Student learning agreement and acknowledgement form walden

Students must schedule a phone appointment with their Student Success Advisor or Academic Coach early in their program to develop their degree plan to understand their required practicum course(s), requirements, the required prerequisite courses, when they plan to take the practicum course(s), practicum requirements, and the appropriate practicum application deadline(s).

The steps involved in the planning process for practicum are outlined on the Field Experience website on the “Plan for Practicum” tab.

Application Process

Application Deadlines

The deadline for submitting a practicum application is the first day of the month approximately three months before the term of the practicum course. Students must be sure that they understand the deadlines. Application deadlines are posted on the Field Experience website.

Students should be aware of their program of study and anticipate when they will be ready to begin their practicum course(s). Students are encouraged to contact their student success advisor or academic coach early with any questions about their program of study and develop their degree plan. It is the students’ responsibility to know in what term they will begin their practicum course(s) and the appropriate deadlines.

Students must submit a separate application for each practicum site location and preceptor nominee every term, subject to the same deadlines listed above, even if the practicum site and preceptor remain the same for each term and course. Students will not be registered for practicum courses if there is not an approved application on file in Meditrek® for the term.

Walden advises students to submit their practicum application via Meditrek® as early as possible. Students are encouraged to submit their application for practicum at least two terms prior to the practicum course. Applications that are completed in haste and submitted near the deadline are most frequently those that are missing items, have errors, or have other problems that can lead to denial of the application and delay academic progress.

An application received after the due date will be considered a late application. The late application deadline is two weeks after the application deadline. If an application is submitted after the application deadline, there is no guarantee that application review, approval of the site and preceptor, and negotiation of an affiliation agreement will be completed prior to the term start. Submitting an application by the application deadline is strongly advised to allow enough time for processing to ensure that an application is reviewed and potentially approved in time to avoid delays. There are many factors outside of Walden University’s control that significantly impact whether an application can be approved, such as the time it takes to negotiate an affiliation agreement with the student’s nominated site, verify preceptor nominee licensure and review preceptor nominee qualifications, receive the Preceptor Commitment Form, and for the student to complete the onboarding requirements. Late applications are processed in the order they are submitted in Meditrek®. If an application is unable to be approved for the requested term, it will be closed, and a new application must be submitted in Meditrek® for the next term.

Waitlist for Late Applications:

It is important for students to submit their practicum application by the application deadline to avoid delays. The application deadline is important to allow enough time to complete the practicum approval process to ensure all accreditation, compliance, regulatory, onboarding, and practicum site requirements are complete. Students submitting an application after the application deadline will be delayed. To accommodate late applications once the application submission period ends in Meditrek, the Office of Field Experience has a waitlist for late applications. The waitlist is only available for a very limited time and is not guaranteed. The waitlist will close at any time, without notice, for a variety of factors including the volume of requests and length of time before the start of the term. The ability for students to submit a late application through the waitlist is not a guarantee.

To be initially eligible for a waitlist late application, students must have a preceptor secured and have extenuating circumstances. Students must also have a completed Preceptor Commitment Form and all onboarding requirements compliant and valid for the upcoming term in CastleBranch.

Students interested in submitting a late application through the waitlist process must submit a “Waitlist Late Application Request” form in Meditrek because students are unable to open new applications in Meditrek once application submission period ends. This request process is only available when the waitlist is open. The response time on requests for a waitlist application is up to 7 business days. If granted a waitlist late application, students must be ready to submit their practicum application in Meditrek immediately. Once an application is submitted, the application gets placed on the waitlist and is processed in the order it is submitted in Meditrek. Final approval and registration decisions for waitlist applications are made beginning two weeks before the start of the term and continues through the start of the term. Placement on the waitlist does not guarantee that a practicum application will be approved.

Once the waitlist is closed, new requests for late applications will no longer be accepted through the waitlist.

Review the Waitlist Late Application Instruction Guide for more information about the waitlist.

Meditrek®

Walden utilizes Meditrek® as the system for managing the practicum experience. Students use the Meditrek® platform to manage the practicum application and approval process; log their practicum hours and manage the practicum evaluation process. It serves as a portfolio of the practicum experience and documentation of the work that students performed as part of their educational experience. This can be of particular importance during the verification of education requirements for certification and licensure.

• Students utilize Meditrek® for submitting practicum applications and completing practicum logs and practicum evaluations.
• Students will be issued an account in Meditrek® and should receive login information during their first term enrolled in a nursing program.
• Students log into Meditrek® through single-sign-on through their Walden student portal using their Walden issued account information.
  • If students do not have an account in Meditrek, email nursingfield@mail.waldenu.edu.
  • If students experience technical issues with logging into their Meditrek account, contact the Customer Care team.
  • If students change specializations within the same degree program, they can change their specialization directly in their Meditrek account.
  • If students change their track or degree program, they may submit their change of program directly in their Meditrek account.
  • If students change from course-based to competency-based learning (Tempo Learning) program or vice-versa, they will have separate accounts in Meditrek® for the different programs. Students should contact the Office of Field Experience when changing programs to update their Meditrek® account.

  The following tutorials, webinars, videos, guides, FAQs, and instructions for Meditrek® can be found on the Field Experience website:

  • Getting Started with Meditrek®: Accessing & Navigating Meditrek®
  • Application Instructions

  Application Submission

  Students must submit a practicum application in Meditrek® by the application deadline to ensure enough time for application processing and course registration.

