Frontier Nursing University Clinical Experience

Due to COVID-19, all Frontier Bound orientation sessions are currently being held virtually. Clinical Bounds will return to in-person sessions beginning October 2021.

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.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Click the graphic for more information.

MSN students will complete a minimum 675 clinical hours and a minimum 16 weeks of clinical experience during the MSN curriculum.
For Post-Graduate students, the minimum is 540 clinical hours with a successful challenge of three clinical credits and 14 weeks of clinical experience.
DNP students will complete 360 clinical hours over 3 terms. Learn more about the DNP clinical experience.
Click here to view the catalog for clinical hour requirements.

MSN and PGC students are encouraged to plan two to three 11-week terms in clinical and may work with multiple preceptors to achieve these hours. Required clinical experiences assist you in developing necessary clinical skills, and you may choose, or be required, to use more than one clinical site in order to receive a variety of clinical experiences.

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)
Minimum number of clinic/office hours per week:

16/week in NM712-716 for students who attended Clinical Bound prior to Winter Term 2019
20/week in NM712-715 and 30/week in NM716 for students who attended Clinical Bound Winter Term 2019 or after

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 (including 4 observations, at least 5 continuity clients, at least 5 without epidurals)
40 newborn assessments
20 breastfeeding support visits
40 postpartum visits (2 hours to 14 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
Minimum number of clinic hours per week:

16/week in NP712-716 for students who attended Clinical Bound prior to Winter term 2019
20/week in NP712-715 and 30/week in NP716 for students who attended Clinical Bound Winter term 2019 or after

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
Minimum number of clinic hours per week:

16/week in WH712-716 for students who attended Clinical Bound prior to Winter term 2019
20/week in WH712-715 and 30/week in WH716 for students who attended Clinical Bound Winter term 2019 or after

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
Minimum number of clinic hours per week:

16/week in MH712-716 for students who attended Clinical Bound prior to Winter term 2019
20/week in MH712-715 and 30/week in MH716 for students who attended Clinical Bound Winter term 2019 or after

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 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.

“I feel like I’m learning the hands-on portion. I’ve learned all the didactic work, and now I’m gaining the confidence to transition into the role of being a student nurse-midwife.”
– Chantee Redding Nurse-Midwife Student

Clinical Placement Services

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. Connecting with Preceptors & Clinical Sites

FNU Campus Move

FNU’s Kentucky campus has moved from Hyden, Ky., to Versailles, Ky. Due to COVID-19, we have experienced delays in our transition of student events to the Versailles campus. All Frontier Bound orientation sessions are currently being held virtually. Current projections are that Frontier Bound sessions may be held on the Versailles Campus in early 2022. Clinical Bounds will return to in-person sessions beginning October 2021. Learn more about our Versailles campus and this exciting time at FNU.

Campus Safety

For information about our Versailles, Ky., campus safety please visit our Campus Safety page.

Apply to FNU Request Information Become a Preceptor

Clinical Experience

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Specialty Requirements – Required MSN and PGC Clinical Experiences

CLINICAL BOUND

Clinical Practicum

Clinical Placement Services

Regional Clinical Faculty

FNU Campus Move

Campus Safety

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Stay in Touch with FNU

FNU will be closed for a winter holiday break beginning 12/24/21 and will reopen 1/3/22. As a reminder, the Summer 2022 term application deadline is 1/19/22. Happy holidays and we look forward to working with you in 2022.