FNU clinical systems

The machinery behind an FNU practicum

Updated September 23, 2026 · Reviewed by the Frontier Preceptor placement team

Between you and your first clinical day sit a form, a map, a faculty approval, a credentialing team and a week on campus. Each guide below takes one of them, uses FNU's own names, and says what FNU publishes and what it keeps behind the portal.

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The machinery behind an FNU practicum. Between you and your first clinical day sit a form, a map, a faculty approval, a credentialing team and a week on campus. Each guide below takes one of them, us — Every FNU clinical system in one place: the CSAF, Community Map, RCF approval, Clinical Credentialing, Clinical Bound, CastleBranch and each clinical course.

Where to begin

Start with the placement process and the timeline. Together they give FNU's order: a preceptor who commits, the CSAF, your Regional Clinical Faculty member's acceptance, Clinical Credentialing, then Clinical Bound.

Already have a name? Check it against FNU's preceptor rules before you ask them to sign anything. Short on time? The placement help pages are written for that week.

Placement and approval

FNU clinical placement processHow an FNU clinical site gets from a preceptor's yes to your first clinical day: CSAF, RCF acceptance, Clinical Credentialing and Clinical Bound, in order.Clinical Site Approval Form (CSAF)What FNU's Clinical Site Approval Form (CSAF) is checked against, how it moves from the Community Map to your RCF and Credentialing, and why CSAFs stall.FNU Community MapFNU's Community Map lists 20,000+ sites and preceptors Frontier students have used. How to search it, what a listing won't tell you, and where it runs thin.Clinical Advisors and placement teamWhat FNU's Clinical Advisors and the Clinical Outreach and Placement team do for your preceptor search, what they leave to you, and how to use them well.Regional Clinical Faculty (RCF)What your FNU Regional Clinical Faculty member does: accepting CSAFs, approving your clinical plan, site visits, biweekly check-ins, grading and Case Days.Clinical CredentialingWhat FNU Clinical Credentialing does once your RCF accepts a site: affiliation agreements, insurance, preceptor credentialing, and why it can take months.Preceptor requirements by trackWho can precept an FNU student: a valid US license, a year in advanced practice, CNM/CM for midwifery, FNP and PMHNP time limits, and the family rule.Placement timelineWhen FNU students should start the preceptor search: the projected Clinical Bound term, CSAF timing, months of credentialing and the Week 5 compliance deadline.Clinicals at your workplaceCan FNU students do clinical hours where they work? What the catalog says about syllabus rules, keeping job and student roles apart, and DNP workplaces.Clinical rules by stateWhere FNU students can do clinicals: an RN license in every clinical state, telehealth by patient location, no US territories, Alaska unclear, New York limited.New York clinicalsNew York limits FNU clinicals to six MSN nurse-midwifery residents a year. What FNP, WHNP, PMHNP and PGC students do instead, and the federal site exception.Asking a preceptorHow to ask a clinician to precept your FNU rotation, what to put in the first message, and what FNU gives preceptors: honorarium, CE, DynaMed and more.

Campus, portal and logs

Frontier Bound orientationFrontier Bound is FNU's 3-day orientation in Versailles, KY. What CastleBranch needs before you travel and which clinical steps to settle while on campus.Clinical Bound (X750)Clinical Bound (NM750, FNP750, WH750, MH750) is FNU's 5-day skills session in Versailles. You cannot register until a site is identified and submitted.Banyan Tree, Canvas and Self-ServiceWhere FNU's clinical items live: Banyan Tree and Banyan Tree 2.0 on SharePoint, Canvas courses like CB101, Self-Service registration and CastleBranch.My Clinical PlanHow FNU students build My Clinical Plan: rotations the RCF accepts, site limits, weekly hours per course and visit types to cover before Clinical Bound.Clinical LogHow FNU students log hours and visit counts in the Clinical Log: what counts, what doesn't, telehealth and preceptor caps, de-identification and access.DDAT, MDAT and Preceptor LoginHow FNU preceptor evaluations work: the weekly DDAT, MDAT and EDAT timing by track, the rating scale, and how preceptors use the Preceptor Login.

