Become a Preceptor
Thank you for your interest in serving as a preceptor for The University of Texas at Tyler School of Nursing. As a preceptor, you will play a vital role in shaping the future of healthcare by mentoring our nursing students, either at the MSN or DNP level.
Your commitment directly contributes to improving healthcare services in our local community, extending a sense of giving back that transcends the classroom.
Benefits
In addition to the personal satisfaction of preparing the next generation of skilled nurses, UT Tyler recognizes the substantial contributions of our clinical preceptors. We offer professional and personal incentives in return for your dedication to sharing your invaluable expertise with our students. Some of the rewarding benefits:
- Build relationships with School of Nursing students and faculty
- Develop additional leadership, teaching, and supervisory skills
- Receive a certificate of hours to document your time precepting
UT Tyler also takes pride in offering some of its own preceptor perks:
- Gain access to electronic resources, such as journal databases
- Attend School of Nursing events throughout the academic year
Role and Expectation
To be an effective preceptor, it is crucial to guide students in their learning journey. Strategies include setting realistic learning goals, pacing learning experiences appropriately, fostering critical thinking and helping students prioritize and organize their work.
A brief summary of the precepting role and what supervision entails:
- Clinical Rotation: Coordinate and organize clinical rotations by reviewing and clarifying relevant documents.
- Orientation: Brief students on clinical site details, policies, and EHR usage and discuss course objectives.
- Clinical Experience: Model clinical skills, observe the student in the clinic and ensure HIPAA regulations.
- Communication: Guide, counsel, and encourage active student learning during the clinical experiences.
- Evaluation: Complete student evaluations, discuss strengths and weaknesses and provide feedback.
MSN
- Unencumbered license in the state where the preceptor practices
- At least 2 years of experience in advanced practice role
- Preceptor can be an APRN/CNM/MD/DO/PA
- Board Certified
- Students are expected to spend the majority of their clinical experience with an APRN. Other healthcare providers are acceptable if they provide a holistic primary care experience across the patient’s lifespan.
DNP
- Holds PhD or DNP with at least 5 years in a leadership role (preferred) OR
- Holds MSN or Master's Prepared with at least 10 years of experience in a leadership role
- Board Certified (if applicable)
- Licensed in state of practice (if applicable)
- Mentor qualifications for DNP programs generally vary and are usually set by each school's program director.
Contact Us
For any further assistance, please feel free to reach out to us at nursingplacements@uttyler.edu. Your questions and feedback are valuable to us, and we are here to support you.