Saint Joseph’s College of Maine (SJC) trains you in the classroom and in the community. In addition to online coursework, direct patient care experiences in clinical settings are a required component of SJC’s hybrid ABSN degree. These frequently asked questions will help you better understand our integrated clinical placement services.
Working under the supervision of a licensed registered nurse preceptor during your clinical rotations, you’ll practice what you learned in the online classroom. Clinicals are very similar to an internship or being an apprentice; you provide care for real patients while benefiting from the supervision and guidance of your preceptor. Additionally, SJC faculty will direct and evaluate the clinical experience providing support to you and your preceptor.
Our clinical placement team works closely with you to ensure your rotations meet SJC’s and national guidelines. You’ll work with a dedicated SJC Placement Coordinator who will walk you through the process and be your primary point of contact for placement logistics. Based on the program requirements and where you live, your Placement Coordinator will help you source and vet an appropriate site and preceptor and will secure necessary approvals from the College.
Throughout the program and through to graduation, you will be in close communication with your Placement Coordinator, who will prepare you for clinicals by ensuring you complete all clerical and health requirements, answering your questions, verifying your clearance requirements, and walking you through the nursing clinicals checklist.
All clinical experiences are unique because students work in various healthcare environments directly with individual patients or populations who have dynamic needs. During clinical rotations, you will be under the close supervision of your preceptor and the indirect supervision of SJC clinical faculty. You will be given specific instructions to follow while maintaining clinical practice guidelines and implementing evidence-based care interventions.
Your responsibilities will include the following:
- Review objectives to fulfill clinical requirements.
- Provide your preceptor with daily written objectives and evaluation forms.
- Review existing clinical protocols and SJC’s protocols with your preceptor.
- Document all clinical encounters using a subjective, objective, assessment, and plan (SOAP) format.
- Ensure you are always under the supervision of your preceptor.
Your preceptor is your on-site role model and will help you develop as a nurse during your clinical rotation. They will:
- Bridge the gap between theory and actual practice.
- Orient you to the practice setting (key personnel, organization, and institutional policies).
- Help you plan clinical assignments.
- Provide one-on-one supervision and daily feedback.
- Review and co-sign all documentation in the clinical records.
