UC nursing clinicals in South Dakota

What's open to UC students here

South Dakota lies outside UC's seven excluded states, so the Clinical Planning page permits clinicals for almost every UC track.

How South Dakota treats programs from elsewhere

In guidance revised in June 2020, South Dakota's Board says approving nursing programs from other states isn't its job. For direct-care clinicals, the binding document is whatever UC signs with your South Dakota agency or preceptor, which in UC's process is the Educational Affiliation Agreement. One expectation remains: somebody on the program's faculty should be licensed in South Dakota or hold the privilege to practice there, and for APRN students that means South Dakota APRN licensure (ARSD 20:48:07:49).

UC's pages don't say how it meets that faculty expectation, and UC lists no South Dakota form. If a site asks, pass the question to your CSC. UC affiliation agreements explains the contract side and its timelines.

Who can precept you

The state's preceptor standard, ARSD 20:48:07:34, applies to board-approved programs: the preceptor needs a license at or above the student's target level, and an APRN preceptor should share a similar role, focus or specialty. UC's list overlaps and goes further: master's-level education or higher, certification, a year's practice in the role, a South Dakota license without encumbrances and, on NP tracks, 20% of the hours spent with an NP of your population focus. South Dakota isn't on UC's PA list, so a physician assistant can't precept you here. See UC's preceptor requirements.

AANP counts South Dakota as full practice. New NPs reach it after 1,040 hours of practice under a written collaborative arrangement with a physician, a certified nurse midwife or a certified NP.

Background check, licensing and the 500-hour floor

UC's 2026-27 Student Handbook lists South Dakota among the states that need a supplemental state background check for clinicals. Ask your CSC which one, and read UC background checks for the standard pieces.

South Dakota has been a compact licensure state since January 19, 2018. On February 5, 2024 it also signed the APRN Compact, which still isn't operating. For UC sites in the state, a South Dakota license works; so does any multistate license, provided you live in another compact state.

Hoping to practice in South Dakota once you graduate? The Board sets a clinical-hour floor and required graduate coursework for APRN licensure, compared with UC's tracks in the questions below. Whether your UC program satisfies it is the Board's call when you apply.

Sioux Falls, Rapid City and our role

Three systems anchor our South Dakota research: Sanford Health, Avera Health and Monument Health. Around 315,000 people live in the Sioux Falls metro, about 157,000 in Rapid City's and some 42,000 in the Aberdeen area. We know of no confirmed UC site among these systems and found no South Dakota preceptor incentive.

Across South Dakota we look for clinicians who suit your UC track's population and setting, then help you gather what your CSC needs to review. UC approves each preceptor and site; we promise neither. Start with how it works.