  A separate application must be submitted for every term for each practicum course for every practicum site location and preceptor. This is necessary because each practicum course has distinct requirements. Students must also submit a new and separate application each time they wish to change preceptors and/or practicum sites. If a student is using multiple preceptors for one course, separate applications must be submitted for each preceptor. If students are using multiple practicum sites or multiple locations for the same practicum site to complete practicum hours, separate applications must be submitted for each practicum site and each site location with different addresses.

  Practicum applications are specific to the term, course, practicum site, practicum site location, and preceptor. Students needing to change their practicum applications to a different term, course, practicum site and/or preceptor must submit a new practicum application. The term, course, practicum site and preceptor cannot be changed in an application that has already been submitted in Meditrek. Students needing to submit a new practicum application to change the term, course, site or preceptor, must submit the application by the application deadline or go through the waitlist process.

  Application Steps

  1. When students successfully submit their application, they will receive an automatic email from Meditrek® stating it was submitted and finalized. Applications will not be reviewed until a complete application is officially submitted in Meditrek®.
  2. The application has different sections, and each section is reviewed simultaneously by different field experience coordinators. Students should monitor their email account for emails from the Office of Field Experience staff requesting updates to their application. Students are encouraged to check the status of their applications often.
  3. The Affiliation Agreement is separate from other parts of the application processed and negotiated simultaneously.
  4. Students will receive an email via their Walden email address when their application status changes (see “Application Status” for definitions and further actions needed). Students should monitor their email closely for additional information regarding their application. Students should monitor their spam/junk email folder for important emails from the Office of Field Experience.

  Starting an Application

  • Students must log in to their Meditrek® account to open a new application for each course and term by the application deadline. Once the late application deadline passes, students are unable to open new applications for the term in Meditrek® without going through the waitlist.
  • Students must select the application type to start a new application. The application types are as follows:
    • Primary Application: The application is the primary application for approval of the preceptor nominee and practicum site for the term and course.
    • Supplemental Application: The application is for approval of an additional preceptor nominee and/or practicum site, which is needed to supplement the primary application for the term and course. Supplemental applications are often needed to complete course requirements or to log the required hours.
    • Replacement Application: The application is replacing a previously submitted application for approval of a different preceptor nominee and/or practicum site for the term and course. Replacement applications are often needed if a previously nominated preceptor is no longer able to precept or does not meet the requirements.
    • Remedial Application: The application will be used to complete course requirements after the term has ended for the prior term (e.g., for students who received an Incomplete [“I”] grade in the course during the prior term and need to log hours during the next term or Tempo students needing to complete practicum hours after 13 weeks of the original term start date). Students must submit a request for a remedial application directly in their account in Meditrek®.
    • Students must select the correct course number and correct term when opening a new application. Applications will be closed and will not be reviewed if the incorrect term is selected. It is the students’ responsibility to ensure they are selecting the correct term for the application submission. The term of the application cannot be changed.
    • Practicum Applications for Telehealth: Nurse Practitioner students eligible to complete part of their practicum hours via telehealth must follow the standard process for completing and submitting an application in Meditrek® but must select telehealth as the type of clinical experience in the “Preceptor Information” section of the application in Meditrek®.

    Requirements for Application Submission and Approval

    License: Student and Preceptor

    Students and preceptors must maintain an active, unencumbered license or the equivalent thereof in the state/country where students plan to complete their practicum experience. Students must have an RN license or a compact license with multi-state privileges in the state where practicum will occur. Students eligible to complete practicum in another country must have an equivalent of an RN license in the country where practicum will occur. If students are eligible and approved to complete practicum via telehealth, they must be licensed in the state where the patients/clients are located and meet all state board requirements for telehealth. License verification will be reviewed as part of the application and preceptor approval process. Practicum applications will not be approved until this review has been completed.

    Professional Liability Insurance

    Students must obtain and maintain professional liability insurance prior to application approval and before they can participate in a practicum. Students must have their own professional liability policy even if their employer or practicum site has a policy that covers students. A memorandum or certificate of insurance coverage for the active policy will need to be uploaded as an onboarding requirement in CastleBranch. The professional liability insurance must include a memorandum or certificate of insurance coverage with the following information:

    • Name, address, date of the policy, coverage amounts, coverage type and expiration date
      • Coverage dates: The insurance plan must cover the entire term in which practicum will occur. The dates must cover the duration of the practicum course(s).
      • Coverage amounts: Must be a minimum of $1 million per incident and $3 million aggregate.
      • Coverage type: The coverage type must be clearly stated in the memorandum or certificate of insurance coverage. Insurance coverage as an RN will not be accepted.
      • Nurse Practitioner courses: Students must have coverage for a nurse practitioner student.
      • Nursing Education, Nurse Executive, Nursing Informatics, and Public Health Nursing courses: Students must have coverage for a general nursing student.
      • DNP Traditional & Executive Leadership courses: Students must have coverage for a general nursing student.
      • DNP Nurse Practitioner Courses: DNP-NP students may have coverage for a general nursing student for DNP practicum courses but must have coverage for a nurse practitioner student for nurse practitioner students. Coverage as a nurse practitioner student will be accepted for the DNP practicum courses.

      Most insurance companies offer student nursing coverage. Walden University does not endorse any specific insurance company, and students are free to shop for a policy that fits the practicum liability insurance requirements. However, from reviewing student applications, the most commonly used insurance providers include Nurses Service Organization (NSO), Healthcare Providers Service Organization (HPSO), Marsh, and Mercer.

