How UC's graduate clinical process fits together

Updated September 24, 2026 · Reviewed by the Cincinnati Preceptor placement team

At UC you find the preceptor, your Clinical Site Coordinator vets the preceptor and site, and nothing counts until the paperwork clears and the term's dates begin. Each page below covers one piece of that process, using UC's own names for its forms, systems and courses.

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How UC's graduate clinical process fits together. At UC you find the preceptor, your Clinical Site Coordinator vets the preceptor and site, and nothing counts until the paperwork clears and the term's dates beg — Every piece of UC's graduate clinical process: the Preceptor Application, packet deadlines, affiliation agreements, eMedley, CastleBranch and hours by track.

Read these first if your practicum is a term or two away

Start with the placement process for the whole sequence, then the packet deadlines, because they fall months before the term does. The preceptor requirements page tells you who is worth asking before you spend a week on outreach.

Already have someone willing? Go to the Preceptor Application and the affiliation agreement pages next. If the site is a large health system, read site onboarding too, since some systems must be cleared with your coordinator before you contact them.

Placement and approval

UC clinical placement processThe UC College of Nursing placement path in order: you find the preceptor, your CSC vets it, then the packet, agreement, onboarding and the week-2 cutoff.Your Clinical Site CoordinatorWhat UC's Clinical Site Coordinators and the Office of Clinical Placement and Operations handle, what they leave to you, and how to work well with your CSC.UC preceptor requirementsUC's preceptor rules: master's or higher, accepted certification, a year in the role, a clean license in the clinical state, and the 20% NP and 50% CNM rules.UC Preceptor ApplicationHow UC's Preceptor Application works: your student section first, what the preceptor fills in, when a CV is required, and which address the packet goes to.UC preceptor packet deadlinesUC's preceptor packet deadlines: last Friday in May (fall), first Friday in October (spring), first Friday in February (summer), and what a late packet risks.UC affiliation agreementHow UC's Educational Affiliation Agreement works: UC's standard form or a site's own contract, the 6-week and 6-month timelines, who handles what, and fees.Clinical site onboardingSite onboarding for UC clinicals: the platforms UC names, the Letter of Good Standing and liability verification your CSC sends, and systems to clear first.The week-2 site deadlineUC wants your clinical site secured by the end of week 2. What counts as secured, the drop date and full refund, and what administrative withdrawal means.UC placement helpWhat your UC Clinical Site Coordinator can offer when your preceptor search stalls, why you should accept a site UC arranges, and how we get the search done.Clinicals at your employerCan you do UC clinicals at your employer? AGPCNP students can't, FNP students can outside their own department, and midwifery needs a signed workplace plan.Physician assistant preceptorsUC lets physician assistants precept NP students only in listed states, case by case and for limited hours. The state list, the midwifery cap, what to check.State authorizationUC runs graduate clinicals in all but seven states, keeps Washington closed to DNPs, limits three tracks to OH, KY and IN residents and rules out territories.CA, ND and WY state formsCalifornia, North Dakota and Wyoming need extra state forms for UC clinicals, sent to constateauth@uc.edu at least a week before the semester. What each is.Telehealth clinical hoursWhich UC nursing tracks may count telehealth clinical hours, where you must be during a visit, and why your RN license must cover the state the patient is in.Clinical site feesWhich clinical sites UC says charge an administrative fee, how UC collects it through the agreement, and the placement costs UC's handbook puts on students.Preceptor outreachHow to approach a preceptor for your UC clinical: UC's own outreach scripts and tips, the interview questions UC suggests, and what to send after a yes.

eMedley, CastleBranch and logs

eMedley (hours, logs, evaluations)How UC College of Nursing students use eMedley for clinical hours, case logs, portfolio and evaluations, and what preceptors do in eClas and eValuate.Clinical hour logsHow UC nursing students log clinical hours in eMedley so they count: 14-day verification, semester-date limits, weekly caps and carry-forward by track.Preceptor evaluations and conferencesHow UC's midterm and final preceptor evaluations work in eMedley, who books the twice-a-term faculty conference, and what the practicum journal involves.CastleBranch and Critical RequirementsUC College of Nursing Critical Requirements in CastleBranch: every item, order and document deadlines by term, and what the current purchase hold means.Background check and drug screenWhat UC's nursing background check covers, why UC documents describe the drug screen two ways, Ohio's fingerprint check and the 18 states with extra checks.Immunizations, TB and BLSThe immunizations, titers, TB test, flu shot and BLS card UC nursing students need for clinicals, the October 15 flu date, and where to confirm uploads go.RN license for clinicalsWhich RN license UC clinicals need: one valid in the clinical state, compact multistate licenses, the patient's state for telehealth, and NCSBN QuickConfirm.

