How Raleigh, North Carolina Nurse Practitioners Are Securing Their Preceptors?

To find nurse practitioner preceptors in Raleigh, NC, students should start 3–6 months in advance and explore local systems like Wake AHEC, WakeMed, and Atrium Health. Nurse practitioners have the ability to independently secure clinical placements and adapt to a variety of healthcare settings, demonstrating their autonomy and skill. Since most NP programs don’t assign preceptors, nurse practitioners in North Carolina often rely on direct outreach or matching services like NPHub to secure clinical placements in primary care, family medicine, or mental health.

TL;DR – How Raleigh, North Carolina Nurse Practitioners Are Securing Their Preceptors?

• Most NP schools don’t assign preceptors — Students are responsible for finding their own, often relying on cold outreach or services like NPHub.
• Raleigh is competitive — With many nurse practitioners concentrated in the area, preceptor demand outweighs supply, especially in family medicine, mental health, and women’s health.
• Avoid common mistakes — Don’t limit yourself to big hospitals, skip cold outreach, or send vague emails. Professionalism and persistence matter.
• Know the local systems — Wake AHEC, WakeMed, and Atrium Health offer structured (but limited) placement options—most require prior school agreements.
• You’ve got backup — When cold outreach isn’t enough, preceptor-matching platforms like NPHub can help you secure approved clinical sites fast.

Why Nurse Practitioners in North Carolina Struggle to Get Clinicals in Raleigh and What You Can Do About It

If you’re a nurse practitioner student looking for a clinical placement in Raleigh, you’re probably already feeling the pressure. Rotations are non-negotiable, but landing one in a city this competitive takes more than just good grades and polite emails.

Raleigh is a healthcare magnet. It’s packed with hospitals, advanced practice providers, and top-tier clinical opportunities across family medicine, mental health, and women’s health. The broad scope of practice areas available to nurse practitioners in Raleigh means you can gain experience in a wide range of specialties and settings. That’s the good news. The downside? Everyone wants in.

With most North Carolina nurse practitioners concentrated in metro areas like Raleigh, and a growing number of students entering the pipeline, demand for preceptors is outpacing supply. Add in the fact that most programs don’t assign placements, and it’s no wonder students feel stuck. Securing a placement in Raleigh offers significant benefits, including exposure to diverse patient populations and advanced practice environments that can enhance your clinical skills and career prospects.

But stuck doesn’t mean helpless. This blog lays out what’s really happening in Raleigh’s clinical placement scene, and what you can do to improve your odds.

Why Raleigh Nurse Practitioners Are in High Demand

Raleigh isn’t just North Carolina’s capital, it’s one of the most saturated cities for nurse practitioners (NPs) in the state.

With a booming healthcare sector, multiple large hospital systems, and a growing population, the Raleigh metro area attracts both experienced providers and nurse practitioner students from all over the country. But that demand comes with a catch: clinical placements are limited, and competition is steep.

According to recent workforce data, North Carolina nurse practitioners are overwhelmingly based in urban areas like Raleigh. In fact, over 85.6% of NPs in the state work in metropolitan regions. This urban concentration reflects both the availability of complex care settings and the draw of cities with better access to education, employment, and advanced practice roles.

Here’s how the Raleigh-area NP workforce breaks down:

• 35% work in group medical practices, where space and precepting availability are often limited.
• 17.8% are in hospital inpatient settings, which may prioritize in-house students or have longer onboarding timelines.
• 9.8% practice in hospital outpatient settings, including specialty clinics where students may not meet eligibility.
• 5.4% are focused on mental health, an area with growing demand but often restricted to post-certification or specialty placements.

Another key factor is the type of NPs practicing in Raleigh. While 56.1% are still family nurse practitioners, metro areas like Raleigh tend to have a higher concentration of providers with acute care, adult, psychiatric, or women’s health certifications. Nurse practitioners must hold a relevant national certification to practice in their chosen specialty.

This means fewer generalists in primary care—the exact preceptors most students are required to learn from.

Add to that the rise in out-of-state students rotating in North Carolina, and you get a system under pressure. Many Raleigh clinics and providers receive dozens of placement requests each semester, and most have limited capacity to say “yes.”

For nurse practitioner students pursuing careers in primary care, family medicine, or mental health, Raleigh still offers some of the richest learning environments in the state. But understanding this workforce saturation is key to navigating the clinical placement process strategically.

That’s why even well-qualified students can struggle to secure a site, because it’s not just about your credentials, it’s about how and when you approach the process. Before diving into how to find help, let’s look at the common missteps that trip up even the most prepared students.

Mistakes That Cost Raleigh Nurse Practitioners Students Their Spot

1. Only Focusing on Big Name Clinics and Hospitals

It’s tempting to start your search with recognizable names like WakeMed, UNC Health, or Duke-affiliated sites. They’re respected institutions with great reputations—so why wouldn’t you want to rotate there?

The problem is, everyone else thinks the same way. These systems receive hundreds of student requests per semester, most of which are rejected unless you’re enrolled in a directly affiliated program. They often have long onboarding times, strict deadlines, and limited availability for NP students.

What students miss is the goldmine of NP-owned practices, community health centers, and private clinics that may be just as valuable—if not more—for one-on-one learning. These sites are often overlooked, less bureaucratic, and more open to taking students who show initiative.

2. Avoiding Cold Outreach Because It Feels “Awkward”

Many students stall for weeks (or months) because they’re nervous about reaching out to preceptors they don’t know. They worry about “bothering” providers or sounding unqualified, so they wait for someone to hand them a connection.

