Frontier Nursing University Clinical Experience

Clinical Experience

The clinical experience is one of the most exciting times in the student journey as it allows you to gain hands-on experience with practicing clinicians in your home community. FNU’s clinical experience will provide an opportunity for you to evaluate and improve the practice/system, help you continue to develop expertise in an area of practice, and allow you to seek experiences to improve your skills to practice autonomously.

The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Post-Graduate Certificate (PGC) clinical experience follows completion of your didactic coursework and a campus visit for Clinical Bound.

Specialty Requirements - Required MSN and PGC Clinical Experiences

These requirements are subject to change. Students are required to follow the degree requirements as outlined in the FNU Catalog during their time of enrollment.

Click the specialty below to see requirements.

Nurse Midwife

Maximum number of clinical sites: 4 (typically this is 2 clinics and 2 hospitals)

Maximum number of clinic/office hours per week: 32 (dependent upon call schedule)
Please meet with your RCF to discuss any proposed exceptions.

10 preconception care visits
30 new antepartum visits
140 return antepartum visits
40 labor management experiences
40 births
40 newborn assessments
20 breastfeeding support visits
40 postpartum visits (2 hours to 13 days)
30 postpartum visits (2 to 8 weeks)
40 common health problems
30 family planning visits
35 non-postpartum gynecologic visits
15 perimenopausal/postmenopausal visits

Family Nurse Practitioner

Maximum number of clinical sites: 4

Maximum number of clinic/office hours per day: 10
Maximum number of clinic/office hours per week: 40
Please meet with your RCF to discuss any proposed exceptions.

10 Newborn exams
20 One month to 5 years well exams
20 One month to 5 years episodic exams
20 6 to 12 years well exams
20 6 to 12 years episodic exams
20 13 to 19 years well exams
20 13 to 19 years episodic exams
150 Adult episodic or wellness care
100 Chronic illness care (age <65)
50 Geriatric episodic or wellness care (age >65)
70 Geriatric chronic illness care (age >65)
20 Gynecologic visits to include wellness or episodic care (Must include 10 Speculum/bi-manual exams)
20 Antepartum visits (new or returning)
20 Mental health visits
10 Men’s health visits

Women's Healthcare Nurse Practitioner

Maximum number of clinical sites: 4

Maximum number of clinic/office hours per day: 10
Maximum number of clinic/office hours per week: 40
Please meet with your RCF to discuss any proposed exceptions.

30 new antepartum visits
120 return antepartum visits
25 postpartum visits (< 8 wks)
300 gynecologic care visits
25 post/perimenopausal visits
100 primary care visits>

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Maximum number of clinical sites: 4

Maximum number of clinic/office hours per day: 10
Maximum number of clinic/office hours per week: 40
Please meet with your RCF to discuss any proposed exceptions.

50 Child or adolescent visits
50 Adult visits
20 Geriatric visits
20 Acute/Crisis Care Management
300 Medication Management
50 Substance Use Disorder Management
20 Psychotherapy sessions

Clinical Bound

Clinical Bound is a skills-intensive experience for MSN and PGC students, held at FNU’s campus in Kentucky. This is an exciting time for you as a student because you have completed your didactic coursework and are validated as having acquired the skills necessary to begin a community-based clinical practicum. There is also time for informal communication between faculty and other students so that you can ask questions and prepare for your clinical experience. Students are assigned to a Clinical Bound session according to their individual plan of study.

Clinical Placement Services

At FNU, you are not alone in your search for clinical site placement. We are with you every step of the way. FNU offers clinical outreach and placement services and resources to assist students in identifying potential clinical sites. Our clinical outreach and placement team provides support to help you troubleshoot challenging situations and works with you one-on-one to navigate the overall clinical site search process. Not only do we offer a vast network of sites and preceptors nationwide, we also continually secure new ones. We work together with you to secure a clinical site and preceptor(s). Learn more about connecting with preceptors and clinical sites as well as the many support services available to you in this process.

Regional Clinical Faculty

Shortly after your enrollment in FNU, you will begin working with a Regional Clinical Faculty (RCF) to develop your clinical plan. The RCF is responsible for evaluating both the clinical site and preceptor to ensure you have a clinical plan that will meet your program requirements. During your clinical practicum, the RCF will provide guidance and support to you and your preceptor by participating in discussions, helping to resolve any issues regarding clinical sites, organizing regional gatherings and sharing clinical wisdom and experience. FNU students benefit greatly from having these advanced practice nurses as role models during the clinical experience.

Clinical Practicum

After attending Clinical Bound, students begin their clinical experience. You will provide nurse practitioner or nurse-midwifery services in your home community for 4-10 months under the guidance of one or more clinician preceptors.