Background
Grambling State University (GSU) offers a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program with concentrations in Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) specializations. The mission of the FNP track is to prepare graduates to deliver primary health care to individuals and families – with a particular focus on promoting wellness and disease prevention in underserved rural communities. Likewise, the PNP track trains nurses to provide primary pediatric care in school-based clinics, private practices, and public health sites across the state.
Notably, Grambling also operates one of only two PNP programs in the entire state, underlining its commitment to improving pediatric healthcare access. In alignment with national nurse practitioner education standards, each FNP/PNP student must complete extensive supervised clinical practice (a minimum of 500 patient-care hours) during the program. These clinical hours are completed under the guidance of qualified preceptors in various healthcare settings as an essential requirement for graduation and certification.
The Challenge
Grambling State University’s graduate nursing program, despite its strong mission and academic quality, encountered a significant challenge: a shortage of clinical preceptors and placement sites. This is a widespread issue across NP programs, often leaving students scrambling to find willing preceptors on their own. Key challenges included:
- Limited access to preceptors in core areas like primary care and pediatrics, which are required for FNP and PNP students.
- Risk of delayed graduation due to unmet clinical hour requirements.
- Increased burden on faculty and students to secure placements independently.
Our Solution
To overcome the preceptor shortage, our team partnered with Grambling State to implement a proactive clinical placement and support system. Key elements of the solution included:
- Advanced Scheduling:
We scheduled all student clinical rotations 12 months in advance, securing slots in primary care (family practice), pediatric, and even mental health settings. This long lead time guaranteed that each student had confirmed placements in the required specialties well before their clinical courses began. - 24/7 Support:
We provided round-the-clock support so that GSU faculty could contact us any time for emergency placement needs or last-minute adjustments. If a preceptor canceled or a student needed a schedule change, our team was on-call to find a quick replacement or rearrange rotations in real time, minimizing disruption to the students’ progress. - Guaranteed Clinical Hours:
By leveraging our nationwide preceptor network, we ensured each student obtained over 150 hours of quality clinical experience under qualified preceptors. Every Grambling NP student in the program was guaranteed to meet (or exceed) the minimum required hours through these placements, removing the risk of anyone falling short of graduation requirements.
Results & Impact
Through the partnership with MomentMD, Grambling State University ensured timely clinical placements and successful outcomes for its graduate nursing students.
- 41 students completed all required clinical hours and graduated on time.
- Achieved a 100% on-time completion rate for students in the FNP and PNP tracks.
- Reduced the stress and administrative burden on faculty and students around finding placements.
- Reinforced GSU’s reputation for producing practice-ready, highly qualified nurse practitioners.
- Strengthened the university’s ability to meet accreditation standards and maintain academic excellence.
Lessons Learned & Next Steps
The collaboration demonstrated the importance of proactive planning, real-time support, and innovative clinical models. Now, GSU is looking to scale this success further.
- Expand placements into more specialties beyond primary care and pediatrics.
- Integrate telehealth rotations and virtual experiences more deeply into the curriculum.
- Launch webinars and faculty development workshops focused on telemedicine best practices and evolving trends in primary care.
- Collaborate on research and publication of case studies around virtual training models.
- Strengthen GSU’s long-term strategy for innovative, scalable, and future-ready clinical education.
This partnership is just the beginning of a new chapter in clinical education: one where innovation, accessibility, and student success go hand in hand. 🚀
Ready to empower your students with the preceptorships they need to succeed? Get in touch with us here.