FNP Clinical Internship Placement

OVERVIEW

FNP Clinical Internship Placement

The WGU FNP program culminates with three clinical internship courses that together consist of 650 precepted direct patient care clinical hours. You will work with preceptors in clinics in your local community, as available, to train in the provision of primary care. To do so, you will need to be in clinical sites that allow you access to patients across the lifespan, with sufficient experiences in treating the wide variety of conditions and the full spectrum of complexity found in primary care.

You must be actively engaged with your assigned Placement Coordinator one year prior to starting Clinical Internship I. If not, your placement and graduation will be delayed.

Field Experience Requirements are completed through the Student Facing Field Experience Page, which is accessed through your Student Portal in the Student Support Tab or within your Degree Plan. Utilize this link to learn more about the Student Facing Field Experience Page.

ALL CLINICAL INTERNSHIPS REQUIRE:

Attendance at the Clinical Information Session in D115
Completion of Clinical Information Session Knowledge Check
Submission of the FNP Student Clinical Profile
Scheduling of an Intro Call with your Placement Coordinator
Completion of ADB/Complio Immunization Tracking Package
Identification of Appropriate Clinical Preceptors

Identification of Appropriate Clinical Sites
Submission of Placement Details for each of the Clinical Internships
Submission of Placement and Site-Specific Documents and Onboarding
WGU Nursing Review & Receipt of Confirmation Emails for each Internship

Site-Specific Requirements

Depending on the Agreement that WGU has with your Clinical Site, there may be additional requirements for you to complete.Clinical Learning and Placement Support will guide you through the steps required for placement at your chosen Clinical Site. Every site has different requirements, and requirements often change. Please note that many of these requirements of 3rd party sites have additional student fees associated with them.

3rd Party on-boarding:

ACEMAPP
Castlebranch
My Clinical Exchange
San Diego Consortium

Site-Specific Documents and Forms:

Confidentiality Agreements
Criminal History Reports
Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approvals
Site Orientation and Badges

Clinical Placement Process Overview

In Preparation of the Field Experience:

Students will network with peers, co-workers, and personal providers to identify potential preceptors.
Attend the Clinical Information Session
Complete the Clinical Information Session Knowledge Check
Submit the FNP Student Clinical Profile
Schedule an Intro Call with your Placement Coordinator
Submit Placement Details for your Clinical Internships
Complete compliance and site-specific requirements
Request your WGU Clinical Badge
Obtain official clearance from CLPS Manager before engaging in hours.

To avoid delaying your degree progression, stay in close contact with your Placement Coordinator.

You will need ample time to network and identify potential preceptors, as well as gather and upload compliance records, which can take time and may require updated immunizations. If establishing an Affiliation Agreement with your selected clinical site or renewing an expiring agreement is required, the process can take up to 6 months.

Any delay in starting these steps will impact your degree progression, especially with this being your final term, resulting in a delay in your degree progression.

Define Intensive and Internships
Provide a high-level overview of the Clinical Internship Placement Process (who, what, when, where, why, how), including:
- Preceptor Requirements
- Site Requirements
- Compliance Requirements
- Resources

Within 48 hours of attending the Clinical Information Session, you will access and complete the Clinical Information Session Knowledge Check within your Field Experience Page. The Knowledge Check demonstrates your understanding of the information covered in the session and your next steps toward Clinical Internship Placement.

Complete the FNP Student Clinical Profile within your Field Experience Page. Completion and submission of this application initiates the placement process for the clinical portion of your program.

Please complete the form in its entirety including uploading your resume. Incomplete profiles will not be considered for clinical placement. Clinical profiles must be received at least one year (365 days) prior to your first Clinical Internship. Late return of the profile may cause a delay in your placement.

Placement Coordinators are assigned one year prior to the scheduled Clinical Internship 1 start date.

You will book your intro call from your Field Experience page. This requirement will remain locked until you are one year prior to your scheduled clinical internship 1 starte date.

In the Intro Call, your Placement Coordinator will discuss the placement process and review all requirements of your Clinical Internship Placement.

