Hands-on patient care in clinical settings is a requisite component of a nursing degree. During your clinicals, with the supervision of a licensed nurse practitioner (NP), you’ll practice what you learned in the online classroom on real patients. (ABSN students will practice under the supervision of a licensed registered nurse.)

Clinicals are very similar to an internship or being an apprentice; you provide care for real patients while benefiting from the supervision and guidance of your preceptor and indirect supervision and support from the Rockhurst faculty.  

You will be in close communication with your placement coordinator all the way through to graduation. He or she will ensure you complete all requirements and meet deadlines, will answer your questions, verify your clearance requirements, and walk you through the nursing clinicals checklist. The checklist details the dress code, clinical tools, and professional expectations to ensure your success in each rotation.

All clinical nursing experiences are slightly different because student nurses work in a variety of health care facility environments. You will begin your clinical rotations after the required background checks and physical examinations have been successfully completed. During your clinical rotation, you will be under the close supervision of your preceptor and the indirect supervision of a Rockhurst clinical faculty supervisor. You will be given specific instructions to follow while keeping the clinical practice guidelines in mind.

You’ll work with a dedicated Rockhurst placement coordinator who will walk you through the process and be your primary point of contact. Based on your goals and where you live, your placement coordinator will identify an appropriate site and preceptor for you within a reasonable driving distance.