Find an APRN Preceptor
for Clinicals Near You
Post one placement request and board-certified advanced practice registered nurse preceptors come to you. APRN preceptors across all 50 states. Sign up free and pay only after you accept an offer.
MO
M. Osei, FNP
VK
V. Kaur, CNM
DL
D. Lindqvist, PMHNP
Why finding an APRN preceptor is so hard
Education standards are now the same across all four roles, but the number of preceptors hasn't grown to match.
Supply hasn't kept up
The APRN Consensus Model standardized education across the four advanced practice roles, but it did nothing about preceptor supply. Clinics are short-staffed, and many providers who used to take students have stopped.
Online programs compete locally
In an online or hybrid program you compete for local preceptors against students from dozens of schools across the country. Your zip code, not your school, decides who you compete with.
The search is your responsibility
Your program requires hundreds of supervised clinical hours and leaves finding the preceptor entirely to you. Every week without one pushes your graduation date further out.
How to find an APRN preceptor
Post one request and let qualified APRN preceptors come to you.
1
Sign up free
Create your account in about 2 minutes and submit a placement request with your role and specialty: CNP, CNM, CRNA or CNS, then the track within it. Include your population focus, your state, and any state-specific requirement your program applies.
2
Receive preceptor offers
We notify matching APRN preceptors in your area credentialed for your role, population focus and state, and interested preceptors send you offers directly. Our AI preceptor outreach also contacts qualified APRNs outside our network who fit your specific requirements.
3
Start your rotation
Compare offers, confirm each preceptor's scope matches what your program expects, then choose the best preceptor. Pay nothing until you accept an offer. We handle the paperwork between you, your preceptor and your school. You're protected by our Money Back Guarantee if your school rejects the preceptor or the preceptor cancels.
APRN preceptors are joining our network every week.
Takes 2 minutes. No credit card required.
What to look for in an APRN preceptorship
APRN preceptorship requirements change by role and by state. In all four roles (CNP, CNM, CRNA and CNS), you need a preceptor in the setting your track requires and licensed where you'll practice.
A strong advanced practice registered nurse preceptor holds current certification in both your role and your population focus, not just one of them. State scope-of-practice rules can also exclude a pairing that looks fine on paper, which is the check many students skip.
If your program needs a specific setting, we filter for it. We handle NP preceptor placement with your school directly, including the paperwork. Whichever track you're on, the process is the same: FNP rotations, PMHNP hours or midwife placements. For hours and settings by NP population, see NP clinical placement by specialty.
Why APRN students choose Clinical Match Me
Find an advanced practice nurse preceptor for every NP track.
Every APRN track, one platform
We cover FNP, PMHNP, AGNP, AGACNP, PNP and WHNP, among others. Whichever advanced practice track you're on, we match you with preceptors in that exact specialty across all 50 states, which matters most when your program is online and your preceptor has to be local.
Outreach beyond our network
Our outreach identifies and contacts qualified APRN providers outside our network and recruits them for your rotation. That's how we fill a rare subspecialty or a rural location.
$0 until you accept an offer
Sign up, submit placement requests and message preceptors for free. Pay only after a preceptor sends you an offer and you accept it. The $1,995 NP preceptor cost is the flat rate most preceptors charge, and payment plans are available.
Money Back Guarantee
If your school rejects the preceptor, or the preceptor cancels at any point, choose a full refund or a new preceptor. Any reason counts.
APRN preceptors in all 50 states
Many rural and small-town providers want to teach and almost never hear from a student. Our outreach finds them, which helps most when you're in an online APRN program.
You choose from multiple offers
More than one APRN preceptor can offer you a placement. Compare their roles, settings and locations side by side, then accept the one that fits your schedule and your program.
Thousands of NP students found their preceptor through us
We've placed students since 2014, and anyone can check our ratings.
Many APRN students find us after weeks of cold calls. Some students receive their first offer within 24 hours. Read Clinical Match Me reviews on Trustpilot and Google, or watch their student testimonials on video.
Students post their reviews on Trustpilot and Google once they know whether the preceptor showed up, whether the school signed off, and whether we did the paperwork we promised.