The student’s guide to understanding the placement requirements of the Clinical Internship.
Facilitator of information necessary for a student to identify an Affiliated Clinical Site and appropriate Preceptor.
The primary point of contact for all communication and documentation required for your Clinical Internship Placement.
Confirms student's completion of all site-specific compliance requirements (e.g. immunizations, background checks, all onboarding.) *Note that it is ultimately the student's responsibility to make sure that any onboarding with the site is completed.
Provides the official Clearance Confirmation Emails advising a student is fully cleared to begin their Clinical Internship.

Please visit the Compliance Requirements page linked here.

Immunization compliance is stringently required for all FNP students at WGU. Compliance is required even if you are an employee at your selected Clinical Site and regardless of the policies at your Clinical Site.

Employment status and placement are not interrelated.

Board-certified nurse practitioner (family, adult, pediatric, neonatal, women's health, geriatric)
MD  board -certified in Family Medicine or Internal Medicine
DO  board -certified in Family Medicine or Internal Medicine
Certified Nurse Midwife with a Master’s degree or higher
Physician Assistant with a Master’s degree or higher (requires additional review and approval from WGU Program Leadership) *Certain states do not allow PAs as preceptors.
Clinical Nurse Specialists (requires additional review and approval from WGU Program Leadership)

More About Preceptors here.

You will work with preceptors in clinics in your local community, as available, to train in the provision of primary care. To do so, you will need to be in Clinical Sites that allow you access to patients across the lifespan, with sufficient experiences in treating the wide variety of conditions and the full spectrum of complexity found in primary care.

You must secure placement - a minimum of 2 quality primary care Clinical Sites.
*Maximum number of placements per clinical internship course: 2
*Maximum number of placements for the entirety of the program (2 per course): 6

More About Clinical Sites here and here.

Utilize the links within your Field Experience Page to be taken to the submission forms for each Internship Placement. If you will be working with more than 1 Preceptor within a single Internship, ensure you submit an additional Placement Details Form for each additional Preceptor.

Learn more about the Student Facing Field Experience Page.

On the Documents & Form Tab of this website you will find links to required placement documents, compliance documents, and information regarding potential onboarding.

Documents must be complete and signed. Incomplete or incorrect documents will delay your placement and could impact your planned graduation date.

Click here for more information about the Nursing Review and confirmation emails.

You cannot engage in hours prior to receiving the Clearance Confirmation Email from Clinical Learning and Placement Support.

The Course Instructor is a WGU employee who will: Act as the students' primary resource for oversight of the learning objectives related to the Clinical Internship, including monitoring and evaluating the learning experience. Collaborate with with both Preceptor and Student to determine student learning needs and learning opportunities ensuring appropriate activities are logged for Clinical Internship hours. Review and approve the students' time log for verification of the number and appropriateness of accrued hours.

FNP Placements will require an Affiliation Agreement with the Clinical Site. Your Placement Coordinator will assist with establishing an Affiliation Agreement as needed.

This is a legal contract negotiation process and can take up to 6 months to fully execute. Plan accordingly to avoid delaying your degree progression.

The WGU Outreach Team will work with the Clinical Site Contract Administrator to negotiate an Affiliation Agreement. The negotiation of these agreements takes time and can go back and forth several times before they are signed by both WGU and the Clinical Site.

FNP Clinical Internship Preceptors

Students must engage a minimum of 2 Preceptors at two different primary care sites for Clinical Internships throughout the program.
Preceptors must have an active, unencumbered license, have earned national certification in their specialty area by a recognized credentialing agency, and have a minimum of two years of current experience in their current credentialing.

Doctors of Podiatric Medicine and Chiropractors are NOT approved preceptors for the WGU Family Nurse Practitioner Track. Family members or close family or personal friends are NOT allowed to serve as preceptors for the students in the Family Nurse Practitioner Track.

Appropriate Preceptors:

Board-certified nurse practitioner (family, adult, pediatric, neonatal, women's health, geriatric)
MD board-certified in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, or Pediatric Medicine
DO board-certified in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, or Pediatric Medicine
Certified Nurse Midwife with a Master's degree or higher
Physician Assistant with a Master's degree or higher in Physician Assistant Studies (requires additional review and approval from WGU Program Leadership) *Certain states do not allow PAs as preceptors.

Students must identify their own Preceptor as this is a volunteer (unpaid) position, we do not have a list of Preceptors for students to choose from. Working with a self-Identified preceptor ensures that you have a preceptor who is personally invested in your academic success and will be available at a time and geographic location most suitable to your needs within each Internship.

