How to ask a clinician to precept you, and what NKU gives them back

Be precise about the commitment, because vague asks get vague answers. NKU frames each rotation as seven weeks and roughly 125 to 150 student hours, and it asks preceptors to be available on two or three days of each week. NKU's preceptor home page lists the clinical terms well ahead, so a preceptor can check the exact weeks before saying yes.

The clinician also has to qualify. NKU looks for a clinician with a year or more in their present role and degree level, a license with no encumbrance, a practice in a state NKU approves, a job at the site where you would train, and spare capacity under NKU's ratio limit. Relatives, friends, roommates, your own provider and your supervisor are out. Check the track-specific credentials on our preceptor requirements page before you reach out, so every ask goes to someone NKU can approve.

NKU publishes a clear list of what its preceptors receive. Every item on it belongs in your first message, because it answers the question every clinician weighs before saying yes: what is in it for me?

• A professional development provision. NKU pays each preceptor after the clinical term ends. The amount is not published, and a preceptor can opt out.
• Certification hours letters. On request to nppreceptors@nku.edu, NKU sends ANCC or AANPCP preceptor-hour letters.
• A thank-you letter every term. It includes a summary of the hours the preceptor supervised.
• Preceptor of the Year. An annual NKU award for active preceptors, open to nominations from students.
• Light repeat paperwork. Returning preceptors skip the CV step unless theirs has changed.

Students never pay NKU's preceptors. NKU's FAQ is explicit that the university provides the professional development provision, which keeps your request simple: you are asking for teaching time, and NKU handles the thanks.

NKU pays through Workday. According to NKU's preceptor FAQ, the preceptor receives a Workday supplier invitation in week 3 of the term, sets up an individual supplier account, and chooses direct deposit (ACH) or a paper check; ACH arrives faster. The money goes out once the term is over, and NKU allows up to seven weeks for it to arrive.

Two details help a preceptor plan. NKU has asked preceptors to verify all of the student's hours before payment, so weekly Medatrax verification keeps things moving. NKU also mails a 1099 in late January when a preceptor's payments for the year pass the federal reporting threshold.

If a preceptor's employer bars outside payment, the provision is optional and they can decline it. Earlier in 2026 NKU used PaymentWorks for the same payment, so a returning preceptor may remember a different system. Payment questions go to NKU's preceptor team at nppreceptors@nku.edu.

NKU's Preceptor of the Year award recognizes active NKU preceptors, and its criteria include precepting on average four students a year. Students, faculty and nursing administration can all nominate, using the online form on NKU's award page, and nominations close on November 1.

NKU presents it each December, at the yearly meeting of the CHHS School of Nursing. For a clinician who teaches often, that is public recognition from a university, and it costs you only a well-written nomination.

Mention the award when you ask, and follow through at the end of a good rotation. A nomination is one of the most concrete thank-yous a student can give, and a preceptor who has taught several NKU students over the year may already meet the four-student criterion.

1. Say who you areYour NKU track, the course number (for example MSN 651L) and the session dates from NKU's calendar.
2. State the commitmentSeven weeks, about 125 to 150 hours, two to three days a week, at the clinician's own site.
3. Name what NKU gives backThe professional development provision, ANCC or AANPCP hours letters, the thank-you letter with hours and the Preceptor of the Year award.
4. List the paperworkA CV or resume, license, the Preceptor Responsibilities form (an Adobe Sign e-form) and a Medatrax Preceptor Profile. Our paperwork guide covers each item.
5. Make questions easyOffer a short call, and give nppreceptors@nku.edu for anything you cannot answer.
6. Follow up once, politelyA week later, resend the key facts. A clear yes or no by then leaves time inside NKU's 90-day window.

• "I don't have time for paperwork." NKU's list is short: a CV or resume, a license, one e-signed form and a Medatrax profile. After the first rotation, the CV only changes when theirs does.
• "My employer won't let me accept payment." The provision is optional, and preceptors can opt out.
• "How much of my week is this?" Two to three days, for seven weeks.
• "Who supports me if something goes wrong?" Your Clinical Instructor for the course, and NKU's Clinical Operations and Outreach team at nppreceptors@nku.edu.
• "Does my site need a contract?" If the organization has no NKU affiliation agreement, the preceptor points you to the right site contact and NKU negotiates the agreement.

Clinicians who want the full picture from their side can read our page for clinicians asked to precept.

Cold outreach eats weeks: unanswered emails, clinicians who say maybe, and yeses that arrive after the 90-day window. Our placement desk contacts track-matched clinicians in NKU-approved states near your home, leads with the NKU benefits above, handles the follow-ups and answers the practical questions that stall a yes.

When a preceptor agrees, we collect every document NKU asks of them, plus the right site contact, so your Medatrax request goes in whole. NKU approves every preceptor; we make sure the one you submit meets its rules the first time. When a clinician says no, we move straight to the next qualified name. If your own network has run dry, our preceptor search help is the place to start, or use the form below.