VUMC nursing student placement clearance process outlined

VUMC Nursing Student Placement with the department of Nursing Education & Professional Development hosts students from schools all over the nation.  In the academic year of 2019-2020, VUMC hosted 3,117 students of various student roles (including but not limited to advanced practice, informatics, technologists, BSN, and LPN students) . 

Situation:  There is a clearance process students, including students who are current VUMC employees, must go through in preparation for starting a school clinical rotation at VUMC.

Background:  VUMC student placement partners with various departments to process, onboard, and clear students and clinical instructors each semester.  Students (please see below list) will need to submit a placement request form at least 8 weeks prior to their ideal clinical rotation start date if they have a VUMC preceptor.  If VUMC does not have a current affiliation agreement with the student’s school, it could take upwards of 6 to 8 weeks to finalize an agreement.  

Student Groups Processed by VUMC Student Placement

• Nurse Practitioner
• Physician's Assistant
• Nursing Leadership
• RN to BSN
• Nursing Education
• Nursing Informatics
• Surgical Technologist

Assessment:  Students should not submit a placement request form at the last minute (i.e. less than 8 weeks prior to their ideal clinical rotation start date).  Student start dates will have to be delayed and adjusted if placement request forms are not submitted according to the VUMC Nursing Student Placement clearance timeline.

Recommendation:  If students anticipate needing to complete a rotation with a preceptor at VUMC, it is suggested that students start working to secure clearance for their placements by at least one semester prior to the clinical rotation need so that the VUMC Nursing Student Placement clearance timeline can be reviewed and followed accordingly. 

VUMC requests that school administrators and/or faculty, in addition to students, refrain from directly contacting VUMC providers (NPs and PA-Cs) to request and arrange placements.  NP, Physician’s Assistant, and/or DNP students in need of a VUMC preceptor (excluding physician preceptors), should apply for a preceptorship opportunity by following the instructions on the VUMC student placement website to submit an application for placement.

Please contact student.placement@vumc.org for any questions related to the VUMC Nursing Student Placement clearance process.