Below are talking points to provide confidence in expressing the Clinical Preceptorship clearly and professionally when networking to secure a Preceptor. Students should find their own style, but use the following information as basic content.

The Preceptor Role:

Preceptors must have earned national certification in their specialty area by a recognized credentialing agency and have a minimum of two years of current experience in their specialty area in their current credentialing.
Preceptors must hold an unencumbered license in the state where the organization is located or hold a multistate license in another state which allows them to practice in that state.
Preceptors will orient the student to the site and provide information, contacts, and resources for completing the clinical internship.
Preceptors will facilitate experiences that immerse students in the provider role.
Preceptor will complete a brief online training module as well as work with students' Course Instructors.
Preceptor will verify a students' hours and provide a mid-term and end of term evaluation of the students' progress.
Preceptors will receive no monetary compensation from WGU.

All clinical hours must be completed working with a preceptor.

Student Talking Points:

Why: The WGU FNP program is preparing me to become a primary care provider through required clinical internship experiences. These experiences, obtained during the clinical internship courses, provide me with an opportunity to apply what I have learned during my family nurse practitioner specialty courses in a real-world setting.

What: These experiences are precepted learning opportunities that will help me develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the role of an Advanced Practice Nurse by delivering care to individuals across the lifespan.

When: I am required to complete a minimum of 650 direct patient care clinical hours distributed across 3 clinical internship courses.

Clinical Internship I - minimum of 215 hrs.
Clinical Internship II - minimum of 215 hrs.
Clinical Internship III - minimum of 220 hrs.

How: The program prepares graduates to assess individuals, diagnose diseases, prescribe medications, and devise treatment plans for acute and chronic health conditions, as well as deliver disease prevention and health promotion within the full scope of FNP practice.

WGU MSN FNP Preceptor Orientation

Overview of Clinical Internships

Expectation of Clinical Hours

Full-Time: To complete the three internship courses in one 6-month term, you will need to follow the standard pace of the program and dedicate four 10-hour days or five 8-hour days per week until you reach 650 total direct patient care hours. Limit is 10 hours a day, no more than 40 hours in a week. Each clinical internship is scheduled to begin on the 1st of the month and will be spaced two months apart.

Part-Time: If you choose to complete your clinical hours on a part-time basis, then you will spend two 10-hour days or three 8-hour days per week in precepted clinical practice until you reach the required 650 direct patient care clinical hours. It’s important to note that a part-time schedule will increase the length of your program by one additional 6-month term. Limit is 10 hours a day, no more than 40 hours in a week. Each clinical internship is scheduled to begin on the 1st of the month and will be spaced three months apart.

Family Nurse Practitioner Internship I
Note: Heavier Supervisory role due to students first time in clinical practice.
This role requires 215 hrs. in this clinical internship.

Family Nurse Practitioner Clinical Internship I prepares the graduate nursing student to perform the role of an advanced practice nurse with the essential competencies and skills necessary to deliver primary care to individuals, families, and groups across the lifespan. In the precepted clinical setting, the student will combine competencies developed in preparatory advanced practice coursework to deliver consumer-centered healthcare. Therefore, the graduate will conduct advanced health assessments and utilize the competencies of advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health promotion for individuals and populations across the life span to build self-efficacy in individuals and groups, to determine correct diagnoses, and to establish plans of care that include consumer and population preferences.

Course Competencies: D122 | FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER CLINICAL INTERNSHIP I (215 HOURS)

Competency 7071.08.1 Assessing Patients across the Life Span
The graduate demonstrates advanced health assessment techniques that are comprehensive and focused to gather patient health data from the care of individuals and groups across the life span.

Competency 7071.08.2 Diagnosing Acute and Chronic Diseases across the Life Span
The graduate synthesizes subjective and objective data from across the patient life span to provide accurate diagnoses.

Competency 7071.08.3 Creating Evidence-Based Patient- and Family-Centered Health Plans
The graduate creates evidence-based and family-centered health plans including guidelines, clinical expertise, consumer preferences and values, organizational context, and resource limitations.

