Advanced nursing students face an uphill battle securing clinical placements, often navigating a fractured educational system that can leave them unprepared to enter the workforce, Bloomberg Businessweek reported Dec. 16.
The report, part of Bloomberg's series on the education and evolving role of NPs in the U.S. healthcare system, examines how current shortcomings in clinical training may affect the quality of care delivered by NPs.
Five takeaways:
1. The nation's growing demand for NPs — and their increasing responsibilities in healthcare — has outpaced the development of comprehensive education and training programs, according to Bloomberg. Many nursing programs provide little to no support for securing clinical rotations, forcing students to rely on personal connections or expensive third-party matching services. Bloomberg's analysis found that between 2014 and 2023, most of the nation's 25 largest advanced nursing programs relied on master's and doctoral students to find their own preceptors. This patchwork system has resulted in widely variable preparation levels among NP graduates, which may threaten the quality of patient care once they begin practicing in healthcare settings.
2. Some NP students and industry leaders have expressed concerns about the lack of enforcement around clinical placements. Nursing schools are "responsible for ensuring adequate physical resources and clinical sites," according to the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, which accredits most nursing schools. Some students and educators have urged CCNE to adopt more stringent standards for NP education and require schools to pair students with preceptors.
3. These concerns have drawn attention to the role of accrediting bodies like CCNE. Former CCNE Accreditation Director Lori Schroeder told Bloomberg: "Graduation from an accredited program is not sufficient assurance" of student readiness. Benjamin Murray, deputy executive director for CCNE, said the organization's policies have changed since Ms. Schroeder left her role in 2019 and said that it has "appropriate and publicly available procedures and standards."
4. Alongside stricter accreditation standards, NPs and healthcare providers have also called for the implementation of standardized curriculum, mandatory in-person classes, stricter oversight of clinical placements and enhanced residency programs. However, achieving these reforms would require significant federal funding, which has historically been limited.
5. In a statement to Becker's, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners said it has consistently emphasized the importance of rigorous educational standards for NPs. The association also criticized Bloomberg's report for leaving out key details, including a new Department of Education rule that took effect in July, mandating higher educational institutions provide clinical opportunities necessary for licensure.
"AANP supports students who are pursuing their academic goals and DOE's continued efforts to ensure that all requirements are met by educational institutions across the country," AANP President Stephen Ferrara, DNP, told Becker's.
Read the full report here.