Department of Health Sciences, Physician Assistant Program: Standard on Preceptor and Clinical Site Recruitment and Monitoring

Unit Standard

Title

Department of Health Sciences, Physician Assistant Program: Standard on Preceptor and Clinical Site Recruitment and Monitoring

Introduction

Purpose

This Standard establishes minimum requirements for the Physician Assistant (PA) Program (Program) in Preceptor and clinical site recruitment, monitoring, and maintenance.

Scope

This Standard applies to all Program students (Students), staff, and faculty.

Standard

Minimum Initial And Ongoing Preceptor Qualifications

The Program ensures all Preceptors meet the following minimum qualifications. All Preceptors must:

  1. Hold a valid, unrestricted, and unencumbered license to practice.
    1. The Program’s Clinical Affairs team will verify licensure status at the time of initial preceptor evaluation and will update the Program’s records annually.
  2. Hold board certification.
    1. A Preceptor’s board certification must meet the following requirements unless otherwise approved by the Program:
      1. Physician Assistants (PAs) must hold or have held National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) certification;
      2. Physicians must hold or have held board certification in their field of practice; and
      3. Advanced Practice Nurses must hold or have held board certification.
    2. Copies of board and specialty certifications are verified by the Program at the time of initial preceptor evaluation and maintained electronically.
  3. Have been practicing for a minimum of one (1) year in the area of medicine for the Rotation.
  4. Have an up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV) on file with the Program.
    1. All potential Preceptors must submit a current CV prior to approval for supervision of Students.
    2. Active Preceptors must submit updated CVs every five years or sooner if there are significant changes, including: change of practice location, change of specialty, change of role within practice location, additional education, and/or additional certifications.
    3. The Program will maintain all CVs electronically.

Preceptor Recruitment And Maintenance

Prior to approval for supervision of Students, all prospective preceptors are provided with the Program’s policies, along with a copy of the syllabus for the Rotation, which includes the learning outcomes for that Rotation, and the technical skills log appropriate for that Rotation. The Program verifies all prospective Preceptors’ state licensure, board certification, and CV.

All active Preceptors will be provided with the Program’s policies, appropriate Rotation syllabus, sample Student evaluation of Student form, and Clinical & Technical Skills log for the Rotation annually.

All active Preceptors are evaluated by the Students who they supervise. Data is collected and reviewed at the end of each Rotation by the Clinical Affairs team. The data is analyzed annually to ensure all active Preceptors enable Students to meet the Program-defined Learning Outcomes for the Rotation.

Clinical Site Recruitment And Maintenance

Following determination of a potential Preceptor’s minimum qualifications to supervise Students, the Program further determines the appropriateness of a clinical site for Rotations doing the following:

  1. Conduct an initial site visit, which may be in-person or virtual.
    1. An initial site assessment is conducted by the Clinical Affairs team to verify the site has sufficient resources to provide an appropriate experiential learning experience to enable Students to achieve the learning outcomes of the Rotation. This includes assessment of a clinical site’s:
      1. Facilities;
      2. Security and safety protocols;
      3. Support personnel;
      4. Patient populations; and
      5. Supervision.
    2. The Program documents this initial site assessment, and the records are maintained by the Program.
  2. Establish an Affiliation Agreement with the clinical site.
    1. Prior to a Student participating in a clinical Rotation at a clinical site, a formal Affiliation Agreement must be established between the Program and the clinical site/entity. Clinical sites without a valid and signed agreement must not host Students.
    2. The Program will maintain an electronic copy and submit for updates and renewals as indicated.
  3. Conduct clinical site maintenance.
    1. Site visits are conducted at a minimum of every two (2) years for all Active Clinical Sites by the Clinical Affairs team.
    2. Site visits are conducted regularly to support both Students and Preceptors and may occur more frequently to foster ongoing communication, address questions, and ensure an optimal learning experience. Frequency may also increase when Student feedback or performance trends suggest that additional support would be beneficial. Ongoing site visits include assessment of the clinical site to include:
      1. Clinical site facilities;
      2. Site security and safety protocols;
      3. Support personnel;
      4. Patient populations; and
      5. Supervision
    3. The Program documents the ongoing visits, and the records are maintained by the Program.
  4. All Active Clinical Sites are evaluated by Students following their Rotations. The data is collected and reviewed monthly by the Program’s Clinical Affairs team. The data is analyzed annually to ensure all Active Clinical Sites provide an environment which enables Students to meet the Learning Outcomes of the Rotation.

Definitions

Active Clinical Sites: A clinical site with an active Affiliation Agreement with the University and/or Program that is available to accept Students for clinical Rotations.

Advanced Practice Nurses: Registered nurses (RNs) who have obtained advanced clinical education, typically at the master’s or doctoral level, and are trained to provide a higher level of care than traditional RNs. Examples of Advanced Practice Nurses include: nurse practitioners (NPs); certified nurse midwives (CNMs); and certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs).

Affiliation Agreement: A formal, legally binding agreement between the Program and a clinical site or entity that allows Students to participate in Rotations and Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences at that site. The agreement must be valid and signed prior to any Student Rotation and outlines responsibilities, compliance with accreditation standards, and terms for maintaining an appropriate learning environment.

Clinical Skills: Skills used to make patient care decisions. Examples of Clinical Skills include, but are not limited to, history taking, performing physical exams, patient counseling, diagnostic reasoning, diagnostic studies interpretation, effective communication, teamwork, and professionalism.

Instructional faculty: Individuals providing instruction or supervision during the didactic and/or clinical phases of the Program at less than 50% effort (FTE), regardless of faculty status or rank. This includes roles such as guest lecturer and adjunct faculty (paid or unpaid). Clinical instructional faculty are also considered the Preceptor of Record. Trainees may not function as the Preceptor of Record.

Learning Outcomes: The medical knowledge, interpersonal, Clinical and Technical skills, professional behaviors, and clinical reasoning and problem-solving abilities that a Student has attained after completing a curricular component of the Program. All learning outcomes are assessed.

Preceptor (may also be referred to in setting settings as the “Preceptor of Record” and “Clinical Instructional Faculty”): Any instructional faculty member who provides Student supervision during Program Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences (SCPEs). Preceptors may also be referred to as the “Preceptor of Record” and “Clinical Instructional Faculty”. Trainees may not be Preceptors.

Required Rotations: Rotations that the Program requires all Students to complete. While an elective Rotation may be required, it is not included in this definition because the discipline of the elective Rotation varies.

Rotation: A Supervised Clinical Practice Experience for which there are published expected learning outcomes and Student evaluation mechanisms.

Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences (SCPEs): Supervised Student encounters with patients, either in-person or by telemedicine, that include comprehensive patient assessment, involvement in patient care decision-making, and result in a detailed plan for patient management.

Technical Skills: Procedural skills. Examples of Technical Skills include, but are not limited to, performing diagnostic studies, intravenous line insertion, surgical scrubbing, cast application, and suturing.

Related Requirements

External Regulations

  • Section A2.14 of the ARC-PA Accreditation Standards for PA Education
  • Section A2.15 of the ARC-PA Accreditation Standards for PA Education
  • Section A2.16 of the ARC-PA Accreditation Standards for PA Education
  • Section A3.08 of the ARC-PA Accreditation Standards for PA Education

Unit Policies, Standards, and Procedures

Contact Information

Primary Contact

Name: Administrative Support Specialist

Telephone: 919-962-8008

Email: paprogram@unc.edu

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