Competency 7071.08.4 Evaluating Patient-Centered Health Plans and the Modification of Health Plans
The graduate evaluates the effectiveness of patient health plans to modify the plan, offer additional education, or refer the patient to improve quality outcomes.

Competency 7071.08.5 Demonstrating Primary Care Procedures for the Family Nurse Practitioner
The graduate demonstrates advanced practice procedures needed to successfully perform job tasks in the primary care setting.

Family Nurse Practitioner Internship II
Note: Moderate Supervisory role with active coaching that pushes student beyond the comfort zone in order to provide growth opportunities.
This role requires 215 hrs. in this clinical internship.

Family Nurse Practitioner Clinical Internship II prepares the graduate nursing student to perform the role of an advanced practice nurse with the essential competencies and skills necessary to deliver primary care to individuals, families, and groups across the lifespan. In the precepted clinical setting, the student will combine competencies developed in preparatory advanced practice coursework to deliver consumer-centered healthcare. Therefore, the graduate will conduct advanced health assessments and utilize the competencies of advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health promotion for individuals and populations across the life span to build self-efficacy in individuals and groups, to determine correct diagnoses, and to establish plans of care that include consumer and population preferences.

Course Competencies: D123 | FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER CLINICAL INTERNSHIP II (215 HOURS)

Competency 7071.09.1 Assessing Patients across the Life Span
The graduate demonstrates advanced health assessment techniques that are comprehensive and focused to gather patient health data from the care of individuals and groups across the life span.

Competency 7071.09.2 Diagnosing Acute and Chronic Diseases across the Life Span
The graduate synthesizes subjective and objective data from across the patient life span to provide accurate diagnoses.

Competency 7071.09.3 Creating Evidence-Based Patient- and Family-Centered Health Plans
The graduate creates evidence-based and family-centered health plans including guidelines, clinical expertise, consumer preferences and values, organizational context, and resource limitations.

Competency 7071.09.4 Evaluating Patient-Centered Health Plans and the Modification of Health Plans
The graduate evaluates the effectiveness of patient health plans to modify the plan, offer additional education, or refer the patient to improve quality outcomes.

Competency 7071.09.5 Demonstrating Primary Care Procedures for the Family Nurse Practitioner
The graduate demonstrates advanced practice procedures needed to successfully perform job tasks in the primary care setting.

Family Nurse Practitioner Internship III
Note: Light Supervisory role with continued coaching that pushes students beyond comfort as they move towards expert practice.
This role requires 220 hrs. in this clinical internship.

Family Nurse Practitioner Clinical Internship III prepares the graduate nursing student to perform the role of an advanced practice nurse with the essential competencies and skills necessary to deliver primary care to individuals, families, and groups across the lifespan. In the precepted clinical setting, the student will combine competencies developed in preparatory advanced practice coursework to deliver consumer-centered healthcare. Therefore, the graduate will conduct advanced health assessments and utilize the competencies of advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health promotion for individuals and populations across the life span to build self-efficacy in individuals and groups, to determine correct diagnoses, and to establish plans of care that include consumer and population preferences.

Course Competencies: D124 | FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER CLINICAL INTERNSHIP III (220 HOURS)

Competency 7071.10.1 Assessing Patients across the Life Span
The graduate demonstrates advanced health assessment techniques that are comprehensive and focused to gather patient health data from the care of individuals and groups across the life span.

Competency 7071.10.2 Diagnosing Acute and Chronic Diseases across the Life Span
The graduate synthesizes subjective and objective data from across the patient life span to provide accurate diagnoses.

Competency 7071.10.3 Creating Evidence-Based Patient- and Family-Centered Health Plans
The graduate creates evidence-based and family-centered health plans including guidelines, clinical expertise, consumer preferences and values, organizational context, and resource limitations.

Competency 7071.10.4 Evaluating Patient-Centered Health Plans and the Modification of Health Plans
The graduate evaluates the effectiveness of patient health plans to modify the plan, offer additional education, or refer patients to improve quality outcomes.

Primary Care vs Specialty

Primary Care

Per AANP, “the provision of care at first contact for undifferentiated conditions, ongoing management of acute and chronic conditions, health promotion and care coordination.” In other words, healthcare at a basic rather than specialized level. Addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, and developing a sustained partnership with patients.

Examples: Pediatric clinics, family practice clinics, internal medicine clinics.

