Find your preceptor. Finish your purpose.
GCU Preceptor is an independent preceptor matching service for Grand Canyon University nursing students: a qualified preceptor, a GCU-approved clinical site, and you pay when matched. Across FNP, AGACNP, PMHNP, DNP and RN-to-BSN tracks, a missing placement never delays your finish.
Get matched, free
How your placement works.
GCU has you collaborate with faculty to find your own clinical site, and the Office of Field Experience approves the site you bring rather than assigning one. We replace that solo search: we source a qualified, specialty-matched preceptor and a site that meets GCU’s practicum standards, then carry it through OFE approval. The path runs from your enrollment to a GCU-approved placement, and you pay only when you’re matched.
- A qualified, specialty-matched preceptor for your NP track
- A clinical site that meets GCU’s practicum standards
- Support through GCU’s OFE approval and compliance
Your placement path
One preceptor matching service, two routes to your clinical hours.
GCU has students find their own preceptor and site. We do that legwork for you, in person, or virtual where your track allows.
Physical placement matching
We source and secure a qualified preceptor and an in-person clinical site near you, matched to your NP track and ready for GCU approval.
- A qualified, specialty-matched preceptor for FNP, AGACNP or PMHNP hours
- A site that fits your track, primary care, acute care or psych/mental health
- Support with the GCU Office of Field Experience approval and compliance steps
- Your 750 supervised hours, in person, where direct patient care is required
Virtual practicum service
Where your track and site allow, we help arrange remote and telehealth-based experiences as part of your placement.
- Telehealth-friendly support for eligible portions of your clinical experience
- Useful for DNP project work and post-master’s certificate students
- Same preceptor sourcing and documentation support
- A flexible option when an in-person site is hard to find
Preceptor help, by program.
Every GCU NP track requires 750 supervised clinical hours with a qualified preceptor and two on-campus immersions. Here’s what each program needs.
MSN: FNP
Family Nurse Practitioner clinicals in a local primary- or family-care setting.
750 clinical hours · 53 creditsFind a preceptor →MSN: AGACNP
Acute Care NP (Adult-Gerontology) clinicals in an acute-care setting.
750 clinical hours · 53 creditsFind a preceptor →MSN: PMHNP
Psychiatric Mental Health NP clinicals in a psych/mental-health setting.
750 clinical hours · 53 creditsFind a preceptor →Post-Master’s APRN Cert
FNP, AGACNP or PMHNP certificate students. The FNP cert is a 750-hour practicum.
Certificate · preceptor requiredCertificate help →DNP, DPI Project
Site and mentor support for the Direct Practice Improvement project and IRB.
39 credits · DPI Project + IRBDNP support →RN-to-BSN Practicum
The NRS-465 applied project & practicum, 40 clinical hours, arranged locally.
40 practicum hoursPracticum help →| Track | Supervised clinical hours | Clinical setting |
|---|---|---|
| MSN: FNP | 750 | Primary or family care |
| MSN: AGACNP | 750 | Acute care |
| MSN: PMHNP | 750 | Psychiatric or mental health |
| RN-to-BSN practicum | 40 | Local applied project site |
Sources: GCU MSN: FNP program page, GCU College of Nursing CCNE accreditation, GCU Office of Field Experience student resources, and NCSBN APRN Consensus Model.
From your enrollment to an approved placement.
We do the sourcing; GCU’s Office of Field Experience approves it. You stay the student of record.
Tell us your track
Your program (FNP, AGACNP, PMHNP, DNP or RN-to-BSN), term, and location. A free consult, no payment until you’re matched.
We source the match
We secure a qualified preceptor and a clinical site that fits your track and meets GCU’s practicum standards, in person or virtual where allowed.
GCU OFE approves
We help you submit the site through GCU’s Office of Field Experience and clear the compliance steps for approval.
You complete your hours
You complete your 750 supervised hours (or your program’s requirement); we stay on it until your placement is done.
The preceptor search shouldn’t cost you a term.