      The Office of Field Experience staff will work with students to resolve insurance issues if students provide early notification with a clear explanation. Students should contact the Office of Field Experience at nursingfield@mail.waldenu.edu.

      Onboarding Requirements – Graduate Courses

      The Walden University College of Nursing Onboarding Policy requires practicum students to obtain specific verifications, such as health screenings and background checks, in order to be approved for practicum (“onboarding requirements”). Onboarding requirements are defined as a specific set of pre-practicum requirements established by the Walden University College of Nursing based on the most common practicum site requirements, which will enable students to potentially qualify for a wide range of practicum sites. These onboarding requirements vary from state to state; however, they generally include passing a background check, state-specific background screens (e.g., Abuse Screens, Fingerprinting, etc.), drug screening, health requirements, mandatory training, professional liability insurance, and any additional onboarding requirements that may be required by the practicum site. The onboarding requirements align Walden University with practicum site expectations and practices that have become standard in the healthcare industry. All students applying for graduate-level practicum courses must satisfactorily complete the Walden University onboarding requirements by the deadline before the practicum application will be approved. This is a Walden University requirement that applies to all students enrolling in graduate-level practicum courses. Being an employee of the practicum site does not exempt students from this requirement.

      Onboarding requirement results will be managed, stored, and tracked by CastleBranch. Onboarding requirements must be updated and renewed upon expiration of requirements in CastleBranch. Onboarding requirements, including health screenings and background checks, will only be approved if submitted through Walden University’s designated provider, CastleBranch. The Office of Field Experience staff will confirm submission of all requirements in CastleBranch to approve practicum applications. When required, Walden University will communicate the satisfactory completion of these requirements to practicum sites.

      Students are responsible for all expenses incurred for onboarding requirements and CastleBranch.

      Students must complete onboarding requirements by the deadline for onboarding requirements, which is same date as the application deadline. It is highly recommend that students begin and complete onboarding requirements early to avoid delays in being approved and registered for a practicum course. Completing onboarding requirements is a lengthy process and may take several months to complete. It is important to complete CastleBranch onboarding requirements early to avoid technical and processing issues and delays.

      Students who do not meet these onboarding requirements prior to term start will NOT be permitted to begin their practicum experience until the onboarding requirements have been satisfactorily completed by the deadlines. In situations such as this, failure to satisfactorily complete the requirements by the deadline will result in denial of the practicum application and delay of field experience and academic progress.

      Students who have a negative background check/screen report and/or a positive drug test report, through CastleBranch, will be required to report their background check/screen and/or drug test to their practicum site of this information, and the practicum site must confirm they will allow the student to complete the practicum experience at the site by completing an acknowledgement form prior to the approval of a student’s practicum application.

      Some health systems and practicum sites mandate onboarding requirements that are not detailed in the Affiliation Agreement, it is beneficial for Walden students to satisfactorily complete the onboarding requirements early to avoid practicum delays. Students must contact their nominated practicum site directly to ensure they have completed all onboarding requirements of the practicum site. If a site requires Walden to complete their onboarding process, students must email nursingfield@mail.waldenu.edu no later than two months before the start of a term. If a practicum site requires something in addition to what is required by Walden University, additional screening packages must be obtained through CastleBranch, at the request of the Office of Field Experience, to fulfill those requirements. Students must obtain approval directly from their nominated practicum site before beginning practicum hours. Practicum approval from Walden University and does not guarantee approval from the practicum site.

      Students must follow policies and procedures as outlined in the Onboarding and CastleBranch Guide

      See the Onboarding Frequently Asked Questions in the FAQ section for more information and the list of Onboarding Requirements.

      CastleBranch

      CastleBranch, Walden’s designated vendor for onboarding requirements, provides a secure platform to complete onboarding requirements. Onboarding requirements include, but are not limited to, the following items: background screenings, a drug test, health requirements, trainings, professional liability insurance, and any additional onboarding requirements that may be required by the practicum site. Students must complete onboarding requirements online via the Walden portal for CastleBranch. Students must satisfactorily complete all the requirements listed in the CastleBranch portal to begin their practicum. The practicum application will not be approved until all the requirements have been satisfactorily completed.

      When ordering the background screening, students will be provided a Disclosure and Authorization Form by CastleBranch, which all students must sign in advance of obtaining the background check. The Disclosure and Authorization Form is required by federal law. Although the Disclosure and Authorization Form references an employment check, for these purposes, it also applies to students applying for field experience.

      Students complete onboarding requirements in a Walden University College of Nursing package online via the Walden portal for CastleBranch. The College of Nursing is unable to accept packages with other schools in CastleBranch. Any questions regarding the purchase of a screening package can be answered by CastleBranch at 1-888-723-4263. For questions regarding the practicum site, onboarding requirements, or practicum application process, please contact nursingfield@mail.waldenu.edu.

      Students are responsible to renew all expiring requirements in CastleBranch. All requirements that expire before the start of the term must be renewed by the onboarding deadline and prior to application approval. If a requirement is due to expire before the start of the term and is still marked complete in the “To Do List”, students must email CastleBranch at customerservice@castlebranch.com to request the renewal requirement be added to their “To Do List” early. Renewing expiring requirements must be completed by the onboarding deadline. When students are enrolled in the practicum course, students must renew all expiring onboarding requirements prior to the requirement expiring.

      Students must complete a background check and drug test in the state where the practicum experience will occur annually through CastleBranch at least within 12 months prior to the term starting.