Specialty Hours

A maximum of 65 hours is allowed for the entire program, not 65 hours per specialty or course, but 65 hours total for the program. Some examples of specialty placements include neurology, oncology, radiology, psychiatry, orthopedics, ENT, functional medicine, obstetrician-gynecology, dermatology, pulmonology, nephrology, and weight management.

Note that specialty placements do not count towards the minimum number of required placements.

Telehealth Hours

WGU allows a maximum of 10% of total hours (65 hours total) from telehealth care visits during the entirety of the clinical internships.

a. FNP students must be licensed in the state(s) where their preceptor’s telehealth clients are receiving care.

b. Must be delivered synchronously whether the student is physically present with the preceptor or joining a session remotely after the preceptor starts the visit.

i. The student cannot begin the session without the preceptor. ii. The student cannot be virtually or physically present with the patient before the preceptor joins remotely.

Quality Placements - students are required to find a minimum of two quality placement locations and a preceptor at each site. Students will need to submit site placement details for all three internships in order to pass D117.

Must be an ambulatory, outpatient facility. No hospitals, rehabilitation, or skilled nursing centers.
Students must have lifespan experience during clinicals (pediatrics through geriatrics).
Students are allowed one urgent care placement for a maximum of 220 hours total.
General cardiologists can be considered for a primary care placement for a maximum of 220 hours.

Compliance Requirements

Do not send any personal health records to WGU. We cannot accept, view, or store personal health information in accordance with HIPAA regulations. For compliance questions, students should email clpscompliance@wgu.edu with “FNP Compliance Questions” in the subject line of the email.

NOTE: there is a $80 student-incurred fee for a 36 month subscription.

The COVID-19 vaccine, although not required by WGU for the FNP Program, may be required by your placement site.

Documentation of immunity to communicable diseases and screening for tuberculosis is stringently required for all FNP students at WGU. Even if a student is seeking placement with their employer, a fully compliant ADB account is required, as employment status and placement are not interrelated.

Compliance Steps

1. Create or Update your Complio/American Databank Account.

You will complete these requirements by either updating an existing account you previously created upon enrollment or by creating a new account.

Access Complio

2. Order the "Nurse Practitioner Compliance Package".

Utilize the shopping cart in the top right of your Complio account to:

Place an Order
Select Program - Nurse Practitioner
Select Your State of Residence
Click on Load Packages
Purchase the Nurse Practitioner Bundle

Utilize this link for access to step by step instructions: Ordering your Nurse Practitioner Immunization Tracking Package.

3. Upload proof of vaccination or proof of immunity (positive antibody titer) as well as a negative tuberculosis test.

MMR
TDAP
Varicella
Influenza
Hepatitis B

Titer results for the above pathogens must be positive. A negative result will require additional boosters doses. Verification of immunity to communicable diseases may include documentation of vaccinations and/or serologic evidence of immunity via IgG antibody titer screenings.

Tuberculosis

Verification of immunity against Mychobacterium tuberculosis requires a negative skin tests, blood test or chest x-ray.

Use this form as a reference on what is needed to complete each compliance item: Compliance Requirements Information Pages (ADB)- FNP.

Immunization records must have:

Patient full name
Date of test or vaccine
Test results
Facility or physician office where completed

We cannot accept handwritten immunization records/cards.

A declination form is not appropriate unless there is a documented medical limitation to a vaccine. In order to decline a compliance item, you will need to submit an Exception Request within American DataBank/Complio providing documentation of necessity with proof from your Physician. It will be reviewed by the WGU Compliance Team and if the exception is approved you may receive a final declination form to fill out.

4. Proof of CPR and Health Insurance.

CPR card BLS through AHA - front & back required
Proof of Health Insurance - front & back required

5. HIPAA Training - WGU can only accept Training through American DataBank.

Purchase HIPAA ONLY Package

HIPAA Training is included in the Nurse Practitioner Bundle
Training modules must be completed within the American DataBank (1 HIPAA module)
Once purchased, you will receive your training materials via email within1 - 3 business days from ADB. Please keep an eye out for those!
You must complete the training within 90 days of purchase(no refunds will be issued if it expires)
Please visit this link for more information about HIPAA training
Upon completion of the training, you must upload your Certificate of Achievement to the HIPAA Category in your Complio account. If you are unable to find your Certificate of Achievement you can access the link below for step by step instructions. Accessing your Certificate of Achievement

