NRSE 8920 and NRSE 8921: Ohio University's DNP practicums

Choosing a preceptor-mentor with faculty

Placement for these courses works differently from the MSN practicums. The DNP FAQ says clinical practice hours "are faculty-supervised, in collaboration with a preceptor or mentor, and are individualized based on the program of study. Faculty work closely with students in the selection of a preceptor-mentor and clinical setting." It also ties the hours to "the course objectives," which for these two courses means the project.

So the question is not only who can supervise practice time, but who can open doors for a change project: a leader or advanced practice clinician with standing in the organization where the project will run. Arrive at the faculty conversation with two or three candidates and a clear line on why each suits the project, and the selection moves quickly.

What a strong preceptor-mentor brings to a DNP project

• Authority, or a route to it, in the unit or organization the project aims to change
• Time across two terms, since NRSE 8921 builds on NRSE 8920
• Access to the data your evaluation plan depends on
• Commitment to see the project through to dissemination

Sequence, timing and the no-retake line

On the MSN-to-DNP sample schedule, the core runs six semesters with the practicums at the end: NRSE 7815 in the second fall, NRSE 8920 alongside NRSE 7817 the following spring, and NRSE 8921 on its own in the final summer. The tentative offerings table also lists NRSE 8920 in summer and NRSE 8921 in fall, which gives your advisor some flexibility if your program of study shifts.

The sample schedule also makes the end of week 14 the cutoff for each practicum's hours. The catalog marks both practicums "May not be retaken," while the Knowledge Center says any single course may be repeated once, a conflict covered on the failing or repeating page. Either reading makes a stalled practicum expensive in time, which is the strongest reason to confirm the site and mentor before the term.

How we support DNP practicum placements

We help you walk into the faculty conversation prepared. Your placement advisor hunts for preceptor-mentors and project sites within reach of home that suit your topic and population, confirms their availability across both practicum terms, and gathers credentials and site details before anything goes to faculty. The MSN-to-DNP program page shows where these courses fall in the whole degree.

The final choice is made with Ohio University faculty, who sign off on both mentor and setting; our job is that every option in front of them is documented in full and fits the rules. If a mentor leaves partway through, your advisor moves on a replacement right away, looking for someone who can pick the project up where it stands. Share your project idea in the form below.