Stop Searching. Start Matching.
Find a DNP Preceptor Near You
The easiest way to find a DNP preceptor for your clinical rotations. Doctorally-prepared nurse practitioner preceptors across all 50 states. Sign up free, pay only after you’re matched.
100% free to register. Takes about 2 minutes.
$0 until a preceptor sends you an offer. School approval guaranteed or your money back.
$1,995 flat rate for most preceptors, all-inclusive, with payment plans up to 24 months. No hidden fees, ever.
Thousands of DNP-qualified preceptors nationwide, plus AI-based outreach that finds preceptors specifically for your rotation.
Multiple preceptors compete for you. You choose the best fit.
No credit card required. No obligation to pay.
10,000+
NP Students Helped
Since 2014
Industry Pioneers
50 States
Nationwide Coverage
Hundreds
of 5-Star Reviews
Why Finding DNP Preceptors Is So Difficult
1,000+ Clinical Hours Required
BSN-to-DNP programs often require over 1,000 total clinical hours. That means multiple rotations across different settings, each needing a qualified preceptor. Self-placement becomes a full-time job on top of coursework.
400+ DNP Programs Competing
The explosion of DNP programs (especially online ones) means thousands of students are searching for preceptors in the same areas. Providers are overwhelmed, and many have stopped accepting students entirely.
Clinical and Project Mentors Both Needed
Many DNP students need both a clinical rotation preceptor and a DNP project mentor. Your clinical preceptor teaches hands-on care; your project mentor guides your scholarly project. Finding both doubles the challenge.
That's exactly why we built Clinical Match Me. Instead of chasing preceptors, qualified preceptors come to you.
How It Works for DNP Students
Three steps. No upfront payment. You’re in control the entire time.
1. Sign Up Free
Create your account in about 2 minutes. Submit your DNP Placement Request with your full program requirements: clinical rotation hours across your specialty track (FNP, PMHNP, AGNP, etc.), whether you need a DNP project mentor in addition to a clinical preceptor, and any setting requirements (primary care, acute care, leadership, informatics, population health).
2. Receive Preceptor Offers
Our system notifies matching DNP-level preceptors and DNP-prepared project mentors in your area. Preceptors review your profile and send you offers. If your program requires a doctorally-prepared preceptor, we filter specifically for DNPs. Our smart outreach also contacts DNP project mentors with relevant expertise for your scholarly project focus.
3. Start Your Rotation
Compare offers for both your clinical rotation and project mentor if needed. Choose the best fit, pay only after accepting. We handle paperwork between you, your preceptor(s), and your school. Money-back guarantee if your school rejects the placement.
No credit card required. No obligation to pay.
Building a DNP Preceptorship Around Your Project
A DNP preceptorship differs from master’s-level NP rotations. You’ll typically need preceptors aligned with your DNP project focus — evidence-based practice implementation, quality improvement, systems leadership, or specialty clinical expertise. A doctor of nursing practice preceptor should have clinical authority in your project area and the time to mentor beyond standard patient encounters, since your hours often include meeting with stakeholders and reviewing data. Many DNP students already practice as NPs before enrolling; in that case, preceptorship is about supporting the doctoral project and its scholarly framework rather than initial licensure hours.
Why DNP Students Choose Clinical Match Me
Built for High-Hour Programs
DNP programs demand more clinical hours than MSN programs. Our platform is designed to handle multi-rotation placements, so you can line up preceptors for each phase of your program without starting from scratch every time.
Coverage Where Online Students Need It
Most DNP programs are fully online, which means you need a local preceptor wherever you live. Our network covers all 50 states, and our outreach system actively recruits providers in your specific area rather than waiting for them to sign up.
Zero Financial Risk
You don’t pay a cent until you’re matched with a preceptor. No deposits, no service fees, no rush fees. If your school doesn’t approve the placement for any reason, you get a full refund. DNP programs are expensive enough already.
Preceptors Who Actually Want to Teach
Our preceptor-initiated model means every offer comes from a provider who reviewed your profile and chose to reach out. You’re not assigned to someone who’s just filling a slot. That matters even more at the doctoral level, where the preceptor relationship shapes your clinical growth.
Flexible Payment for Doctoral Budgets
DNP tuition is already a major investment. Our $1,995 flat rate covers up to 250 clinical hours, with payment plans stretching up to 24 months. No hidden fees, no hourly surprises. Just one predictable cost for your preceptor placement.
Takes 2 minutes. No credit card required.
What Students Are Saying
Meeting DNP Clinical Hour Requirements: 1,000+ Hours Explained
DNP programs follow the AACN Essentials of Doctoral Education, which established the minimum 1,000 post-baccalaureate clinical practice hours for the degree. Understanding how those hours break down is critical for planning your rotation strategy.
