Become a Preceptor
A preceptor is one of the most important figures in a graduate nursing student's transition from classroom to clinic, helping them learn practical skills, master patient interaction, and navigate new work environments. By serving as a mentor to the next generation of nurse leaders, you'll sharpen your own practice while earning benefits like continuing education credits.
Contact Us
Ted Hannigan
Assistant Dean
Clinical Placements and Community Partnerships
617-552-2833
Practice Areas
Adult-gerontology nurse practitioners
provide primary preventive and chronic illness care for individuals throughout the entirety of adulthood, forming lasting bonds with patients over the course of their time together.
Family nurse practitioners
study and improve the health of individuals and families while identifying risk factors and preventing illness. They help patients throughout the entire lifecycle, diagnosing and managing common acute and chronic primary health care challenges.
Pediatric nurse practitioners
work with infants, children, adolescents, and their families, promoting wellness, preventing illness, conducting well-visit checkups, and treating common diseases and injuries.
Psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioners
focus on health and wellness, lead caregiving teams—paying particular attention to patients’ emotional, cognitive, and social functioning—and play key roles in clinical evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment. They also help people and communities recover after trauma or distress.
Women’s health nurse practitioners
provide comprehensive care to women, supporting their general health across the lifespan. They also provide sexual and reproductive health care to men.
“I precept for the love of the job, and for the love of teaching. But I also do it to keep me on my toes. ”
Benefits
As a preceptor for BC students you are a role model and mentor for the next generation of advanced practiced nurses. Your thought leadership and clinical training are an invaluable part of the student experience and we value your partnership.
BC preceptors have access to the following:
Full graduate-level tuition credit(s) (based on a minimum of 240 precept hours)
Discounts or fully compensated registration for the Massachusetts Coalition of Nurse Practitioners spring conference
Each preceptor receives a recertification credit in advanced practice indicating the hours precepting a BC student
All BC preceptors also enjoy:
25% discount on selected Professional Development and Continuing Education courses
Recognition as an Advanced Practice Clinical Preceptor
Invitation to Preceptor Appreciation Events, Pinnacle Lecture Series, and networking opportunities
Access to Boston College’s museums and cultural events, as well as opportunities to give guest lectures
Faculty letters of reference, editing of manuscripts, and résumé reviews
Voice magazine
A chance to attend BC home football games and “POPS on the Heights” through preceptor raffle
Responsibilities
The Connell School of Nursing values our relationship with each clinical preceptor and considers them to be a true strength of our program. Our preceptors create tangible benefits for everyone involved: Students gain real-world experience that’s only available in a clinical setting; preceptors inspire the next generation of nurses; and our faculty are strengthened by the working relationships they develop with preceptors and their strong clinical expertise.
Preceptor responsibilities include:
- Providing a mentoring and supportive learning environment for M.S. and D.N.P. students.
- Providing clinical instruction in conjunction with course clinical objectives.
- Reviewing course objectives and individual learning goals with students.
- Providing ongoing feedback to students regarding their clinical performance.
- Formally evaluating students' clinical performance at mid-term and end of semester.
- Providing a student with honest, timely feedback.
FAQ
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The NP preceptor is a licensed individual working in a clinical setting providing direct hands-on patient or client care who accepts a student into that practice so as to provide supervised clinical experience for the student. The preceptor is a role model, teacher and a direct supervisor of a NP student’s clinical practicum.
Preceptors must be licensed and credentialed in their field and have at least two years of experience in their field and have the capacity to mentor students for one day each week, with some flexibility in scheduling. If their schedule allows, additional days of precepting are welcome.
Preceptors are asked to continuously and honestly provide feedback on the student throughout the semester. A mid semester evaluation will be sent to you to let us know how the student is doing. The feedback is used to determine weaknesses and strengths so the clinical program director and preceptor can work together to ensure that the student is progressing as intended. Assessing clinical competency is a shared responsibility with clinical faculty.
Yes! We want to help and support you in your role as a preceptor and you may call us at any time. If you find a student is having difficulty, would like to discuss student progress, need to have a difficult discussion, or just have a question or concern, please contact your program director. We consider your role as a preceptor a true partnership.
Yes. At the end of each semester a verification letter is sent to you documenting your precepted clinical hours. This letter is signed by the Associate Dean of Graduate Programs and can be used in recertification.
Precepting with Boston College
Hear from current preceptors about their experiences precepting Boston College students.
Meet Our Staff
Ted Hannigan
Assistant Dean, Clinical Placement and Community Partnerships
Deborah Wenstrom
Assistant Director, Clinical Placement
Amanda Love
Clinical Placement Specialist