6. OSHA Training - WGU can only accept Training through American DataBank.

OSHA Training is included in the Nurse Practitioner Bundle
Training modules must be completed within the American DataBank (13 OSHA modules)
Once purchased, you will receive your training materials via email within1 - 3 business days from ADB. Please keep an eye out for those!
You must complete the training within 90 days of purchase(no refunds will be issued if it expires)
Please visit this link for more information about OSHA training
Upon completion of the training, you must upload your Certificate of Achievement to the OSHA Category in your Complio account. If you are unable to find your Certificate of Achievement you can access the link below for step by step instructions. Accessing your Certificate of Achievement

ONLY complete the items below if advised to do so by your WGU Placement Coordinator.

Add-on Compliance Packages have an additional fee associated.

Background Check

Please renew before it expires. It must be current throughout your entire program. Your site may require you to renew your background check sooner than two years (some sites may require a background check to be within six months, one year, etc.). (Additional Fee)

Please note you may have completed this upon admission to WGU. Your background check expires after two years and must be current throughout your entire FNP program. There may also be a site-specific requirement of an additional background check. You will be notified, by your Placement Coordinator, if your placement requires an additional or updated background check.

Physical Exam

Site-Specific. Only needed if advised to do so by your Placement Coordinator.
(Additional Fee)

The WGU Physical Exam Form must be completed by a licensed M.D., N.P., C.N.M., or P.A. Once you have completed your physical examination, you will upload the signed form into the Miscellaneous Sub-Category within your American Data Bank account.

10 Panel Drug Screening

Site-Specific. Only needed if advised by your Placement Coordinator. (Additional Fee)

To order a drug screening within your ADB/Complio compliance account, please complete the following steps:

Log into your Complio account at wgucompliance.com
Select Place Order in the top right of your Complio account next to the shopping cart icon
Select Program from the drop-down menu
Select Location/State from the drop-down menu
Click the Load Packages button
From the Screening Section – Select Drug Screening 10 Panel

After you purchase the drug screening package, you will receive an email with materials and directions guiding you to complete the screening at a testing center nearest you. Your drug screen voucher expires 30 days from purchase. Some clinical sites require drug screening to be completed within a certain time-frame in relation to your start date, i.e 30 days from your start date.

WGU cannot accept a drug screening from any other source besides our affiliate.

NOTE: Your drug screening sample can take up to 3 days to process, so please plan accordingly. The results will automatically post to your Complio account. However, please email CLPSCompliance@wgu.edu when you have completed the screening so we can update your compliance status.

Download Compliance FAQ

Compliance requirements align with site contractual/legal expectations and practicesthat have become standard in the healthcare industryand are required to meet the legal liability for your internshipswithin a healthcare setting. The compliance requirements help to reduce communicable diseases in the healthcare setting, ultimately keeping you, patients, and healthcare workers safe during your internships.

Yes, you will need to complete the compliance requirements. You are not considered an employee during your clinical internship, even if you are employed at the same site. Your employment status and your FNP Internship are not interconnected.

To submit your compliance documentation, you will need to order an immunization-tracking package within your American DataBank account. The website address is wgucompliance.com.

Yes, the immunization-tracking subscription is $50 for a 36 month subscription. There may be fees associated with the purchase of additional site-specific compliance items (i.e., drug screening, updated background check if necessary, etc.) Please check the American DataBank website for these specific costs.

Standard compliance must be completed in order to pass D117. Students must remain compliant throughout their program. Students must be complaint and complete any site specific requiremetns prior to receiving a clearance email from the Clinical Learning and Placement Support Team. You must be cleared by the Clinical Learning and Placemetnt Support Team before you can begin your first and all subsequent internships.

No, please do not send any personal health records to your Placement Coordinator, as WGU cannot accept or store personal health information in accordance with HIPAA regulations. All compliance documentation must be submitted to your account within the American DataBank.

You can obtain the documentation for your RN license from your state-specific Board of Nursing website or Nursys online service. Nursys’ website address is nursys.com. To submit proof of your current nursing license, you can upload a screen capture or picture.

