The Significance of the NP Preceptorship Shortage

Nurse practitioner (NP) students are often unaware of the difficulties they will face finding preceptors. Many graduate programs lack a network of preceptors, forcing students to reach out to anyone who will agree to precept. Nursing and other healthcare provider programs often compete for the same clinical sites and preceptors. In this article, we offer a comparison of clinical education models by provider and briefly discuss current concerns that impact NP students, such as opposition for practice autonomy and the COVID-19 pandemic, as they seek to complete the required clinical hours to graduate. Also included is general information about the NP preceptor, with a description of requirements and responsibilities of the role. Our discussion suggests several philosophical dilemmas of NP preceptorship, including pay for preceptors, and considers expectations for the future.