Planning Liberty clinicals in Idaho

Idaho for each Liberty track, and the state next door

Watch the third column if your home is near Coeur d'Alene, on the Washington border.

For most tracks, a lead across the Washington line is off the table. Liberty's state restrictions page lists every closed state by program.

Idaho's rules: what's settled and what isn't

Approval of nursing education programs offered inside Idaho falls under Idaho Code 54-1406 and the board's rules at IDAPA 24.34.01.150. Neither one addresses clinical placements arranged by programs based in other states. For schools outside Idaho, the board's page, under its heading for out-of-state and online programs, gives an address, hp-licensing@dopl.idaho.gov, to email about requirements and approval.

Rules that do reach students

• Under Idaho Code 54-1412, a student enrolled in an approved nursing education program is exempt from licensure while performing functions incident to formal instruction. The statute doesn't say whether an out-of-state program counts as approved.
• IDAPA 24.34.01.100.12.a covers an RN enrolled in a nationally accredited APRN program who has a current Idaho license or privilege. That RN may practice as an APRN when the practice is an integral part of the curriculum.
• Education Policy HP-BON-Education 1, which the board adopted on April 10, 2024, requires every nursing program's clinical preceptors to hold a license equal to or higher than the level the student is preparing for.

The same policy expects faculty teaching nursing courses to hold an Idaho RN license, and faculty leading APRN role and population courses an Idaho APRN license. How that applies to an online program based in Virginia is unclear, so confirm with Liberty's practicum team rather than settling it with a site.

Full practice, and who can precept

Idaho is a full practice state in AANP's ratings, and we found no transition period on record. If the board's 2024 policy reaches Liberty, an NP student's preceptor would need to be licensed at the student's target level or higher. Liberty's FNP criteria aren't public, and an older Liberty FAQ names PMHNPs and psychiatrists for PMHNP students; see preceptor requirements.

Boise and the rest of Idaho

The Boise City metro had about 864,000 people in the 2025 Census estimates, well ahead of Coeur d'Alene at about 192,000, Idaho Falls at about 174,000 and Twin Falls at about 124,000. The large systems in our research are Saint Alphonsus Health System, St. Luke's Health System and Kootenai Health in Coeur d'Alene. Community Health students might start with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. We found no Idaho preceptor incentive. If Liberty offers a site far from home, read declining a site for distance first.

Your license, and Idaho's other neighbors

Idaho's Nurse Licensure Compact membership took effect on January 19, 2018, and Liberty accepts either an Idaho RN license or a multistate one. Idaho hasn't enacted the APRN Compact. Montana, Wyoming and Utah are compact states approved by Liberty. Oregon and Nevada are approved too, but Liberty's pages ask for their own RN licenses, and its Oregon page requires APRN students to have the direct supervision of an appropriately licensed Oregon preceptor. More on the RN license for practicum page.

Why Idaho students choose us

We look for Idaho preceptors and sites that fit your Liberty track and prepare the preceptor and site details your Gate course needs, so any Idaho question Liberty raises can be answered quickly. The approval decision on each site and preceptor is Liberty's.