The background check that you completed upon admission to WGU is valid for two years. If your background check is more than two years old, you will need to purchase a new one in order to meet your compliance requirements. There may also be the request of a site-specific background check. If an additional background check is required,you will be notified by your Placement Coordinator.

You will need to order a drug screening through the American DataBank. Once the order is complete, you will receive an email with details on where to go to provide your sample to complete this requirement.

The physical form was included in your “Compliance Requirements Needed” email, but it can also be found in the Documents and Forms section. You will upload your completed physical exam form to the Miscellaneous Sub-Category within your American DataBank account.

Your employer may not require an up-to-date TB screening for your employment; however, your employment status and your internshipfor the Family Nurse Practitioner program are not interconnected. Therefore, to complete the compliance requirements, you will need to show proof of a current TB screening.

Unfortunately, WGU cannot assist you with logging into your compliance account with the American DataBank. To reset your password or to obtain your login credentials, please contact the American DataBank help line at (800) 200-0853.

Acceptable Compliance Document Descriptions. Access the full PDF here.

If you need assistance within the American Databank - Complio Account, please check the video links below for frequently asked questions or contact ADB Customer Service at (800) 200-0853.

Ordering a Drug Screen

Exceptions

WGU Affiliated Clinical Sites & Affiliation Agreements

A WGU affiliated clinical site is a health facility that has or is willing to enter into an Educational Affiliation Agreement with WGU.

You must secure placement a minimum of 2 quality, primary care Clinical Sites. Due to availability and other factors, WGU may not be able to accommodate clinical placements in all areas. As a result, travel to surrounding areas may be necessary.

Maximum number of placements per clinical internship course: 2
Maximum number of placements for the entirety of the program (2 per course): 6

Your Placement Coordinator will work with you to identify or establish Affiliation Agreements with Clinical Sites in your area.

NOTE: This is a legal contract negotiation process and can take 6 months or more to fully execute. Plan accordingly to avoid delaying your degree progression. The WGU Contract Outreach Team will work with the Clinical Site Contract Administrator to negotiate an Affiliation Agreement. The negotiation of these agreements take time as they go back and forth several times before they are signed by both WGU and the Clinical Site.

Once the agreement is complete, the WGU Contract Outreach Team will notify the Placement Support Coordinator if there are any additional site-specific requirements or onboarding. Note that it is ultimately the student's responsibility to make sure that any onboarding with the site is completed. Students will be notified, by Clinical Learning and Placement Support, of any additional site-specific requirements once the agreement has been fully executed and approved for student placement. These requirements might include additional site-specific onboarding, orientation, or compliance-related items such as a Drug Screen or Physical Exam.

Depending on the Agreement that WGU has with your Clinical Site, there may be additional requirements for you to complete. Your Placement Coordinator will guide you through the steps required for placement at your chosen Clinical Site. Every site has different requirements, and requirements often change. Please note that many of these requirements or 3rd party sites have additional student fees associated with them.

3rd Party on-boarding:

ACEMAPP
Castlebranch
My Clinical Exchange
San Diego Consortium

Site-Specific Documents and Forms:

Confidentiality Agreements
Criminal History Reports
Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approvals
Site Orientation and Badges

Review for Approval & Confirmation Email

Clinical Sites and Preceptors are approved for their ability to provide students with clinical experiences consistent with the course, certification requirements, and the mission of the school. You cannot engage in any Clinical Internship hours prior to receiving a Clearance Confirmation email from Clinical Learning and Placement Support Team.

Once you have:

Identified Clinical Internship Preceptors and Clinical Sites
Confirmed Preceptor Approval
Completed Compliance Requirements and any additional Site-Specific Requirements

Your records will be reviewed, in full, for Final Placement Approval. Some clinical sites require WGU's Placement Coordinators to send all of your documents to them for Clinical Site review or require additional onboarding through a 3rd party vendor, which can add to the amount of time it takes to review your placement.

Review times will vary depending on the requirements and time-frame of your Clinical Site.

Clearance confirmation email will come from CLPSFNP@wgu.edu. The email is sent to the student, Program Mentor, and assigned Course Instructor on the evening prior to your start date. The subject line says "Clearance Confirmation Email." You will receive a separate Clearance Confirmation email for each of the three internships.

Who is Involved?

