Body
Unit Policy
Title
Department of Health Sciences, Physician Assistant Program: Policy on Preceptor and Clinical Site Recruitment
Introduction
Purpose
This Policy establishes the requirements for Preceptor and clinical site recruitment, monitoring, and maintenance for the Physician Assistant (PA) Program (Program).
Scope
This Policy applies to all Program students (Students).
Policy
Policy Statement
With the support of the Department of Health Sciences, the Program is responsible for the recruitment of clinical sites and Preceptors in sufficient numbers for the Program-mandated clinical phase of the curriculum. All Active Clinical Sites must hold an active affiliation agreement with the Program. All Preceptors must hold a valid, unrestricted, and unencumbered license to practice. Additionally, all Preceptors who are PAs, Advanced Practice Nurses, and/or physicians must hold or have held board certification.
Students are not required to provide or solicit clinical sites or Preceptors. Students may voluntarily submit to the Program’s Director for Clinical Education via email the name(s) of potential clinical instructors and/or clinical sites not already affiliated with the Program through an active affiliation agreement for consideration by the Program. The Program will work with the potential Preceptors and/or clinical sites to establish an affiliation agreement and determine the sites’ availability and capacity to host Students. There is no direct or implied guarantee that Students will be assigned to a Rotation with a requested clinical instructor or clinical site, including those already affiliated with the Program. The Program Clinical Affairs team and the Director for Clinical Education are responsible for determining whether a Preceptor and/or clinical site is acceptable/appropriate.
All Required Rotations must be completed at Active Clinical Sites in North Carolina. Elective Rotations may be completed at Active Clinical Sites outside of the State of North Carolina, pending approval of the Preceptor and clinical site by the Clinical Affairs team and with approval of the Director for Clinical Education.
Preceptors for the Program consist primarily of PAs, physicians, and Advanced Practice Nurses. Other types of clinicians, pending approval by the Program as being qualified, may serve as Preceptors, however, they shall not comprise more than 10% of the total number of Program Preceptors.
Definitions
Active Clinical Sites: A clinical site with an active affiliation agreement with the University 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 SCPEs at that site. The agreement must be valid and fully executed prior to any student rotation and outlines responsibilities, compliance with accreditation standards, and terms for maintaining an appropriate learning environment.
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.
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 supervised clinical practice experiences (SCPEs). 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.
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