What is the Practicum?

The Practicum is the required nursing practice component of the RN to BSN program. This 3 credit course provides an opportunity for the RN to BSN student to demonstrate baccalaureate level competencies in the practice setting by integrating the concepts and knowledge gained from other required courses in the RN to BSN program.

 

How many clinical hours are required?

A three (3) credit nursing practice course carries 135 hours of required contact time. Some of these hours will be completed in scheduled classes and / or meetings with the faculty for this course. This may mean you would need one full day a week for these experiences, generally during business hours Monday through Friday as it is difficult to arrange practicum experiences in evenings or on weekends.

 

How are arrangements made for my practicum?

The practicum is an independent self-directed learning experience. Each student is responsible for creating a personalized nursing practice learning experience with a BSN prepared nurse preceptor. The nursing practice experience should reflect the roles and responsibilities generally associated with the Bachelor's prepared professional nurse. The nursing practice site and preceptor for a student's practicum must be approved by the faculty for the course. A signed contract which includes practicum objectives and contact information for the preceptor must be in place before any nursing practice can be initiated. Your faculty for this course will discuss this with you when the course begins.

 

Where can I do my practicum?

Nursing practice hours can only be completed in agencies that the College of Nursing has a Clinical Affiliation with for the term (includes out of state students). Practica at a student's current place of employment are not encouraged. New contracts can be arranged, but take at least 6-8 weeks for processing. Contact the course faculty or the Undergraduate Program Office for more information on this process.

 

What will I be doing in my practicum?

The practicum should provide opportunities for the RN students to actively participate in nursing situations typically found in the preceptor's practice setting. Although some observation is permitted, the majority of the nursing practice time must be spend engaged in activities permitted for RN's as outlined in the Regulations for Nursing Practice in the State of Florida.

 

When should I start to plan my practicum experience?

Planning for the practicum should begin at least the semester before enrolling in the course.  Make an appointment with your advisor to be sure you have met the academic and university requirements for enrolling in this course.

 

RN students must make sure these documents are provided through the certifiedbackground.com process and retained on  Magnus Health Portal as it is a secure, web-based record management system (for more information refer to Background Check & Health Records). No nursing practice hours may be started until all documents and background check are in place. If documents are not in place by the stated deadlines(generally before each semester begins), the student will have to drop the course since delays in submission of required documentation delays the start of practice hours and student may not be able to complete the course requirements.

 

Note: Health information is confidential and may NOT be faxed to the College of Nursing. Health records are NOT kept in the College of Nursing files.