BSN-to-DNP programs typically require the full 1,000+ hours starting from your BSN, meaning your master’s-level clinical hours AND your doctoral-level hours both count toward the total. Most BSN-to-DNP programs structure this as 600 to 800 hours in your specialty clinical rotations (NP, CNM, CRNA, etc.) and 200 to 400 hours in your DNP project work and leadership/systems practicum.
MSN-to-DNP programs start counting from where your master’s left off. If you completed 600 hours during your master’s NP program, you’ll need 400+ additional post-master’s hours to meet the AACN 1,000-hour minimum. Most programs structure these as DNP project hours plus continued clinical practice in your specialty.
Direct patient care hours vs indirect clinical hours is a distinction many students miss. Direct patient care hours are the time you spend face-to-face with patients under preceptor supervision. Indirect clinical hours are program-approved activities like chart review, case conferences, quality improvement projects, telehealth follow-up calls, and protocol development. Most programs require a majority of your hours (often 60 to 75%) to be direct patient care.
DNP project hours are the scholarly practice hours tied to your evidence-based DNP project. These include literature review, data collection, stakeholder engagement, and project implementation. They count toward the 1,000-hour minimum but typically must be supervised by a DNP project mentor, often a different person than your clinical preceptor.
Documentation happens in program-specific tracking systems (Typhon, Medatrax, E*Value). You log daily encounters and your preceptor signs off periodically. Falling behind on hours can delay graduation.
Clinical Match Me places both clinical rotation preceptors and DNP project mentors. When you submit your DNP rotation request, specify which type (or both) you need, and whether your program requires them to be the same person or separate qualified individuals.
Frequently Asked Questions About DNP Preceptors
Yes. BSN-to-DNP students typically need the same clinical rotation preceptors as MSN-level NP students, and we place students across all NP specialties including FNP, PMHNP, AGPCNP, AGACNP, and more. MSN-to-DNP students who still need clinical hours for their doctoral program can use our service the same way. When you sign up, just specify your specialty, your location, and your timeline.
Our service focuses on matching you with clinical rotation preceptors. The DNP project (also called a scholarly project or capstone) typically requires a mentor assigned through your program or identified by your faculty. That said, many of our preceptors hold doctoral degrees and have mentored DNP projects before. If you need clinical preceptors for the hands-on portion of your DNP, that’s exactly what we do.
Absolutely. This is actually one of the most common situations we handle. Online DNP students are scattered across the country, and many are in areas with fewer providers. Our smart outreach system doesn’t just search a static database. It actively reaches out to qualified providers near you, even if they’ve never worked with a preceptor matching service before. We cover all 50 states, including rural and underserved areas.
Signing up is completely free. You don’t pay anything until you’ve been matched with a preceptor and you’ve accepted the offer. The flat rate is $1,995 for up to 250 clinical hours, with payment plans available up to 24 months. There are no deposits, no service fees, and no rush fees. If your school doesn’t approve the placement for any reason, you get a full refund through our money-back guarantee.
Yes. Many DNP students use our service for multiple rotation placements throughout their program. Each placement request covers up to 250 clinical hours. If your program requires rotations across different specialties or settings, you can submit separate requests for each one. Students who come back for additional placements already have a profile set up, making the process even faster the second time around.
DNP preceptors in our network practice across virtually every healthcare setting, from primary care offices and specialty clinics to hospitals, community health centers, public health departments, and administrative/leadership roles in healthcare organizations. Your DNP rotation requirements depend on your specialty track (FNP, PMHNP, AGPCNP, etc.) and whether you need direct patient care hours or project-based clinical hours. We match you based on your program’s specific requirements.
Yes. We verify preceptor credentials before matching, and we handle the paperwork between you, your preceptor, and your school. If your school rejects the preceptor for any reason, you get a full refund through our Money-Back Guarantee. Over 10,000 students have used our service, and school approval rates are extremely high because we ensure preceptors meet standard credentialing requirements before they ever send you an offer.
DNP clinical hour requirements vary significantly by program and specialty track. Most DNP programs require between 500 and 1,000 total clinical hours, which may include both direct patient care hours and DNP project or practicum hours. If you’re in a post-master’s DNP program, your required hours will differ from a BSN-to-DNP pathway. When you submit a Placement Request, specify your exact hour requirements and clinical focus, and we’ll match you accordingly. Our flat-rate pricing covers rotations up to 250 hours per placement.
As early as possible. DNP programs often have stricter preceptor credentialing requirements than MSN programs, and some require preceptors with doctoral-level degrees for certain rotations. We recommend signing up and submitting a Placement Request at least 2-3 months before your rotation start date. Starting early is especially important for DNP students because the credentialing and approval process can take longer. Since registration is free and there’s no obligation to pay until you accept an offer, there’s no downside to starting your search early.
Free registration. No payment until you accept an offer.
