Title: Reevaluating Preceptor Qualifications for ACNP Students: An Appeal for Logic, Flexibility, and Respect

Recently, a concerning trend has surfaced in nurse practitioner (NP) education—drawing scrutiny and worry among clinicians, educators, and students. Nationwide, seasoned Family Nurse Practitioners (FNPs) in acute care environments are informed they cannot precept Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP) students due to a limited understanding of the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation. Paradoxically, these same organizations frequently allow Physician Assistants (PAs) to take on those very precepting responsibilities. This inconsistency underscores a larger issue in our definitions and assessments of preceptor eligibility—and it is essential that we confront it.

The Challenge of Inflexible Interpretation

The Consensus Model for APRN Regulation, established by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, aims to harmonize licensure, accreditation, certification, and education (LACE) for NP roles. It ensures nurse practitioners operate within their educational scope and certification area. Ideally, this model promotes patient safety, professional cohesion, and clarity among state boards and educational institutions.

Yet, in practice, certain NP programs have embraced such a rigid interpretation of the Consensus Model that they exclude well-qualified and experienced FNPs from precepting ACNP students—despite their actual clinical competencies and expertise in acute care. Consequently, veteran NPs who have dedicated years—even decades—to excelling at their roles in emergency departments, intensive care units, and hospital medicine are deemed unqualified to teach simply because of their certification designations.

Meanwhile, PAs, who operate within a generalist medical framework and are not restricted by nursing-specific educational pathways, are frequently permitted to act as preceptors for ACNP students. This practice reveals a double standard that inadvertently emphasizes titles over actual experience and practical skill.

Clinical Experience Matters

FNPs have long been recognized for their flexibility and versatility. Thousands have transitioned into acute care roles throughout their careers, acquiring extensive hands-on experience with critically ill patients. They navigate complex care, respond to emergencies, collaborate with physicians and residents, and frequently act as mentors to a diverse array of healthcare learners—including NPs, PAs, residents, and medical students.

However, the current gatekeeping practices within numerous academic institutions ignore this reality. By prioritizing certifications alone, we overlook the broader implications of a practitioner’s abilities and contributions. This is not merely an administrative lapse—it represents a lost opportunity to utilize an exceptional teaching resource.

Preceptor Shortages: An Emerging Crisis

The United States is confronting a well-documented preceptor shortage. NP students across the country encounter challenges in securing clinical placements, often postponing their education or turning to expensive third-party preceptor matchmaking services. This scarcity not only places an unnecessary strain on students—it hampers the healthcare system’s capacity to graduate and deploy qualified NPs during a period of increasing provider shortages.

Simultaneously, highly capable and motivated professionals—such as experienced FNPs in acute care—are being sidelined due to a stipulation on their certification. This scenario creates an unnecessary bottleneck that is entirely avoidable and counterproductive.

FNPs possess years of acute care expertise. They understand the patient demographic, the workflow, the nuances of hospital care—and perhaps most crucially, they have illustrated clinical skills in these high-pressure environments. Their firsthand experiences are invaluable. Disregarding these experiences in favor of rigid titles not only undermines the value of expertise and versatility—it diminishes the holistic essence of nursing education itself.

An Appeal for a Rational and Balanced Strategy

To be clear: this call for reevaluation is not a push to discard the Consensus Model. It continues to be an important framework for ensuring nurse practitioners are educated and certified within their designated practice areas. What we require now is a more nuanced and practical interpretation—one that permits experience-based exceptions within a structured and safety-oriented framework.

Rather than implementing a blanket “no,” educational institutions and certifying bodies should adopt a case-by-case strategy:

– Evaluate a prospective NP preceptor’s current scope of practice, beyond their certification title.
– Require evidence of relevant acute care experience (for instance, years in ICU/ED/hospitalist positions).
– Incorporate feedback from collaborating physicians, department heads, or credentialing records to confirm scope alignment.
– Provide preceptor training to guarantee coherence between clinical practice and educational expectations.

Through these measures, we reinforce safety and scope orientation while simultaneously broadening access to quality preceptorships. Perhaps most importantly, we extend dignity and acknowledgment to FNPs who have established entire careers within acute care environments.

This Is Not Just About PAs—It’s About Equality

Some may misinterpret this discussion as an anti-PA stance. It is not. PAs contribute significantly to interdisciplinary healthcare teams and often excel as educators. The concern isn’t