New York and Liberty practicum: closed for NP hours, open for the rest

Which Liberty programs can train in New York

Liberty's state licensure lookup gives New York two answers. Nurse practitioner training is closed. The non-NP programs are open, each with the same license condition.

New York's rule for out-of-state programs

Before an out-of-state or online nursing program places students in clinical rotations in New York, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) says it "must be registered or approved by NYSED." The exception is federal U.S. Armed Forces and Veterans Administration facilities. NP students need the NP program itself to be registered, and NYSED warns that rotations outside a registered program could be illegal.

According to NYSED's college evaluation office, a clinical placement counts as physical presence, so the Office of the Professions has to grant prior approval or an exemption. SARA membership doesn't change that for out-of-state schools. Liberty's NP closure cites New York's educational and license regulations for nurse practitioners.

For the open tracks, we found no public record of how Liberty stands with NYSED. Ask the practicum team before you approach a New York facility, and get the answer in writing.

NP student in New York: training across the line

Liberty's page says students "may be eligible to complete practicum in an approved state." The New York-Newark-Jersey City metro crosses into New Jersey, which puts an approved state within reach for many downstate students. Upstate students may look east or south instead.

What Liberty's pages say about the neighbors

• New Jersey: Liberty sends program, preceptor and site information to the New Jersey board before the clinical start date.
• Connecticut and Massachusetts: Liberty's NP pages ask for that state's own RN license, with no multistate option.
• Pennsylvania and Vermont: approved for NP practicum like the other open states; read your program's page for the license wording.

Whichever state you pick, you need an RN license valid there, since your New York license doesn't travel. Write to APRN.DNPPracticum@liberty.edu before you commit, and see our RN license guide for how the compact fits in.

Licensing: New York stands outside the compact

New York isn't a Nurse Licensure Compact member, and no bill is pending. NYSED points RNs licensed in other states to its New York licensure checklist, because a multistate license issued elsewhere doesn't cover practice here. For the open Liberty tracks, that means a New York RN license before your first hour.

One note for Lynchburg's residential BSN students heading home: Liberty's New York page says applicants from out-of-state RN programs need NYSED's child-abuse course and infection-control coursework. Liberty says its program can meet those requirements.

Practice rules, systems and metros

AANP lists New York as full practice, with a catch: an NP below 3,600 practice hours needs a written practice agreement with a collaborating physician, plus protocols. For MSN and DNP students choosing a mentor, that is context rather than a Liberty rule.

Among the largest systems are the University of Rochester Medical Center, Mount Sinai Health System, NYC Health + Hospitals, Northwell Health and NewYork-Presbyterian. The main metros are New York City, Buffalo-Cheektowaga, Rochester and Albany-Schenectady-Troy. Treat these as places to ask, not approved sites; Liberty approves every facility and preceptor.

How we help New York students plan

If you're in an NP track, we search for preceptors in the approved state you choose, where your license is valid, and map out the commute with you. If you're in an MSN, DNP or RN-to-BSN track, we look for New York sites once the practicum team confirms the route, and handle the site paperwork with you. Tell us your track and timing.