DNP students at Shepherd University can use our independent search support for project mentors, clinical preceptors, and practicum sites. We work from the student's confirmed course rules, while the school keeps final authority over every candidate and site.
Treat this as an identity and accreditation snapshot, not as a statement of school policy. The official school website and the student's current course documents remain the sources for pathways, deadlines, hours, and placement rules.
We included Shepherd University because the current CCNE directory lists its Doctor of Nursing Practice program. The listing was checked July 21, 2026 and should not be stretched into an unsupported claim about track design or placement procedure. Verify those items directly with the program.
Begin with the course number, term dates, required practice setting, mentor or preceptor credentials, location limits, and every form your program expects. If the course includes both a scholarly project and direct-care practice, separate those needs so each proposed person and site can be evaluated for the work they will actually supervise.
A DNP scholarly project needs a practice setting where the student can examine a real care or systems problem, introduce an approved change, and evaluate results. Suitable settings may include health systems, hospitals, clinics, public health programs, long-term care organizations, or community services. The right setting depends on the approved project question, access to the intended population, and the site's capacity to support the work.
The project mentor must fit both the proposed work and Shepherd University's current credential rules. A DNP-prepared nurse, physician, nurse executive, quality leader, or another qualified practice expert may fit in some programs, but the title alone never establishes eligibility. We screen for role alignment and send the documented candidate to the program for its own review.
At least 1,000 supervised post-baccalaureate practice hours are part of AACN's DNP framework, but that is not a school-specific course total. Prior qualifying master's hours and the hours assigned to the DNP pathway vary. Ask Shepherd University to confirm the student's remaining requirement and build the placement request from that answer.
Separate the hours by purpose before selecting a person. A clinical population focus can require an eligible NP or physician, while a systems, leadership, or project experience can require a different mentor profile. Our DNP clinical hours guide covers the national framework, not an invented total for this school.
A local search can start in Shepherdstown and extend to eligible sites elsewhere in West Virginia when the program and state authorization rules allow it. Geography is only one filter. The proposed site must also support the course objectives, the mentor must meet current credential and conflict rules, and both parties must be willing to complete the school's approval documents.
For the broader project-site and practice landscape, read the DNP placement guide for West Virginia. It adds geographic context without changing the school's authority over the student's course and site.
We organize the candidate's setting, role, credentials, availability, and relationship to the project before submission. That gives Shepherd University a complete proposal to evaluate. It does not replace an affiliation agreement, compliance review, background requirement, state authorization check, or any other step the school requires.
A prior term's instructions may no longer control the next placement cycle. Confirm the checklist with the current handbook or placement office, save the applicable forms, and send that version with the request. We do not fill gaps by borrowing policies from a different school.
If a suitable mentor or practicum site is still missing after you confirm the requirements, send us the course, dates, location, setting, population focus, project topic, and approval documents. Our placement process starts with that evidence, and the program retains final authority over every match.
PreceptorDNP is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Shepherd University. A request starts a search, not a guarantee of placement or approval. Use the matching form when your current program requirements are ready.
Shepherd University makes its own approval decisions. We identify and document a candidate around the current requirements you provide, then the program reviews the person, site, and paperwork.
AACN sets a floor of at least 1,000 supervised post-baccalaureate practice hours, but the total and treatment of prior qualifying hours varies by program. Confirm your current Shepherd University degree audit and handbook rather than relying on a generic number.
Yes, when the current course requirements call for both roles. We screen each candidate for the work that person will supervise and submit the match for program approval.
No. PreceptorDNP is an independent placement service. We do not represent Shepherd University, and we cannot guarantee that the school will approve a proposed mentor, preceptor, or site.
Sources · last updated July 2026
Shepherd University website · CCNE DNP program directory · AACN Doctor of Nursing Practice education
No cost to request, and nothing is billed until a match is confirmed and your school signs off. We'll reply within one business day.
We do not guarantee placement. Final approval rests with your program.