Direct connections during the Clinical Placement Process will include:

Student. Students play an active role in helping to identify their Clinical Sites and Preceptors.

Placement Coordinator. Placement Coordinator is the primary point of contact for all communication and documentation required for placement.

Program Mentor. Program Mentor assists students with constructing and keeping their individualized plan as well as directing students to appropriate resources.

Supportive connections during the Clinical Placement Process will include:

Compliance Coordinator. Compliance Coordinator is the primary point of contact related to student compliance items (immunizations, background check, drug screens, etc.)

Outreach Coordinator. WGU Clinical Learning and Placement Support Team related to Affiliation Agreements with partnering Clinical Sites.

Student Facing Field Experience Page

You will access and complete the placement requirements within the student facing Field Experience Page. You can access the page within your Student Portal within the Student Support Tab under "Field Experience" or within your Degree Plan by clicking the Field Experience Button in the top right corner.

Tour of the New Field Experience Page

On the Field Experience Page, you can access key information regarding your Internships including:

Health Field Experience Start Date,
Current Placement Progress notes from your Placement Coordinator
A Field Experience Toolbox with links to key resources
Contact information for your Placement Coordinator and Program Mentor
Deadline Dates & Status of all Field Experience Requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions regarding WGU’s FNP Clinical Internship, Sites and Preceptors

The instructional cost of the multi-day clinical intensive workshop is included in your tuition. However, students are responsible for paying the travel, lodging, food, and other associated costs to attend and participate in the workshop as well as their clinical rotations.

Yes. Students will work with the Clinical Experience Team to submit potential clinical sites and preceptors for approval. WGU will evaluate the appropriateness of each clinical site and preceptor and provide approval as appropriate.

No, you can only complete clinical hours within the states where WGU’s FNP program is currently offered and where you possess a current unencumbered RN license. WGU’s FNP program is currently only offered in the following states.

Yes, the WGU FNP program prepares you to take the FNP national certification exam of your choice from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB) or the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Certification Program.

The number of clinical sites that you need is based on how well each site prepares you to meet the core WGU FNP competencies. Collectively, the clinical sites must provide you with access to patients across the lifespan, with sufficient experiences in treating the wide variety of conditions and full-spectrum of complexity found in primary care. In order to provide you with a more robust practice experience, you will need a minimum of 2 different preceptors located in 2 separate sites.

Maximum number of placements per clinical internship course: 2
Maximum number of placements for the entirety of the program (2 per course): 6

Specialty hours are defined as areas outside of the immediate Family Practice environment. These areas include and are not limited to: OB/GYN, orthopedics, pain management, aesthetics, and weight management. 10% of specialty hours may count towards their 650 Clinical Hours. A student may complete as many hours as they would like in these settings, however only 65 hours total will count toward the 650 total hours. Further information is here.

Any clinical hours at your current place of employment must not be part of your regular employment responsibilities or schedule. While your current place of employment may be approved as a clinical site, your preceptor may not be your direct supervisor.

The Clinical Skills Workshop occurs in the term just prior to starting the clinical internship courses (your final term). The Clinical Skills Workshop allows you to practice and demonstrate competence in procedural and clinical-skills prior to starting precepted clinical practice. The ambulatory skills that will be taught and evaluated as part of the Clinical Skills Workshop include suturing, splinting & casting, skin biopsies, joint injections, foreign body removal, as well as other ambulatory care skills. After the Clinical Skills Workshop, you will be ready to maximize the time with your clinical preceptors in perfecting your ambulatory skills in the clinical internship courses.

Documents and Forms:

Clinical Internship Documents:

Explanation of Clinical Internships

FNP Clinical Information Session PPT

FNP Clinical Information Session Video Recording

Preceptor Criteria

Preceptor Orientation

Clinical Education Handbook

Compliance Documents:

Annual TB Screening Form

Compliance FAQ

Compliance Form (ADB) Required Documentation

Ordering Your Immunization Tracking Package

WGU Physical Form

3rd Party on-boarding:

ACEMAPP
Castlebranch
My Clinical Exchange
San Diego Consortium

Site-Specific Documents and Forms:

Confidentiality Agreements
Criminal History Reports
Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approvals
Site Orientation and Badges

FNP Clinical Internship Placement