      Instructions on how to sign up for CastleBranch and complete onboarding requirements in CastleBranch is outlined in the CastleBranch & Onboarding Guide.

      Onboarding Requirements—Undergraduate Courses

      Practicum sites may require students to complete additional onboarding requirements and require Walden to verify that the additional requirements have been satisfactorily completed. Students must contact their nominated practicum site directly to obtain their onboarding requirements. If a site requires Walden to complete their onboarding process, students must email nursingfield@mail.waldenu.edu by the application deadline. If required by the site, all onboarding requirements must be completed satisfactorily before the practicum application may be approved.

      Onboarding requirements may include, but not be limited to, background screenings, drug screening, health requirements, required training and professional liability insurance, and any additional onboarding requirements that may be required by the practicum site. If a practicum site requires Walden to attest to onboarding requirements, students must complete the requirements through Walden University’s designated provider, CastleBranch. CastleBranch provides a secure platform to complete onboarding requirements for practicum. Onboarding requirements are managed, reviewed, stored, and tracked in CastleBranch.

      The Office of Field Experience staff will confirm submission of all requirements in CastleBranch in order to approve practicum applications. Students are responsible for all expenses incurred for onboarding requirements and CastleBranch. If a practicum site requires Walden to verify that onboarding has been met, students will not be permitted to start their field experience until onboarding requirements are satisfactorily completed. Students must obtain approval directly from their nominated practicum site before beginning practicum hours. Practicum approval from Walden University and does not guarantee approval from the practicum site.

      Preceptor Commitment Form

      The Preceptor Commitment Form is a form completed by the preceptor to commit to the preceptorship with a Walden University nursing student. The Preceptor Commitment Form is an official form and requires the preceptor to complete the form in its entirety. Students are NOT to complete this form on behalf of the preceptor. Preceptor designees and administrative staff are NOT permitted to complete this form on behalf of the preceptor. The form is specific to each student, course, term, preceptor, and practicum site. Thus, a form is required to be completed for each student for each class and practicum site location every term.

      This Preceptor Commitment Form is different from the Affiliation Agreement. The Office of Field Experience staff at Walden will work directly with the administrator at the practicum site to establish an Affiliation Agreement, which is a legal agreement directly between Walden University and the practicum site.

      The Preceptor Commitment Form is emailed directly to the preceptor nominee at the time students enter the preceptor nominee information on the Meditrek® application in the “Preceptor and Practicum Site Information” section. The preceptor nominee should review the form, complete it in its entirety, and sign the form. Preceptor Commitment Forms can also be found online at the Office of Field Experience website.

      If the preceptor nominee completes the form electronically, they must agree to the Walden University Policy on Electronic Signatures. If the preceptor nominee does not complete the form electronically, they must print legibly and provide a signature at the bottom of the form.

      After the preceptor nominee fully completes and signs the form, they should send it directly to the student. The student is responsible for ensuring all information is completed on the form by the preceptor nominee. The student will then upload this form as part of their application in Meditrek®. The student is responsible to upload a fully completed Preceptor Commitment Form in Meditrek® and link it to their application. Practicum applications will be denied and closed if either a blank Preceptor Commitment Form is uploaded or if a Preceptor Commitment Form is not uploaded to the application. In some instances, if the Preceptor Commitment Form has incomplete or incorrect information on the form, the practicum application may be returned via Meditrek® to the student to resolve the issue with the form. Any delays in submitting completed and correct Preceptor Commitment Forms will delay the processing of the practicum application.

      More information for preceptors can be found online; click on the Course Information tab to review Course Objectives and clinical checklists.

      If preceptors have any questions, they may contact the Office of Field Experience at nursingfield@mail.waldenu.edu.

      Affiliation Agreement With Practicum Sites

      An Affiliation Agreement is a legal contract between Walden University and a practicum site. The Affiliation Agreement should not be confused with the Preceptor Commitment Form. Accreditation standards and university policy require that an Affiliation Agreement be in place before students start their practicum.

      Coming to a mutual agreement about the terms of the Affiliation Agreement can take time, sometimes several weeks or months. In most cases, Walden is able to reach a mutual agreement with student practicum sites. There are times, however, when a practicum site and Walden are not able to enter into an agreement or cannot reach an understanding on the terms of the agreement due to a variety of factors that may be out of either organization’s control. When there is reason to believe that the Affiliation Agreement between Walden and a site will not be completed, Walden will make every effort to notify students in a timely fashion. If there is enough time, Walden works with students as they try to find a new preceptor nominee and site, even if the Office of Field Experience is continuing to work with the first site. Students are strongly encouraged to identify alternative practicum sites and preceptor nominees as back-up options.

      Walden requires that Affiliation Agreements be finalized for every practicum site where practicum will occur. If students plan to complete practicum hours at multiple sites, an application must be submitted and approved for each and every practicum site and preceptor nominee. If students plan to complete practicum hours with a contract agency and will be logging hours at multiple sites, an application must be submitted and approved for each physical practicum site.

      In some cases, the Affiliation Agreement with a planned practicum site may not be completed and it may be too late for students to find a new site prior to the start of the current term. If this happens, students are delayed a term while they search for a new site and preceptor nominee. In this instance, students are allowed a limited exception to apply for the next term so that they can prepare a new application. Walden is not able to predict or control delays, but they are avoided if possible. It is highly recommended for students to arrange for alternative back-up practicum sites and preceptor nominees.

