NP/CNM Students

Are you a student in a nurse practitioner or nurse midwifery program or just thinking about a career in advanced practice nursing?

Advanced practice nursing is a challenging and rewarding profession. Wake Forest Baptist Health is dedicated to partnering with NP/CNM program coordinators or students to help facilitate preceptor placement for clinical rotations where possible.

External NP/CNM Student Preceptor Request

I’d like to complete my NP/CNM clinicals with a WFBH preceptor, what is my next step? 

As an organization that is associated with a medical school and physician assistant program, we accommodate many learners. The following prioritization is followed for preceptor placement:
“Tuition” learners (Wake physician assistant and medical students) are prioritized first, followed by our “Wake” learners (employees in NP/CNM programs), followed finally by non-employees. 

If you would like to proceed with the clearance process, start by emailing Clinical Education at nurseaffiliate@wakehealth.edu.  This will get you in touch with the nurse affiliate and the APP Liaison to begin the clearance process. As previously mentioned, WFBH preceptors are highly coveted and placement is very competitive. It is very possible, you may go through the clearance process and a WFBH preceptor may not become available in the time frame needed. 

 

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse FAQs


What is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)? 

APRN is a broad term that includes one of three certifications:
Nurse Practitioner (NP), Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).

How should I decide what pathway in nursing to take? 

RN path: 

There are many ways to advance your career as a Registered Nurse that do not include pursuing advanced practice.

  • After obtaining a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN), you can pursue a Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN), a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP), or a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing.
  • All of these preparations can be obtained without changing your nursing practice.
  • The MSN degree can have a concentration in nursing administration or in nursing education.  
  • The administration MSN prepares you to take on roles in nursing management. The terminal degree for this path is usually the DNP with an executive/leadership concentration. 
  • The education MSN prepares you to take on roles in clinical or academic education.
  • The terminal degree for the clinical nurse educator is usually the DNP as this is the clinical doctorate for RNs.
  • The terminal degree for the academic nurse educator is usually PhD as this is the research doctorate for RNs.

APRN path:

If you have decided to pursue advanced practice, there are several options. At WFBH, APRNs may be CRNAs, NPs, or CNMs.

How should I decide which school to attend for my APRN program? 

  • Carefully consider choosing an NP/CNM program from a reputable school.
  • There are many benefits including preceptor placement, job placement, patient and employer reassurance, and alumni support that comes from attending a school with name recognition.
  • One way to compare programs is check your programs ranking on
    US News and World Report.
  • It is important to not become burdened with debt from your degree. A good rule of thumb is the amount you borrow should not exceed your annual salary after you graduate.
  • Another important consideration is it will be VERY helpful to you to select a school that uses a clinical placement coordinator who is responsible for finding your preceptors in school. Preceptor placement has become very challenging and is often impossible if the responsibility falls on the student. 

How do I decide which advanced practice certification to pursue? 

The Consensus Model provides regulatory guidance that an APRNs practice must be congruent with their formal education. Nursing boards and employers are joining in adherence to these recommendations. In short, that means your APRN role should not include patient acuities or populations in which you were not trained, regardless of your experience as a registered nurse. The certification you choose (FNP, AGNP, PNP, ENP, AG-ACNP, NNP), should correlate where you plan to work after graduation (ambulatory care vs acute care).

Do I need a DNP to be an APRN?

The DNP is a requirement for entry level CRNA practice. Many NP/CNM programs only offer BSN to DNP options. Currently practicing APRNs may have a MSN or DNP. Eventually, the DNP may be required for entry to advanced practice for all APRNS. The DNP does open doors to become faculty and in executive and leadership roles.

 If you are interested, learn more about pursuing a post-MSN DNP.

I’d like to complete my NP/CNM clinicals with a WFBH preceptor, what is my next step? 

As an organization that is associated with a medical school and physician assistant program, we accommodate many learners. The following prioritization is followed for preceptor placement:
“Tuition” learners (Wake physician assistant and medical students) are prioritized first, followed by our “Wake” learners (employees in NP/CNM programs), followed finally by non-employees. 

If you would like to proceed with the clearance process, start by emailing Clinical Education at nurseaffiliate@wakehealth.edu.  This will get you in touch with the nurse affiliate and the APP Liaison to begin the clearance process. As previously mentioned, WFBH preceptors are highly coveted and placement is very competitive. It is very possible, you may go through the clearance process and a WFBH preceptor may not become available in the timeframe needed. 

If you are a WFBH employee, consider attending one of the monthly pre-NP sessions for more information from the APP liaison. (Internal Link)