Your PMHNP preceptor, secured across every psych rotation
At Psych Preceptors, PMHNP students at any accredited program get an independent PMHNP preceptor placement service that sources and verifies every preceptor and site, with no fee before your match is confirmed. The track runs across the lifespan, so we line up child and adolescent, adult, and geriatric psychiatry, plus supervised psychotherapy in at least two modalities, so no single rotation stalls your program.
Tell us your school and city. It is free to ask, with no obligation.
Continuity of care, across every stage of the lifespan
PMHNP training follows a single throughline, from the youngest patients to the oldest, and the therapy that runs alongside every stage. Your hours have to settle onto all four, and we build a plan that does.
We build one plan that settles onto all four, sourcing a qualified preceptor and an approved site for each, verified to your program's rules before you commit.
Why is a PMHNP preceptor so hard to find?
Child and adolescent psychiatry and inpatient or acute psychiatric rotations are the scarcest placements to secure independently, since lifespan certification requires documented pediatric behavioral-health experience but pediatric-psych and acute-inpatient preceptors are in short supply. Line up your adult hours and the child-and-adolescent block falls through, and a whole term slips. Add supervised psychotherapy in at least two modalities and a substance-use rotation, and the search widens further.
- Lifespan certification requires documented pediatric behavioral-health hours.
- Pediatric-psych and acute-inpatient preceptors are in the shortest supply.
- Preceptors are volunteers, so every ask is a real ask.
- Confirm whether your program coordinates placement or permits a student proposal.
- Psychotherapy hours need at least two supervised modalities.
- That whole search is what we take off your plate.
One team for the whole psych lifespan
Instead of cold-emailing clinics for every rotation, you hand us the search. We source board-certified PMHNP or psychiatrist preceptors across every stage, confirm each meets your program's eligibility, and shepherd the affiliation agreements. You pay only once a preceptor and site are confirmed.
- Tell us your program. Your school, city, and which rotations you still need.
- We source across stages. Qualified preceptors for child and adolescent, adult, geriatric psych, and psychotherapy.
- We verify eligibility. Each preceptor checked against your program's rules, then the affiliation agreement.
- You start on schedule. Sites confirmed, hours logged, no rotation left hanging.
How many clinical hours does a PMHNP program require?
The 2022 NTF Standards recommend at least 750 direct patient care hours per nurse practitioner population focus. ANCC and AANPCB eligibility sources separately use at least 500 faculty-supervised clinical hours. These figures serve different purposes and do not form a typical program range. Named programs vary and control the exact total and distribution, so confirm current requirements with your program.
| Benchmark | Hours | Source |
|---|---|---|
| NTF recommendation | At least 750 direct patient care hours per NP population focus | 2022 NTF Standards for Quality NP Education |
| Eligibility sources | At least 500 faculty-supervised clinical hours | ANCC and AANPCB eligibility materials |
| Named program requirement | Varies by program | The current program controls the exact total and distribution |
The current program decides whether telehealth or simulation is permitted and how either is classified, supervised, documented, and applied. PMHNP graduates may pursue the across-the-lifespan PMHNP-BC credential through ANCC.
Every setting your hours can land in
PMHNP hours are not one clinic. We source across the full set of psychiatric settings your program can require, then verify each against your school before you commit.
Adult outpatient psychiatry
The core of most PMHNP caseloads, in community and integrated primary-care settings.
Child & adolescent psychiatry
The pediatric behavioral-health hours lifespan certification requires, and the hardest to secure.
Geriatric psychiatry
Older-adult behavioral health across the continuum, from clinic to long-term care.
Inpatient / acute psychiatric care
Acute-inpatient hours, in short supply and often required for a rounded clinical profile.
Substance use / addiction psychiatry
Medication-assisted treatment and behavioral-health hours in addiction settings.
Supervised psychotherapy
Individual or group therapy with clinical training in at least two treatment modalities.
What does PMHNP preceptor placement cost?
Independent NP preceptor placement runs roughly 1,000 to 2,500 dollars per rotation across the market, and because PMHNP spans several rotations, we plan and price the full psych lifespan up front. You pay only once each preceptor and site are confirmed. Our fee covers sourcing, eligibility verification, and the affiliation legwork, never a payment to the preceptor, who is a volunteer.
The math that matters: a single missing rotation, usually child and adolescent psychiatry or acute inpatient, can push graduation back a full term. Planning every stage early is cheaper than restarting a search mid-program.
Students almost always line up their adult psych hours first, then stall on child and adolescent or inpatient, the two rotations in shortest supply. Planning the whole lifespan at once, instead of chasing rotations one at a time, is what keeps a PMHNP program on schedule.
Good to know before you start
How many clinical hours does a PMHNP program require?
The 2022 NTF Standards recommend at least 750 direct patient care hours per nurse practitioner population focus. ANCC and AANPCB eligibility sources separately use at least 500 faculty-supervised clinical hours. Named programs vary and control the exact total and distribution, so confirm current requirements with your program.
What patient populations must PMHNP clinical rotations cover?
PMHNP is the across-the-lifespan psychiatric-mental health population focus, so rotations span child and adolescent psychiatry, adult psychiatry, and geriatric psychiatry, plus supervised psychotherapy with clinical training in at least two treatment modalities. Programs also commonly place students in inpatient or acute psychiatric care, substance use and addiction psychiatry, and community behavioral health.
Who can serve as a PMHNP preceptor?
Generally an ANCC board-certified PMHNP-BC or a board-certified psychiatrist (MD or DO). Some hours may be supervised by other qualified behavioral-health prescribers, such as a psychiatric physician assistant, depending on your individual school and program rules. We verify eligibility against your program before you commit.
Why is a child and adolescent psychiatry rotation so hard to secure?
Child and adolescent psychiatry and inpatient or acute psychiatric rotations are the scarcest placements to secure independently, since lifespan certification requires documented pediatric behavioral-health experience but pediatric-psych and acute-inpatient preceptors are in short supply. We source specifically for these hard rotations so a single gap does not stall your program.
Are you affiliated with a university?
No. We help PMHNP students meet their program's requirements; we do not act for any school.
Sources: 2022 NTF Standards for Quality Nurse Practitioner Education (6th ed., PDF); ANCC PMHNP-BC certification (across the lifespan); NCSBN APRN Consensus Model
Cover every rotation, not just the easy ones
Tell us your school, your city, and the rotations you still need. We will come back with a plan for the full PMHNP lifespan and a realistic path to placed.