APRN covers four roles and six population foci, so a mismatch costs you the rotation rather than a week. The reviews worth your time come from students whose school approved their placement.
What the APRN consensus model means for your placement
The APRN Consensus Model is the regulatory framework standardizing education, certification and licensure across the four advanced practice roles: certified nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, certified registered nurse anesthetist and clinical nurse specialist. It decides which preceptors and which settings your program can accept.
LACE is its four-part framework: licensure, accreditation, certification and education. Your placement has to satisfy all four. Your program must be accredited by CCNE, ACEN or ACME, and your preceptor must hold current certification in your role and your population focus, not merely one of the two.
Population focus is required for every APRN program, and there are six recognized ones: family and individual across the lifespan, adult-gerontology, neonatal, pediatrics, women's health and gender-related, and psychiatric-mental health. Your preceptor has to be credentialed in yours, which is one of the most common reasons a school rejects an otherwise qualified provider.
Practice authority varies by state. Some states grant APRNs full practice authority. Others require a collaborative agreement with a physician, and your rotation site has to comply with the rule where you practice. The APRN Compact is widening this, letting licensed APRNs from compact states practice in other compact states without a new license, which changes what counts for telehealth and out-of-state hours. Tell us your role, population focus and state, and we'll filter accordingly.
APRN preceptor questions students ask
Common questions from advanced practice nursing students.
Do you place every APRN specialty?
We place nurse practitioner students across every NP specialty, including FNP, PMHNP, AGNP, AGACNP, PNP and WHNP. If your APRN program requires clinical rotations with a preceptor, tell us your role and population focus and we'll match against both. We verify preceptor credentials before matching.
I'm in an online APRN program. Can you find me a local preceptor?
Yes, and a large share of our students are in exactly that position. Choose the states you're willing to travel to, or enter your zip code and how far you're willing to travel. We'll match you with preceptors in those areas. When there are no matching preceptors in our network, our AI preceptor outreach contacts qualified providers near you.
How quickly can I expect to be matched?
Many students receive a first offer within 24 hours, and most match within a few days to a couple of weeks. Rare subspecialties and very rural locations take longer, because our outreach has to recruit rather than notify. The sooner you submit your placement requests, the sooner we can place you.
How much does it cost to find an APRN preceptor through Clinical Match Me?
Registration is free and you pay nothing until a preceptor sends you an offer and you accept it. Most preceptors charge a flat rate of $1,995 for rotations up to 250 hours. That price includes our fee and the preceptor's honorarium (their compensation for teaching you). A smaller group of preceptors charge hourly rates, which vary by individual. If you'd like to spread out the cost, payment plans are available. See the full NP preceptor cost breakdown.
What if my program requires a specific preceptor type or site?
Put it in your placement request. If your school requires a board-certified NP, a physician in a particular setting, or specific credentials, we factor that into matching rather than leaving you to check afterward. If your school still rejects the preceptor, we'll give you a full refund or a new preceptor.
What clinical settings are available for APRN rotations?
It depends on your track, because APRN spans every advanced practice role. Our preceptors work in primary care offices, specialty clinics, hospitals, psychiatric facilities, women's health centers, pediatric offices and community health centers. Tell us your role and population focus and we'll filter to settings your program accepts.
Will my school accept a preceptor I find through Clinical Match Me?
Yes. We verify preceptor credentials before matching, so schools approve most of our preceptors. We also handle the paperwork between you, your preceptor and your school. If your school rejects the preceptor, you're protected by our Money Back Guarantee. Choose a full refund or a new preceptor.
How many clinical hours do APRN programs typically require?
Most APRN programs require between 500 and 750 total clinical hours, though it varies by specialty and by degree level. Hours usually split across several rotations covering different populations or settings. Our flat rate applies to rotations up to 250 hours each.
When should I start looking for an APRN preceptor?
As early as you can. Site availability varies by specialty and location, and the strongest preceptors commit early. Many students are placed within days, but the sooner you submit your placement requests, the sooner we can place you. If you already know your specialty, start from its page, such as the FNP preceptor search. Registration is free and you owe nothing until you accept an offer.
Find your APRN preceptor and get back to studying.
Free to join and no credit card required. Pay nothing until you accept an offer.