Preceptorate
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Precept NNPstudents.

Neonatal students need hours in the NICU with high-risk and critically ill newborns. They are matched only with preceptors who work there.

Apply to preceptAll specialties
NNPNeonatal Nurse Practitioner
  • Level III and IV NICUs
  • Special care nurseries
  • Neonatal transport teams

In person

Neonatal hours are in person: your student cares for your NICU patients with you.

Virtually

Neonatal programs require in-person hours, so we match neonatal preceptors in person.

The students

NNP students in MSN, post-master’s and DNP programs.

What schools usually ask of you

  • An active, unrestricted NNP license, or a neonatologist’s MD or DO license
  • Board certification in neonatal care
  • Privileges in the NICU where you practice

Each school sets its own rules. Our team tells you exactly what your student’s school needs.

NP clinical hours, explained

What we handle

  • Matching you with the right student
  • The affiliation agreement and the school’s forms
  • Evaluations, and the mentorship sessions for virtual precepting
  • Your payments, per block of hours

How do you become a neonatal NP preceptor?

The short answer

Neonatal nurse practitioner students are precepted in the NICU by NNPs certified through NCC (NNP-BC) and by neonatologists. You need an active, unencumbered license and privileges in the NICU where you practice. NNP students complete at least 750 direct patient care hours with newborns, including high-risk and critically ill infants, and all of them are in person.

  • 750direct patient care hours each NNP student completes
  • 3 yearsNCC’s maintenance cycle for NNP-BC
  • 2kinds of NNP preceptors: NNPs and neonatologists
  • 3settings: level III and IV NICUs, special care nurseries, transport

What NNP students practice with you

NNP students learn the care of newborns from stable to critically ill:

  • Admission assessments and daily management in the NICU.
  • Respiratory support and ventilator management.
  • Nutrition, growth and fluid management.
  • Procedures, as the program and your privileges allow.
  • Family communication and discharge planning.

Who precepts NNP students

NNPs and neonatologists precept NNP students in level III and IV NICUs, special care nurseries and on neonatal transport teams. Neonatal hours are in person, so Preceptorate matches NNP preceptors in person.

Maintaining NNP-BC

NCC maintains NNP-BC every three years through continuing education, with the hours and topics set by an education plan built on NCC’s Continuing Competency Assessment at the start of each cycle.

Precepting NNP students with Preceptorate

We match you with NNP students whose course fits your NICU, verify your license, and set up a short first call. Our team prepares the affiliation agreement with your hospital and the school’s forms, and you are paid per block of hours at the rate you set.

Sources

  1. National Task Force: Standards for Quality Nurse Practitioner Education, 6th edition (2022)
  2. NCC: certification and certificate maintenance

Checked October 30, 2026. Schools build on these standards with their own guidelines, and our team tells you exactly what your student’s school asks.

NNP precepting questions

What preceptors ask us most. Anything else, our team answers.

Ask a questionAll questions
Are NNP rotations in person?
Yes. Neonatal hours take place in the NICU, so we match NNP preceptors in person.
Can a neonatologist precept an NNP student?
Yes. Neonatologists precept NNP students, often for part of their hours.
How often is NNP-BC maintained?
Every three years with NCC, through continuing education built on its Continuing Competency Assessment.
Who signs the agreement for a hospital NICU?
Usually the hospital’s contracts or education office; our team prepares the agreement and sends it to them.

From the Preceptor Brief

All articles
Students

How many clinical hours do NP students need?

The 750-hour minimum for every NP track, what counts as direct patient care, why older handbooks say 500, how programs divide the hours across courses, and where the DNP’s 1,000 hours fit.

5 min readReadPaperwork

What is a clinical affiliation agreement?

The agreement behind every clinical rotation: who signs it, what it covers, how long it takes, how an existing agreement can be reused, and how Preceptorate prepares it for you.

5 min readReadGetting started

Physicians as preceptors for NP and PA students

How physicians precept nurse practitioner and physician assistant students: what the NP program standards allow, which rotations suit physician preceptors, how documentation works and how Preceptorate matches MDs and DOs.

5 min readRead

Other specialties

All specialties
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