Courses and hours

Clinical hours by UC trackEvery UC College of Nursing track's clinical courses and hours in one table, 504 to 840 per track, plus the term-date, week-2 and NP-supervision rules.FNP practicums and hoursUC's FNP practicums, ANNP8070, ANNP8072 and ANNP8074, carry 672 outpatient hours across women's health, pediatric and adult care. The rules, course by course.AGPCNP practicums and hoursUC's AGPCNP practicums, ANNP8040, ANNP8042 and ANNP8044, total 504 outpatient hours. What counts as primary care, excluded settings and preceptor limits.AGACNP practicums and hoursUC's AGACNP practicums, ANNP8010, ANNP8012 and ANNP8014, carry 168 acute-care hours each. The preceptor mix, the optional SICU month and what to confirm.PMHNP internships and hoursUC's PMHNP internships, ANPS8028, ANPS8030 and ANPS8032: a therapist precepts the first, prescribers the next two, with 100 hours in each age group.Nurse-midwifery clinicals and hoursUC's nurse-midwifery clinicals, ANW8006 to ANW8064, carry 784 hours plus minimum births and visits. CNM supervision, NRP timing and birth-setting rules.WHNP practicums: ANW8006 to ANW8034UC's women's health NP runs four 168-hour practicums, ANW8006 to ANW8034, for 672 hours. What each course covers and who UC lets precept it.NNP clinicals: ANPC8080 to ANPC8084UC still posts neonatal NP clinical documents: 840 MSN hours across ANPC8080, ANPC8082 and ANPC8084. What they say, and what to confirm with UC first.PNP-AC clinicals: ANPC8020 to ANPC8024UC's pediatric acute care NP DNP has 616 clinical hours in ANPC8020, ANPC8022 and ANPC8024, opening with primary care. Certificate hours and preceptors too.NURS8020C immersion and intensivesFrom Spring 2027, UC's NURS8020C health assessment course adds three days on campus. The dates, what happens, and the midwifery, WHNP and PMHNP intensives.DNP project practicum: 500 hoursUC's DNP project runs through NDNP9025, NDNP9035 and NDNP9038, 500 practicum hours in all. The project site, team and defense, and what UC leaves open.

Cincinnati and Ohio

Ohio rules for NP clinicalsWhat Ohio law means for UC NP students training in Ohio: the Board's limited role, standard care arrangements, fingerprint checks and who may precept you.Cincinnati health systems and NP studentsHow UC Health, TriHealth, Christ Hospital, Mercy Health, St. Elizabeth and Cincinnati Children's take NP students, per their own pages. UC approves each site.Kentucky and Indiana clinicalsUC clinicals in Northern Kentucky or southeast Indiana: preceptor licenses, PA rules, compact licenses, background checks and what neither state settles.

Questions UC students ask

Does UC find preceptors for graduate nursing students?

UC lists finding and securing preceptors as a student responsibility. Your Clinical Site Coordinator supports the search, vets every preceptor and site, and can suggest options such as former preceptors, alumni or partner sites in the Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana area, which may mean travel.

Which systems will I use for clinicals at UC?

eMedley for hours, case logs and evaluations; CastleBranch for Critical Requirements; Canopy for Canvas and Catalyst; and whatever onboarding platform your clinical site uses, such as ACEMAPP or myClinicalExchange.

Where do I check my track's hours?

The clinical hours page lists every track's courses and hours, and each track has its own practicum page with the setting and preceptor rules.

Last checked 2026-09-24

We check these pages against UC's own sources. Your Clinical Site Coordinator, your course faculty and UC's current documents have the final word.

Hand us the search. Keep your packet deadline.

Tell us your UC track, where you live and which term your next practicum starts. We look for a preceptor and site that fit UC's rules for your track, and help you get the Preceptor Application and agreement details right.

Matched to your track's population, setting and hour rules
Checked against UC's preceptor requirements before your CSC sees it
Aimed at UC's packet deadline, not just the first day of term

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