NURS 771, 772 and 838: Liberty's FNP practicums

The three FNP practicums as Liberty lists them

All three are primary care courses done under a preceptor, and all three ask you to provide "physical, psychosocial, and spiritual care," in line with the School of Nursing's Christian mission. The catalog plan runs them one per semester, in semesters 7, 8 and 9.

The course list shows NURS 838 at 4 to 5 credits, while the FNP plan uses 4. Go by the plan for your catalog year, and ask your advisor if your registration shows something different.

750 NP hours, with no published split

The FNP plan requires 1,050 practicum hours before graduation: 750 Nurse Practitioner hours across these three courses and 300 DNP practicum hours in NURS 840–843. The 2026-27 catalog stops at that total. It does not say how many of the 750 belong to NURS 771 as against NURS 772 or NURS 838.

An earlier plan did give numbers. It carried 1,232 hours and 78 credits, split the first two FNP practicums into NURS 740 and 741 and then NURS 743 and 744, and set NURS 838 at 5 credits and 280 hours. Those older courses still sit in the course list but are not in the current FNP plan. If your start date put you on that plan, your targets differ from a fall 2026 starter's.

Ask the course faculty or the practicum team for your term's per-course target before you commit a preceptor to a schedule. The clinical hours overview sets the FNP figures beside every other Liberty track.

Prerequisites and the FNP Gate courses

NURS 771 requires the three NP foundations: NURS 711 Advanced Physiology/Pathophysiology, NURS 712 Advanced Health Assessment for Nurse Practitioners and NURS 713 Advanced Pharmacology for Nurse Practitioners. It also requires NURS 731, the first FNP Gate course, and lets the concentration courses NURS 733, 734, 735 and 737 run alongside it. NURS 772 requires NURS 771.

The Gate courses carry zero credits, and in each one you "submit practicum requirements." The plan spaces them so paperwork runs ahead of the clinical work:

1. Semester 6: NURS 731Gate 1, one semester before any FNP clinical hours.
2. Semester 7: NURS 738 with NURS 771Gate 2 runs beside Practicum I.
3. Semester 8: NURS 739 with NURS 772Gate 3 runs beside Practicum II.
4. Semester 9: NURS 838 with NURS 820Practicum III shares the final term with the comprehensive exam.

The Gate course guide covers what each one collects and how early to start.

Who can precept, and in what setting

Liberty does not publish a list of FNP preceptor credentials. The course descriptions do tell you the setting: primary care, with patients across the lifespan, from wellness visits through acute and chronic problems. If a prospective preceptor sees adults only, ask the practicum team how that fits the lifespan wording before you commit.

Some states set their own bar, and Liberty's state pages repeat those rules. Missouri, for instance, accepts only an APRN who can prescribe, or a physician (MD or DO) whose prescriptive authority is unrestricted. In Oregon, APRN students need direct supervision by an appropriately licensed Oregon preceptor. The preceptor requirements page collects what is and is not public.

Telehealth is out for all three courses. Liberty's FNP page says telehealth sites are not allowed in the FNP program, so every one of the 750 NP hours happens in person.

What must be cleared before day one

Liberty's rule is short: finish every step in the placement process and become "fully compliant" before practicum starts. The DNP catalog and the FNP program page fill in what that means.

Before your first hour in NURS 771

• AHA BLS for Healthcare Providers with AED (military students may submit American Red Cross CPR)
• A background check and drug screen, plus the Immunization/Physical Exam Form
• OSHA and HIPAA training, and anything extra your site requires
• A current RN license valid in your practicum state: that state's own, or a multistate license where Liberty's state page accepts one
• A year of professional nursing experience behind you before the practicum begins
• Your Gate course submissions, reviewed and approved by Liberty

Location matters as much as paperwork. Liberty cannot place NP practicums in California, New York, Washington, DC or the U.S. territories; see state restrictions. In some states the School of Nursing must notify the board first. Alabama, for one, needs notice at least 15 days before APRN clinicals, filed once your practicum paperwork is approved.

The leads Liberty asks you to bring

Liberty's practicum team aims to match each FNP student with a preceptor and site, and it asks you to bring leads of your own. That second part is our specialty. We look for primary care preceptors near you who see patients across the lifespan and are open to a Liberty student, then help you assemble the preceptor CV, license details and site information the Gate course asks for.

If a preceptor pulls out during NURS 772 or NURS 838, we keep searching. Liberty reviews and approves every site and preceptor, and each lead we bring is in person, primary care and ready for that review. To begin, tell us your semester and nearest city, or read how it works first.