      Practicum Site Administrator—Affiliation Agreement Contact

      Students must enter the practicum site administrator contact information in the application in Meditrek®. The contact information for the practicum site administrator is entered in the “Affiliation Agreement” section of the application in Meditrek®.

      Students are responsible to obtain the contact information for the appropriate individual at the practicum site with authority to sign a legal contact. Preceptors may know whom to contact at practicum sites; otherwise, students should ask if their practicum site has an education or staff-development manager or a risk manager. Authority to sign the Affiliation Agreement could possibly be handled by a dean, chief nursing officer, director, CEO, or other administrator; large organizations may have an on-site legal department and an attorney who signs Affiliation Agreements. The person who signs the agreement must be authorized to do so by the practicum site. The individual authorized to sign the agreement is usually not the preceptor.

      Note: It is very important to enter the correct contact information in Meditrek® for the contact at the practicum site because inaccurate information will delay processing of the agreement.

      Process for Affiliation Agreements

      Generally, field experience coordinators will begin reviewing all practicum applications after the application deadline. Field experience coordinators will review applications to determine if there is an active Affiliation Agreement in place with the practicum site. If so, a field experience coordinator will email the practicum site administrator acknowledging the existence of an Affiliation Agreement.

      If there is no Affiliation Agreement in place with the practicum site, a field experience coordinator will email the practicum site administrator with instructions on establishing an Affiliation Agreement with Walden University. If a practicum site wants to utilize their own agreement or make edits to Walden’s agreement, we must receive the affiliation agreement from the practicum site no later than 6 weeks before the start of the term to begin the negotiation process. If a practicum site signs the Walden University Affiliatoin Agreement with no changes, we must receive the finalized agreement no later than the Friday before the first day of the term.

      If there is an Affiliation Agreement in place with the practicum site, the Affiliation Agreement section of the student application will be marked as complete. Students may monitor the status of the Affiliation Agreement in Meditrek®. Instructions on how to review the status of your application review is outlined in the Application Status and Definition guide.

      Note: If a practicum site administrator has not received an email about the Affiliation Agreement, the student should take the following actions as soon as possible, to avoid delays:

      • Confirm the contact information is correct for the practicum site administrator in the application in Meditrek®. If the contact information is incorrect, please email nursingfield@mail.waldenu.edu with the correct contact information and the Affiliation Agreement information will be resent.
      • If the contact information is correct, confirm whether the practicum site administrator checked their spam or junk email folder for the email.
      • If the practicum site administrator has not received the email, the student or the practicum site administrator may email nursingfieldagreements@mail.waldenu.edu with a request to resend the Affiliation Agreement information.

      If the practicum site administrator would like the Affiliation Agreement information to be faxed to them, the student or the practicum site administrator may send an email request to nursingfieldagreements@mail.waldenu.edu.

      Options for Sites to Establish an Affiliation Agreement With Walden

      • Practicum site is willing to sign the Walden University standard Affiliation Agreement: The Affiliation Agreement is emailed directly to the practicum site administrator. The practicum site administrator signs the agreement and returns it to the Office of Field Experience.
      • Practicum site would like to use the Walden University standard Affiliation Agreement with changes: Walden’s standard Affiliation Agreement is emailed directly to the practicum site administrator. The practicum site administrator should make redline changes to the template agreement in Microsoft Word, and then return the Word document with track changes to the Office of Field Experience. A Walden University contract administrator will then review the requested changes to either accept them or engage in further negotiation with the practicum site in an effort to reach an agreement. The process of negotiating an Affiliation Agreement may take time, and the length of time it takes to complete negotiation is not entirely within Walden University’s control. Accordingly, students are strongly advised to identify back-up sites and preceptor nominees.
      • Practicum site would like to use its preferred template for an Affiliation Agreement: The practicum site administrator should email the practicum site’s preferred template to nursingfieldagreements@mail.waldenu.edu. A Walden University contract administrator will review the template and communicate directly with the practicum site administrator to negotiate the terms of the contract. The process of negotiating an Affiliation Agreement may take time, and the length of time it takes to complete negotiation is not entirely within Walden University’s control. Accordingly, students are strongly advised to identify back-up sites and preceptor nominees.

      As noted above, coming to a mutual agreement about the terms of the Affiliation Agreement can take time, sometimes several weeks or months. In most cases, Walden is able to reach a mutual agreement with student practicum sites. There are times, however, when a practicum site and Walden are not able to enter into an agreement or cannot reach an understanding on the terms of the agreement due to a variety of factors that may be out of either organization’s control. When there is reason to believe that the Affiliation Agreement between Walden and a site will not be completed, Walden will make every effort to notify students in a timely fashion. If there is enough time, Walden works with students to find a new preceptor nominee and site, even if the Office of Field Experience is continuing to work with the first site. Students are strongly encouraged to identify alternative practicum sites and preceptor nominees as back-up options.

      Affiliation Agreement Status in Meditrek®

      Students can monitor the progress of the Affiliation Agreement process on their application checklist in Meditrek®.

