Questions Liberty nursing students ask about practicum placement
Short answers first, with a link to the page that covers each topic in full. Where Liberty's own sources disagree or say nothing, we say so and point you to whoever can settle it: usually the practicum team or your Gate course in Canvas.
Get your placement plan
Tell us your Liberty track and where you live. A placement advisor replies with what a Liberty-ready preceptor and site look like for you.
About us
Who are you? An independent placement service built for Liberty nursing students. Liberty's School of Nursing and its practicum team run the official process, Liberty signs off on each site and preceptor, and we bring the search and the preparation that feed it.
How long have you done this? Since student-found preceptorships became part of Liberty's nursing programs, which is why each search starts from Liberty's own rules rather than a generic checklist.
What exactly do you do? We search for a preceptor and site that fit your track, check them against Liberty's published rules, and help you prepare what the Gate course and the site contract need. You submit it. If a preceptor later withdraws, we search again. The full sequence is on how it works.
Liberty's own process
Who finds the preceptor at Liberty? It depends on the track. For FNP and PMHNP students, Liberty calls it a collaborative partnership: its practicum team aims to match you, and you are encouraged to bring leads. MSN students select their own facility and obtain a preceptor site contract.
What is a Gate course? A zero-credit course where, in Liberty's words, "Candidates will submit practicum requirements." FNP students take NURS 731, NURS 738 and NURS 739; MSN students take NURS 527. The Gate courses page lists the rest.
Is there a deadline for submitting a preceptor? Liberty publishes none in days. Follow your Gate course timing, and ask the practicum team for your own cut-off.
Hours, telehealth and states
How many hours do I need? 1,050 for the FNP and PMHNP DNPs, 504 for the PMHNP certificate per the catalog, at least 560 for the post-master's DNP, 300 for each MSN track and 16 for the RN-to-BSN. The clinical hours page has the sources.
Can I do clinicals by telehealth? PMHNP students may, for up to 50% of practicum hours. FNP students may not use telehealth sites at all. Other tracks have no published rule, so ask first.
Which states are closed? For the NP tracks, Liberty will not place practicums in California, New York, Washington, DC or the US territories. Other tracks have shorter lists; see state restrictions.
Preceptors and sites
Who can precept me? Liberty has not published a list for FNP. An older Liberty FAQ names PMHNPs and psychiatrists for PMHNP students. Most MSN tracks need an MSN- or doctorally prepared preceptor, and Informatics needs an experienced informatics clinician.
Can I use my workplace? For MSN students, the older handbook allowed it if the hours are unpaid, an affiliation agreement is in place and you work in a different unit or department. We found no current rule for NP tracks.
Do preceptors get paid? Liberty says any fee a site or preceptor charges is between you and the site. Whether Liberty itself pays NP preceptors today is not public.
Cost and commitment
How much does your help cost? It depends on your track, location and timing, so we quote in writing. The cost page explains the factors.
Do I have to commit before I know the price? No. You see the written quote and our terms first, and nothing starts until you agree.
Is anything left outside your quote? Yes. Any fee a site or preceptor charges sits outside it, because Liberty says you negotiate that directly with the site. So do Liberty's own compliance and software costs, such as the background check, drug screen and InPlace.
How do you help my site get approved? Liberty gives the final approval. Every lead is measured against Liberty's published rules first, and we prepare a complete file, so the practicum team reviews a site that already fits your track.
When plans go wrong
My preceptor dropped out. What now? Tell your practicum team and course faculty, then tell us, and we search again. The preceptor dropped out page covers the order of steps.
The site Liberty offered is too far away. Liberty's rule is that a student who declines a provided site because of distance will be asked to identify a new site. Line up an alternative before you decline.
Liberty turned down my site. Ask for the reason. A credential gap, a contract issue and a state rule each need a different fix.
I'm behind on hours partway through a course. Talk to your course faculty first about what the course allows. For DNP practicum hours, the catalog lets NURS 843 be repeated, within limits, to finish the total. More on behind on clinical hours.
Questions Liberty students ask
Does Liberty accept preceptors that an outside service finds?
Liberty's pages say nothing about how a lead was found. They encourage students to take an active role in finding placements and say every site and preceptor must be approved. A lead from us goes through that same review as one you found yourself, because you are the one who submits it.
Should I turn down the practicum team's site for one you find?
Talk to the practicum team before declining anything. Liberty's pages say a student who declines a provided site because of distance will be asked to identify a new site, so have a realistic alternative before you say no. We help build that alternative, and the decision and the conversation with Liberty stay yours.
Do I need my own malpractice insurance for practicum?
The 2022-23 MSN handbook says Liberty provides malpractice coverage for BSN, MSN and DNP students in required practicums, but only for Liberty-scheduled practicum and clinicals. Shadowing and work outside that are not covered. Current policy limits are not public, so confirm with Liberty. More on the malpractice page.
What if I move to another state mid-program?
Tell Liberty through the State Change Notification form, because an address change in myLU is not an official change. Then check the new state on Liberty's licensure lookup for your track, and make sure your RN license is valid there. Your practicum plan may need to move with you.
Does Liberty require ACLS or PALS for practicum?
We found no public Liberty requirement for ACLS or PALS on any track. Liberty requires American Heart Association BLS for Healthcare Providers with AED, and older Liberty documents say only AHA cards are accepted. Individual sites can add their own requirements, so ask each site before your start date.
Is the FNP intensive in person or online?
Liberty's sources disagree. The current FNP program page says the one required intensive is offered virtually, while Liberty's in-person components page lists it with on-campus requirements, and the 2024 plan described a residential week. Check your course in Canvas and the Course Registration Tool for your section.
How long does a placement search take?
It varies. The biggest factors are your track, how many suitable clinicians work near you and how quickly sites return paperwork. Starting when your Gate course opens, or earlier, leaves room for Liberty's review and any state board notice, such as Alabama's 15-day rule.
Related pages
Last checked 2026-09-23
We check these pages against Liberty's own published sources. The practicum team and Liberty's current handbook have the final word.
More leads, sooner, for your practicum.
Tell us your Liberty program, your county and when your practicum starts. We look for a preceptor and site that fit Liberty's rules for your track, and help you get the Gate-course paperwork right.
- Matched to your track: FNP, PMHNP, DNP or MSN
- Paperwork ready for the Gate course and the site contract
- In person near you, or telehealth where your track allows it
Start your placement plan
A placement advisor replies with what a Liberty-ready preceptor and site look like for you.