Clearance and compliance

CastleBranch complianceHow CastleBranch works at FNU: the Frontier Bound package, clinical compliance due in Week 5 before Clinical Bound, background checks and what goes where.Immunization requirementsFNU's immunization rules: MMR, varicella and TB before Frontier Bound, Hep B and Tdap before Clinical Bound, a 12-month health form, and COVID set by sites.BLS and NRPFNU requires BLS for every MSN and PGC track and NRP for nurse-midwifery. Which providers FNU accepts, why ACLS does not count, and when cards are due.Liability and health insuranceFNU provides liability insurance for clinical students; you carry your own health insurance. What each covers, when cover ends, and the sharing-plan catch.RN license for clinicalsFNU requires an unencumbered RN license, or compact eligibility, in every state where you do clinicals, and in the patient's state for telehealth rotations.

Courses and hours

Clinical hours: 750 per trackEvery FNU MSN and PGC track needs 750 clinical hours over 19 weeks plus visit counts. What counts, the weekly limits, and what FNU does not split by course.Midwifery births and labor countsFNU nurse-midwifery students need 40 births (8 in a hospital), 40 labor management experiences and 40 newborn assessments. Settings, supervision and counts.Telehealth hour caps by trackFNU caps telehealth at 20% of hours for midwifery and WHNP, 10% for FNP and 450 hours for PMHNP. Visit-type limits and licensing in the patient's state.NM751, NM752, NM753FNU's midwifery practicum: NM750 Clinical Bound, then NM751, NM752 and NM753. Credits, visit counts, preceptor rules, telehealth cap and what to clear first.FNP751, FNP752, FNP753FNU's FNP practicum: FNP750 Clinical Bound, then FNP751, FNP752 and FNP753. Credits, lifespan visit counts, the 40% physician rule, telehealth and approvals.WH751, WH752, WH753FNU's WHNP practicum: WH750 Clinical Bound, then WH751, WH752 and WH753. Credits, the 300 gynecologic visits, preceptor rules, site limits and approvals.MH751, MH752, MH753FNU's PMHNP practicum: MH750 Clinical Bound, then MH751, MH752 and MH753. Credits, visit counts, prescriber and therapist rules, the 450-hour telehealth cap.DNP practice hours (DNP850 to DNP853)FNU's post-master's DNP: 500 practice hours inside DNP850 to DNP853, 1,000 with your MSN hours, a QI project at your workplace, and the site steps first.

FAQ

Questions FNU students ask

Which system does FNU use to approve clinical sites?

Students submit the Clinical Site Approval Form (CSAF) through the Community Map. The Regional Clinical Faculty member accepts it, and Clinical Credentialing then handles the affiliation agreement and credentials the preceptor. See the CSAF guide.

Does FNU place students with preceptors?

FNU says students are responsible for securing their clinical site. It supports them with Clinical Advisors, the Community Map and Regional Clinical Faculty. See what Clinical Advisors do.

Where do FNU's clinical guidelines live?

Much of the detail, including credentialing documents and program guidelines, sits in FNU's Banyan Tree portal and Canvas. The Banyan Tree guide shows where to look.

Last checked 2026-09-23

We check these pages against FNU's own published sources. Your Clinical Advisor, your RCF and FNU's current guidelines have the final word.

Placement desk

Your site submitted before Clinical Bound.

Tell us your FNU track, your county and your Clinical Bound date. We look for a preceptor and site that fit FNU's rules for your track, and help you get the CSAF and credentialing details right.

Matched to your track: CNM/CM, NP, or the right mix FNU allows
Ready for the CSAF, the RCF and Clinical Credentialing
In person near you, or telehealth within FNU's caps

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A placement advisor replies with what an FNU-ready preceptor and site look like for you.