GCU students collaborate with faculty to find their own clinical site, and NP students routinely tell us the search drags on for months while practicum spots fill up. We replace that solo search: we source your preceptor and site, match them to your track, and carry the placement through GCU’s approval.
- Specialty-matched, qualified preceptors for FNP, AGACNP and PMHNP hours.
- Sites that meet GCU standards, ready for OFE approval.
- Paperwork & compliance support through the approval process.
- You pay when matched, not before.
Get your GCU clinicals handled.
Tell us your track and term. We’ll map your clinical requirement and start the search, in person or virtual. No payment until you’re matched.
GCU clinical placement questions, answered.
Does GCU find my preceptor for me?
No. GCU students collaborate with faculty to select a local clinical site, and GCU’s Office of Field Experience (OFE) approves the site you bring; it doesn’t assign or guarantee a placement. Finding the preceptor and site is up to you, and that’s exactly what we do for you.
How many clinical hours does a GCU NP track require?
All three GCU NP tracks, FNP, AGACNP and PMHNP, require 750 hours of directly supervised clinical practice with qualified preceptors, plus two on-campus immersion experiences (a 3-day and a 2-day). The RN-to-BSN includes a 40-hour applied practicum.
Are GCU NP programs 100% online?
No. The coursework is online, but the 750 clinical hours are completed in person with a local preceptor, and each NP track includes two required on-campus experiences.
Who qualifies as my preceptor?
GCU requires a qualified preceptor at a site that meets its practicum standards and is approved through the OFE. We match you to a preceptor and site built to clear that approval.
Can any of my hours be virtual?
NP clinical hours are direct-patient-care hours, so most are completed in person. Where your track and site allow telehealth or remote components, and for DNP project work, we can help arrange them as part of your placement.
Are you affiliated with GCU? Do you guarantee placement?
We are an . We work hard on your placement and you pay only when you’re matched, but we don’t guarantee placement or that GCU approves any particular site.
How do I find a GCU preceptor?
You have two paths: source one yourself by networking through current and former colleagues, local primary-care, acute-care or psychiatric practices, and GCU faculty, then submit the site to the Office of Field Experience for approval; or hand the search to us. We locate a qualified, specialty-matched preceptor and an approvable clinical site for your FNP, AGACNP or PMHNP track, and you pay only when you are matched.
Is GCU Preceptor a preceptor matching service?
Yes. GCU Preceptor is an independent preceptor matching service for Grand Canyon University nursing students, which means we do the legwork of finding a qualified preceptor and a GCU-approvable clinical site so you do not have to cold-email practices on your own.
Can you help me find a preceptor near me or in my state?
Yes. We source local, in-person sites matched to your NP track, primary or family care for FNP, an acute-care setting for AGACNP, and a psychiatric or mental-health setting for PMHNP, so your 750 supervised hours happen close to where you live. Where your track and site allow, we can also arrange telehealth or remote components as part of the placement. Tell us your city, state and term and we will start the search.
How do I get or secure a preceptor for my GCU program fast?
Start early and work several leads at once, or let us run the search in parallel for you. Because our whole job is matching GCU nursing students to preceptors, we can usually surface a candidate placement faster than cold-emailing practices one at a time, then hand it to the Office of Field Experience for approval before your practicum course begins. Share your track and start date and we will move on it right away.
What is the best way to find a GCU preceptor?
The most reliable approach is to combine your own clinical network with an early, parallel search, and to confirm the current requirements with your program and the Office of Field Experience before you commit to a site. If your timeline is tight, using a dedicated service removes the slowest part, the outreach, by putting an existing pipeline of qualified preceptors and approvable sites to work on your FNP, AGACNP or PMHNP placement.
Do you place preceptors for GCU students, or just refer them?
We place. Rather than selling your details to a third party or handing you a generic list of names, we do the actual sourcing, contact and matching to secure a qualified preceptor and an approvable site for your track. We cannot guarantee that GCU approves any particular site, that decision rests with the Office of Field Experience, but you work with us directly and pay only when you are matched.