for psychotherapy experiences.
- Physician Assistant with a master’s degree or higher with a. Minimum of 2 years’ experience in Psychiatry
The preceptor selection criteria for the Herzing University MSN-NE are based on professional guidelines and peer-reviewed professional nursing journals.
Preceptors must:
- Hold a current, unencumbered license as a registered nurse in the state where the clinical will take place
- Have an earned Master of Science in Nursing degree from a nationally accredited School/College/Department of Nursing
- Have a minimum of two (2) years’ experience as a nursing faculty member OR two (2) years ‘experience as a clinical educator in a Nursing Education/Staff Development Department within a healthcare agency/institution for NU683; and experience as a patient clinical educator for NU681
- Preceptors with the national certification as a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) or RN-BC in staff development are preferred
The preceptor selection criteria for the Herzing University MSN-NL are based on professional guidelines and peer-reviewed professional nursing journals.
Preceptors must:
- Hold a current, unencumbered license as a registered nurse in the state where the clinical will take place
- Have an earned Master of Science in Nursing degree from a regionally accredited School/College/University.
- Have a minimum of two (2) years’ experience as a nurse leader (Nursing practice unit or nursing department manager, assistant/associate director, Chief Nursing Officer, or Chief Nurse Executive)
- Preceptors with the national certification as a NE-BC, CNML or CENP are preferred but not required
Benefits
Becoming a preceptor is a rewarding opportunity to share your knowledge and expertise while helping shape the next generation of nursing professionals. As a trusted mentor, you will also strengthen your leadership skills and stay current in your field – all while making a lasting impact on Herzing University nursing students.
Other benefits of precepting include:
- Creating a legacy! Countless preceptors fondly recall the exceptional mentor who guided them during their clinical training while students.
- Collaborating with students on writing clinical articles/case study vignettes
- Certification of recognition to use on the career ladder at your place of employment
- Letter of verification of the number of hours you have precepted
“The clinical experiences were my favorite part of the program,” Elizabeth said. “My preceptors were always very education-focused, and they made sure that I completely understood the role I was taking on as a nurse practitioner.”