      • Information Submitted by Student: Application has been submitted by the student. The practicum site Affiliation Agreement information has NOT been reviewed by the Office of Field Experience staff.
      • Initial Request Sent to Practicum Site: Walden University does not have an existing agreement for this practicum site. The field experience coordinator has sent an email request to the practicum site administrator to initiate an agreement. Reminders are emailed to the practicum site administrator every 2 weeks when the Affiliation Agreement process is in this status. Emails are sent using the contact information of the practicum site administrator listed by the student on the application.
      • Awaiting Response From Practicum Site: The field experience coordinator has received a communication from the practicum site organization but has not received an agreement template from the practicum site and/or is awaiting a follow-up response from the practicum site organization.
      • In Communications with Practicum Site: The field experience coordinator has received some communications/requests from the practicum site administrator about establishing an agreement, but not enough information or documentation has been received to move forward with the agreement.
      • Verifying Coverage with Practicum Site: The field experience coordinator must verify coverage with the practicum site before it is determined the affiliation agreement will cover the student's practicum site and location.
      • Verifying Employment: The field experience coordinator must verify employment of the preceptor and/or student to verify the affiliation agreement will cover the practicum experience.
      • Pending Preceptor Commitment Form: The Preceptor Commitment Form does not have the required information to begin the affiliation agreement review.
      • Pending Third Party Agreement: The preceptor is a contractor of the practicum site and is not an employee of the site so a third-party agreement must be completed with the preceptor's employer.
      • Submitted to Walden Field Experience: Documentation and/or information has been submitted regarding the agreement and is being processed by the field experience coordinator to move to the next stage.
      • In Legal Negotiation Between Walden and Practicum Site: Walden University’s contract administrators are in negotiation with the practicum site to complete an Affiliation Agreement.
      • Completed and Approved: The Affiliation Agreement has been fully executed and approved.

      Sections (Forms) to Complete in Meditrek

      Students are responsible for completing all sections of the practicum application in Meditrek® correctly prior to submitting their practicum application. For the most up-to-date information regarding applications and Meditrek®, including webinars, tutorials, and FAQs, refer to the Office of Field Experience website.

      • Practicum Site Information & Affiliation Agreement Section: Students need to identify, with the help of the preceptor and/or practicum site contact, the appropriate individual at the practicum site to negotiate and sign the Affiliation Agreement. This individual may be the CEO, dean, contracts manager, site director, human resources, owner, or president. Large organizations may have an on-site legal department that reviews such agreements and may have an attorney who signs Affiliation Agreements. Students will complete contact information for the practicum site and the practicum site administrator who would be responsible for facilitating the Affiliation Agreement. The required information is as follows:
        • Practicum site name and address
        • Name of administrator authorized to negotiate and sign the Affiliation Agreement
        • Contact information for the practicum site administrator
          Note: Students need to ensure correct contact information is entered in Meditrek® as wrong contact information will delay processing.
        • Healthcare organization: If the practicum site is under a healthcare organization or parent company, the agreement may be under the name of the healthcare organization, so the name of the healthcare system or organization is needed.
        • Student’s name
        • Gender, date of birth (DOB), last 4 digits of SSN
        • Address
        • Phone numbers
        • Walden ID number
        • Walden email address
        • Emergency contact information
        • Date RN license earned/renewed
        • Date RN License expires
        • RN License number
        • State of RN License
        • Acknowledgement if license is part of the Nurse Licensure Compact with multistate privileges

        Note: Students do not need to upload or send a copy of their RN license. The Office of Field Experience will conduct an online verification of all licenses.

        • Preceptor Information: Students will complete information about the preceptor nominee and practicum site in the application to provide information about the qualifications and appropriateness of the site. It is important for students to include as much information as possible about the preceptor nominee and practicum site to assist the Office of Field Experience staff to determine if the preceptor nominee and practicum site will meet the requirements of the practicum course. The required information is as follows:
          • Preceptor nominee contact information to include name, title, phone number, and email address
          • Preceptor nominee credentials
          • Preceptor nominee information to include education degree, licensure, certification, license number, state of license, and expiration date
          • Practicum site description
          • Preceptor nominee and practicum site information:
            • Description of the preceptor nominee job responsibilities
            • Description of how the preceptor nominee will provide the student with an appropriate practicum experience to meet the Learning Objectives of the course
            • Description of how the practicum site will provide the student with an appropriate practicum experience to meet the Learning Objectives of the course
            • Supporting information or documentation to support the nomination of the preceptor and practicum site

            Note: Once this section is complete, the preceptor information can be submitted, and an email will be sent to the preceptor nominee with the Preceptor Commitment Form.

            • Preceptor License/Certification:
              • Type of license/certification
              • Date license/certification earned/renewed
              • Date license/certification expires
              • License number
              • State of license/certification
              • Acknowledgement if license is part of the Nurse Licensure Compact with multistate privileges

              Note: Students do not need to upload or send a copy of their preceptor’s license. The Office of Field Experience will conduct an online verification of all licenses. If the Office of Field Experience needs to verify license/certification, the student will receive a notification via email.

              • Student Authorizations and Acknowledgements:
                • Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) Release: Students will complete a FERPA release when completing and submitting an application in Meditrek®. The FERPA release authorizes Walden University to release all information, without limitation, regarding enrollment and academic records for the purpose of arranging for, participating in, and being evaluated on the field experience.
                • Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Requirements Acknowledgement: Students in Walden University's nursing programs are required to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), as well as all field experience site-specific policies and procedures related to privacy and security of health-related information.
                • Nursing Practicum Manual Acknowledgement.
                • Technical Standards Acknowledgement.
                • COVID-19 Acknowledgement of Risk
                • Notice for Financial Aid & Registration
                • Email Policy Acknowledgement

                Documents to Upload in Meditrek

                Students are responsible for uploading all documents in Meditrek® to complete their application. For the most up-to-date information regarding applications and Meditrek®, including webinars, tutorials, and FAQs, refer to the Office of Field Experience website.

