AACN survey provides insights into clinical placements

The challenge of obtaining adequate, high-quality clinical placements for graduate nursing students emerged as a primary concern in a recent survey by the AACN-AONL advisory committee. In the October issue of Nurse Leader, Judy A. Beal, DNSc, RN, and Deborah Zimmermann, DNP, RN, co-chairs of the advisory committee, shared findings from the survey. Because most graduate programs are at least partially online, schools may not have relationships with clinical entities in the areas where students reside, leaving students to obtain their own practicums. Most schools reported they do not currently pay for clinical preceptors, but some do, and there is widespread concern the practice will spread. In reviewing the findings, committee leaders concluded chief nursing officers and nursing school deans need to work together to resolve clinical placement problems. The American Association of College of Nursing (AACN) surveyed 306 of its member nursing schools.