Our clinical placement team will work closely with you to provide a seamless placement experience, making sure your rotations meet University and national guidelines. They will handle the logistics of identifying and securing quality placement sites within your local community, allowing you time to focus on your coursework. This complimentary service is built-in to the program; there are no extra fees for this benefit.
Tiffany Sharpe, Elmhurst University's dedicated clinical placement coordinator, discusses the numerous and invaluable ways she will support you during the most important part of your nursing education--your clinicals.
Our clinical placement team will work closely with you to provide a seamless placement experience, making sure your rotations meet University and national guidelines.
Hands-on patient care in clinical settings is a requisite component of a nursing degree. During your clinicals, with the supervision of a licensed RN, you’ll practice what you learned in the online classroom on real patients.
During clinical rotations, nursing students are under the direct supervision of a licensed RN. Clinicals are very similar to an internship or being an apprentice; you provide care for real patients, but you benefit from the supervision and guidance of your preceptor and indirect supervision and support from Elmhurst faculty.
The clinical placement team identifies and secures quality placement sites and preceptors in your local community. We manage this process for you so that you’ll have time to focus on your coursework and the core competencies you’ll need to succeed and graduate fully prepared.
You will work directly with a preceptor who is a licensed RN and have additional support from your Elmhurst clinical faculty supervisor. You’ll begin your clinicals after the required background checks and physical examinations are successfully completed.
Nursing clinicals can require students to work shifts as long as 12 hours. You’ll work under an experienced nurse who will coach you throughout the process. During your clinical rotations, you’ll gain practical experience by learning assessment skills, care coordination, patient advocacy and much more.
Your placement coordinator will be with you through the entire process by answering your questions, verifying your clearance requirements and walking you through the nursing clinicals checklist. The checklist details the dress code, clinical tools and professional expectations to ensure your success throughout each rotation.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Reviewing objectives for fulfilling clinical requirements
- Providing your preceptor with daily written objectives and evaluation forms
- Reviewing existing clinical protocols and Elmhurst University’s protocols with your preceptor
- Documenting all clinical encounters using a SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Plan) format
- Ensuring you are always under the supervision of your preceptor
Your preceptor is your on-site role model and will help you develop as a nurse during your clinical rotation. He or she will:
- Bridge the gap between theory and actual practice
- Orient you to the practice setting (key personnel, organization, and institutional policies)
- Help you plan clinical assignments
- Provide one-on-one supervision and daily feedback
- Review and co-sign all documentation in the clinical records
Need more information?
Our dedicated enrollment advisors are prepared to answer any of your clinical placement questions. You’ll also be able to discuss admission requirements, tuition rates, program requirements and course descriptions.
Simply fill out the form on this page to be contacted, or you can schedule your own appointment here.