                Note: See section on “Practicum Requirements” for more details on these requirements.

                • Preceptor Commitment Form:
                  • This form is sent directly to the preceptor nominee via email when students submit the preceptor information section in Meditrek®
                  • Preceptor nominee must complete the form in its entirety and sign the commitment form.
                  • Preceptor nominee should submit the form directly to the student for the student to upload in the application in Meditrek®
                  • The form is specific for each student, course, term, preceptor, and practicum site location. Thus, a form is required to be completed for each student for each class and practicum site location every term.

                  Note: Preceptor Commitment Forms must be completed by the preceptor nominee. Students should NOT complete the Preceptor Commitment Form on behalf of the preceptor nominee. Preceptor designees and administrative staff are NOT permitted to complete this form on behalf of the preceptor. Students should NOT utilize their own computer to complete the Preceptor Commitment Form with the preceptor.

                  Also Note: If it is believed the student completed it on behalf of the preceptor, a case will be reviewed by the academic integrity analyst. Concerns about who completed the Preceptor Commitment Form may result in a Code of Conduct inquiry. Students found to have completed the Preceptor Commitment Form are subject to discipline. For more information about the Code of Conduct, please refer to the Walden University Student Manual, Section 3: Student Expectations and Responsibilities.

                  • Telehealth Questionnaire Form (For Telehealth Practicum for select Nurse Practitioner Courses):
                    • If students are eligible to complete their practicum experience via telehealth, a Telehealth Questionnaire Form is required. The Telehealth Questionnaire Form is an official form and requires the preceptor to complete the form in its entirety. Students are not to complete this form on behalf of the preceptor. The form is student, course, and term specific. Thus, a form is required to be completed for each student for each class every term.
                    • Students must select the type of their clinical experience in the practicum application in Meditrek® in the “Preceptor Information” section of the application. Students should select “Telehealth Patient Care Only” or “Onsite & Telehealth Patient Care” in the “Type of Clinical” field in the practicum application in Meditrek®.
                    • The Telehealth Questionnaire Form is emailed directly to the preceptor nominee at the time students enter the preceptor nominee’s information on the Meditrek® application in the “Preceptor Information” section and select telehealth in the “Type of Clinical” field of the application. The preceptor nominee should review the form, complete it in its entirety, and sign the form. The Telehealth Questionnaire Form can also be found online.
                    • After the preceptor nominee completes and signs the form, they should send it directly to the student. Students are responsible to upload this form as part of their application in Meditrek®. It is the students’ responsibility to upload the Telehealth Questionnaire in Meditrek® and link it to their application.

                    If preceptors have any questions, they may contact the Office of Field Experience at nursingfield@mail.waldenu.edu.

                    Application Status

                    Students can log in to Meditrek® at any time to see the status of their application by clicking on the course on their list of applications. Instructions on how to review the status of your application is outlined in the Application Status and Definition guide. The statuses are as follows:

                    • Closed: The application is closed due to inability to approve the application. Students are emailed with specific details for the closed application.
                    • Incomplete—Started: Students have started the application but have not submitted the complete application in Meditrek®. The application will NOT be reviewed until it is completed and submitted in Meditrek®.
                    • Incomplete: Students have started the application and submitted the practicum setting information but have not submitted the application in Meditrek®. The application will not be reviewed until it is completed and submitted in Meditrek®.
                    • Submitted: The application has been submitted in Meditrek®. This application is either queued up for review or is under review by the Office of Field Experience. The Office of Field Experience begins application reviews after the application deadline. Applications will remain in this status while the application is being reviewed.
                    • Returned: The application has issues or corrections that need to be resolved by the student and resubmitted for review. Students should review the email notification for further details, next steps, and instructions for resolving the issue with the application. This application will not be reviewed until the issue is resolved and the application is resubmitted in Meditrek®.
                    • Pending: The application is under review by the Office of Field Experience but is awaiting additional review (e.g. expiring license review, license action review)
                    • Registration Restriction: The application was approved but course registration was unable to be processed. The approval is rescinded until the registration restriction is resolved. Students must resolve the registration restriction and notify nursingfield@mail.waldenu.edu to be approved and registered.
                    • Final Review – Waitlist: The application was submitted late after the application deadline and is on the waitlist. The application is pending processing and final decision through the waitlist.
                    • Pre-Approved: Application is preapproved. Everything is approvable, including the Affiliation Agreement. Walden must receive approval from student’s state Board of Nursing. Once approval is received from the state Board of Nursing, the application will be fully approved, and student will be registered for the practicum course.
                    • Approved: The application and practicum experience have been approved by the Office of Field Experience. Students must verify directly with their practicum site to ensure they have met all the requirements of the site to begin practicum.
                    • Approved – Registration Sent to Registrar: The application has been approved and registration is pending. The Office of Field Experience has submitted a registration request to the Registrar.
                    • Approved and Registered: The application has been approved by the Office of Field Experience and the student is registered for the course. Students must verify directly with their practicum site to ensure they have met all the requirements of the site to begin practicum.

