Preparing for Clinicals: 13 Essential Questions To Ask Before You Start

Embarking on your clinical rotations can be both exciting and nerve-racking. To help ensure your success, it's crucial to be prepared. According to our preceptors, here are 13 essential questions to ask before you start your clinicals. Knowing the answers to these can help you prep for success! 

1. Is there someone who can orient me, and if so, who will that be? 

Understanding whether there will be an orientation and who will be responsible if there is one is useful. This person will help you get acquainted with the clinical environment and the expectations. The person orienting you might be the preceptor, a medical assistant, or another student. In some cases, there is no one, and you may just have to jump in and figure things out yourself. It’s great to know this information ahead of time!

 2. Will I be able to shadow you, and if so, for how long?

Determine the duration and extent of shadowing. This varies based on the student’s experience level and the preceptor’s preference. Clarify this to ensure you’re on the same page. Some preceptors might expect you to jump right in, while others may have a structured shadowing period. 

 3. Can you describe how you typically precept nurse practitioner students?

Understanding the preceptor’s approach is essential. Will you start by shadowing, then conducting patient histories, followed by joint exams and planning with the preceptor? This is a fairly typical approach, but it can really vary from preceptor to preceptor. Especially if you have someone who's never precepted, they might think that you're more prepared than you are. Or, the opposite may be true. Perhaps you've been doing clinicals for a while, and you're ready for more independence, but your preceptor is thinking all you're going to do is shadow. Try to have a conversation and clarify things.

 4. What is the typical length of patient visits, and how many patients are seen daily?

Know the patient flow to manage your time effectively. You might need to see a specific number of patients per day to meet your program’s requirements. You might need to explain that you need to see at least eight patients a day or one per hour. It all depends on what your requirements are and what the preceptor will allow.

 5. Charting: Know what’s expected of students

Will you be allowed to chart? It is legal at a Federal level as long as certain protocols are followed, but is it allowed at the site? What is the preferred approach to charting? Will you do mock charting? If the student is allowed to use the EHR, will you receive any kind of EHR training? Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems can vary. Inquire about training and consider doing some preparatory research or watching tutorial videos. 
 
6. Who informs patients an NP student is working with the preceptor?

Understand who will notify patients about your involvement in their care. Whether it’s the front office staff, the medical assistant, the preceptor, or yourself, knowing this process is important for a smooth introduction. Occasionally, the student might just pop in and say, “Hi. I’m a nurse practitioner student who’s working with Dr. Smith today. If it’s ok with you, I’ll be starting our visit. Then, Dr. Smith will be in, and we’ll finish together. Would you be comfortable with that?” Someone should ask the patient’s permission, but there are ways to do this and receive a willing response. If you sense hesitation, reassure the patient that it’s ok if they prefer not to have a student during the visit. We need to respect the patient’s wishes.

7. Is there a particular way that you want me to “report” the patient to you? 
Everyone is different, and it's helpful if you can get a quick explanation of your preceptor’s presentation style preference. (Check out our Resources Page for the Video Vignettes on Precepting link to the NONPF page.)

 8. What are the preceptor’s expectations regarding your schedule and attendance?

Clarify the preceptor’s schedule expectations. Be prepared to match the preceptor’s hours and avoid frequent absences or early departures. Communicate any necessary schedule changes in advance, but respect the preceptor’s requirements. Students really need to plan their schedules and lives. Here are some frequent complaints we hear from preceptors: 

• “She chose to go to school at this time. So she really needs to be there the whole time I am there and stop leaving half-day.”
• “I’m tired of the excuses. This is his education. He needs to use every minute he can to learn.”
• He/she is always late or leaving early! I’m tired of excuses about traffic, kids, or homework. It was his/her decision to go to school at this time of his/her life."

 9. Have you precepted a nurse practitioner student before?

This question helps gauge the preceptor’s experience with NP students and may influence their teaching style and expectations. If they have only precepted med students or therapy students, there may be a different level of expectation. 

 10. What is the dress code, and what should I bring?

Confirm the required attire and necessary items such as scrubs, lab coats, name tags, lunch, books, apps, a computer, and a notebook. 

 11. Where should I park?

Find out about parking arrangements, including any associated costs and specific locations.

 12. What are the most common diagnoses in this practice?

I always recommend that you ask the 10 to 20 most common diagnoses that you'll be seeing in the practice. Then, study those so that you know how to take a good history, write a good SOAP note, make an appropriate plan, and know the most commonly used drugs and associated therapeutics for the conditions seen.

 13. Is there anything else I should know?

This open-ended question can reveal additional expectations or information that can help you better prepare. (Also, check out our Resources Page for the Video Vignettes on Precepting link to the NONPF page.)

Preparation is key, so take the initiative and clarify these points with your preceptor. If you think of other important questions, feel free to share them with us. This is "Real-World Precepting"—practical, honest, and designed to set you up for success.
Keep on learning and prep for success!

About the Author: Lynn McComas, DNP, ANP-C, is an experienced nurse practitioner and an expert on the topic of precepting. Determined to make a difference in “the Preceptor Problem,” Lynn went on to obtain her Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) at the esteemed Duke University, where she focused on finding solutions to the preceptor shortage. She is the owner and founder of PreceptorLink®. The company’s goal is to simplify and streamline the process of preceptor matching while maintaining quality and professionalism throughout.