Clinical Placement

Graduate Student Clinical Placement Policy and Procedure 

The University of South Alabama College of Nursing (USA CON) offers students a wide variety of clinical opportunities as required by their selected program of study. Clinical practice experiences, supervised and evaluated by faculty, promote the integration of new knowledge into advanced nursing practice. Because students are located across the nation and abroad, they have the flexibility to complete clinical requirements in approved clinical sites within a geographically accessible area.

The USA CON is ultimately responsible for locating and securing clinical sites and preceptors for students during the program. The USA CON also recognizes students have diverse needs related to scheduling and travel to clinical site rotations. Therefore, the USA CON encourages students to locate acceptable clinical sites and preceptors within their geographical area using their known professional network when possible. This process allows students to determine opportunities that fit their personal time commitments related to family and work.  

Upon enrollment in the first nursing course, students have access to the USA CON’s Department of Clinical Affairs staff and the department's Clinical Affairs Placement Site (CAPS). Clinical Affairs staff are available to assist students with the process of locating potential sites and preceptors as needed. The CAPS clinical placement system is used to manage all students' clinical placement approval requests.

A clinical placement must be identified to meet admission requirements. Students not meeting this requirement will be admitted conditionally pending the guarantee of future clinical site placement after the completion of 9 credit hours maximum of support courses (the 3 Ps). Students are encouraged to work with the Clinical Affairs staff to secure an appropriate clinical site and preceptor within the first semester of matriculation to be eligible for full admission. The USA CON will assist students, as needed, to identify appropriate sites but no guarantee of approved placement is offered. Should the USA CON or student be unable to secure clinical placement or the student be unwilling to accept placement identified by the USA CON, the student may request a transfer of completed academic credit to another institution. Transfer credit approval is only granted by the receiving institution and is not guaranteed.

Post-graduate certificate students admitted directly to the clinical specialty must provide evidence of a guaranteed clinical placement and preceptor to be granted full admission to the program.