                    Sites that Require a Placement/Rotation or Affiliation Agreement Prior to Preceptor Assignment

                    Some practicum sites may require a finalized affiliation agreement or require Walden complete their placement/rotation request process prior to accepting student for practicum and/or assigning a student to a preceptor. If a practicum site requires a finalized affiliation agreement and/or requires Walden to complete their placement/rotation process prior to assigning a preceptor, students must send an email to nursingfield@mail.waldenu.edu to request directions and a link to submit a request form in Meditrek. Students must submit either an ”Affiliation Agreement Request Form” or a “ Placement or Rotation Request Form” in Meditrek. Students must begin the request process early enough before the application deadline to allow enough time to complete the affiliation agreement and/or placement/rotation requests process to ensure its timely completion to allow time to submit the practicum application in Meditrek by the application deadline. Students must still submit a practicum application to nominate a practicum site and preceptor by the application deadline. If it is after the application deadline, students must go through the waitlist process for a late application if the waitlist is open.

                    Application Review and Approval

                    Applications must be completed in their entirety and submitted in Meditrek®. Applications in incomplete or incomplete-started status will not be reviewed by the Office of Field Experience staff and will be closed if not submitted by the deadline. Students are responsible to ensure an application is finalized and submitted in Meditrek® by the application deadline or the late application deadline.

                    Generally, field experience coordinators will begin reviewing applications after the application deadline. Applications are reviewed in the order they are submitted in Meditrek®. Approval of the application must occur prior to the student starting the practicum course and logging hours. Students cannot begin logging practicum hours until their practicum application is fully approved, they have been registered for the course, and the course/term has begun.

                    Students are able to monitor the progress of their application review by logging into their Meditrek® account, accessing the application checklist, and clicking on the course number. The application checklist will list the review status of each section of the application. When a section of the application is completed and accepted, that will be listed next to the section with the date it was completed.

                    Application Approval

                    • The application must be submitted in Meditrek®. Incomplete applications will NOT be reviewed.
                    • The nursing field experience coordinators will process student practicum applications and notify students via an email from Meditrek® to their Walden issued email address if applications are returned or if changes are needed. However, students are responsible to know the status of their practicum application and to submit a complete application. Instructions on how to review the status of an application is outlined in the Application Status and Definition guide.
                    • The field experience coordinators will review student application materials. If an application is denied and closed, students will be notified via an email from Meditrek® to their Walden issued email address. In some cases, for specific situations, students may be given an opportunity to resolve the issue related the closure of their application within a short amount of time.
                    • If an application is approved, an email will be sent by Meditrek® to the preceptor and to the student.
                    • A practicum application must be approved by the end of the day on the Friday before the first day of the term to be eligible for course registration.
                    • Practicum approval is valid as follows:
                      • Course-Based: Practicum approval is valid for the approved term.
                      • Tempo-Based: Practicum approval is valid for 13 weeks after the first day of the start to the term. Tempo students must stop completing practicum hours after the 13-week period. If Tempo students need additional time to complete practicum hours after the 13-week period, they must go through the remedial application process.

                      Important Note: Students providing false information or documentation for practicum will be subject to a Code of Conduct inquiry. Students who are found to have falsified information or documentation for practicum will be subject to disciplinary action, including failure, suspension or permanent dismissal from the university. For more information about the Code of Conduct, please refer to the Walden University Student Handbook, Section 3: Student Conduct and Responsibilities.

                      Course Registration and Start

                      Registration for practicum courses is subject to review, based on whether students meet course prerequisites and have an approved practicum

                      Registration for the practicum courses is subject to review, based on whether students meet course prerequisites, are active, have no restrictions or holds preventing registration, and have an approved practicum application on file.

                      Students must have an approved practicum application in Meditrek in order to be registered for a practicum course. Students will be registered for the practicum course upon full approval of their application in Meditrek®. Registration for practicum courses will be processed through the third day of the term. Students will be dropped from practicum courses during the first week of the term if they do not have an approved practicum application.

                      Approval of a practicum application does not guarantee the ability of students to be registered for practicum courses. Course availability is determined based upon when the practicum application is approved. Walden University abides by the rules and regulations required by various state Boards of Nursing. Walden is committed to adhering to the academic standards and compliance requirements as determined by various state nursing boards. For this reason, Walden’s College of Nursing is not able to offer an unlimited number of practicum course sections.

                      Once a student is registered, they are unable to change course sections to ensure the correct faculty-to-student ratios in each course section for accreditation purposes, and to ensure course load balance, optimizations, and cohorting of sections to meet various state Boards of Nursing Faculty licensure requirements.

                      Students are responsible to ensure all holds are removed from their account. If students have been withdrawn, on a leave of absence, or have not been continuously enrolled at Walden, they must contact Student Success Advising or Academic Coach to return and be reinstated at Walden. If students have not been enrolled at Walden in over one year, they must reapply for admission to become readmitted to Walden University. The Office of Field Experience staff will not be able to process a course registration if students have a hold on their account, are not actively enrolled, or have not been reinstated.

                      Students who do not meet the application requirements and deadlines found in this manual will be dropped from the practicum course until all appropriate documents are on file and approved and all course prerequisites are met by all appropriate deadlines for practicum and registration.

                      If students fail a prerequisite course, they are responsible for contacting their Student Success Advisor or Tempo Coach and the Office of Field Experience for support with steps required. Failing a prerequisite course may delay their progression in their practicum course(s). If students believe they have met all the requirements for starting the practicum and are not registered for a practicum course, they should contact the nursing field experience coordinators at nursingfield@mail.waldenu.edu.

                      Students should NOT start logging practicum hours until their practicum application is fully approved in Meditrek®, they have been registered for the practicum course, and the term has started.