But in Raleigh’s competitive market, passivity is costly. Most NP programs don’t assign preceptors, and cold outreach is often the only viable path—especially for students from online or out-of-state programs.

Here’s the truth: cold outreach is awkward—until you get over it. A polite, clear message backed with strong documentation shows confidence, not desperation. And remember, the worst you’ll get is silence. The best? A “yes” that keeps you on track to graduate.

3. Not Understanding Local Placement Ecosystems

Raleigh’s healthcare scene includes more than just hospitals. It spans a network of public agencies like Wake AHEC, large systems like WakeMed and Atrium, and independent providers scattered across the metro.

Each of these operates differently:

• Wake AHEC may match students from certain schools but not others.
• WakeMed requires portal submissions via Rotation Manager.
• Some private clinics accept students only through personal connections or referrals.

If you start contacting clinics without understanding how they handle student placements—or whether your school has an agreement in place—you’ll waste time and risk rejections for reasons unrelated to your qualifications.

4. Assuming Your Location Will Help You Skip the Line

Some students think, “I live in Raleigh—this should be easy.” Unfortunately, geography doesn’t guarantee access. Local clinics often receive placement requests from universities across North Carolina and beyond. They’re not prioritizing you because of your mailing address—they’re prioritizing students whose schools already have established agreements or those who submit complete, timely applications.

Living nearby can help with commute logistics or flexibility, but it won’t move you ahead of the dozens of others applying for the same rotation spot. Your strategy and follow-through matter more than your zip code.

5. Treating the Process Like a Favor Instead of a Professional Agreement

A common misstep: sending a short, vague email that reads more like a casual favor request than a formal clinical inquiry. Something like, “Hi, I’m looking for a preceptor. Are you taking students?” is likely to be ignored.

Preceptors take on liability, mentoring time, and often uncompensated work when they agree to host students. They deserve a message that reflects professionalism and preparation. This means providing your program details, required hours, dates, and documentation in the initial outreach.

Think of this like applying for a job. Your tone should be appreciative but confident. Show them that you’re serious, well-informed, and easy to onboard.

Avoiding these mistakes won’t guarantee you a spot but they will keep you out of the most common traps that delay or derail NP students in Raleigh. The next step? Knowing which organizations actually provide real support so you’re not doing all the heavy lifting alone.

Raleigh NC Preceptor Systems That Support Nurse Practitioner Placements

When navigating the competitive landscape of NP placements in Raleigh, it’s crucial to know which organizations actually support students. Here are the three that do and how to work with them effectively:

Wake AHEC – Office of Regional Primary Care Education (ORPCE)

Wake AHEC is a crucial local resource for nurse practitioner students:

• Preceptor support and matching: Provide support to precepting clinicians and students, in health science schools.
• Onboarding resources: Assistance with faculty appointments, student issue resolution, and access to the AHEC Digital Library help preceptors and students stay compliant and prepared.
• Student amenities: For rotations over 50 miles outside of Wake County, AHEC offers housing support.

WakeMed Health & Hospitals

WakeMed is Raleigh’s largest health system and uses a structured approach to NP student placements:

• Rotation Manager platform: Schools must first confirm affiliation via Workforce Development. Clinical placements and credentialing are all managed through this portal.
• Student-led preceptor selection: You need to identify and secure approval from a qualified preceptor; WakeMed does not assign preceptors directly.
• Credentials & orientation: As part of the consortium, WakeMed requires completion of standardized orientation modules, confidentiality forms, and TB attestation before clinical hours begin.

Atrium Health – Statewide (Including Raleigh Affiliates)

Although headquartered in Charlotte, Atrium serves NP students in the Raleigh region via statewide placement coordination:

• Centralized placement application: Submit the Advanced Practice Provider Student Placement form at least three months before your desired rotation start date.
• Large clinical network: Atrium places students in more than 900 care locations across specialties, including pediatric, acute-care, mental health, and women’s health—some accessible from Raleigh.
• Affiliation requirement: Students must be enrolled in an NP program with an active Clinical Education Affiliation Agreement (CEAA); applications without this are not.

These systems are helpful whether you’re a local student or coming in from out of state, Wake AHEC, WakeMed, and Atrium Health offer the most structured, realistic paths to securing a preceptor. But they don’t cover everything, and they don’t guarantee placement.

That’s why, for many NP students, the next step involves rolling up your sleeves and taking the search into your own hands.

What to Do When You're On Your Own: Securing Raleigh Nurse Practitioners Preceptors

If your nurse practitioner program expects you to find your own clinical site, you’re not alone, and if you’re trying to do it in Raleigh, North Carolina, you’re definitely not the only one.

With a rising number of North Carolina nurse practitioners, both local and out-of-state, all competing for clinical spots, finding a preceptor here can feel like a full-time job. But cold outreach, while tedious, remains one of the most effective strategies, if you do it right.

Start by thinking strategically. Instead of crowding major hospitals and academic systems, which are often prioritized for affiliated students, focus on more accessible options:

• NP-owned practices and smaller clinics are more likely to remember the challenge of finding placements and may be more open to mentorship. These clinics often offer the opportunity to work flexible hours, which is a significant benefit for students balancing coursework and clinicals.
• Facilities offering care in primary care, mental health, women’s health, and pediatrics often have more flexible schedules and less administrative red tape.
• Don’t overlook suburban and surrounding areas like Garner, Knightdale, or Holly Springs—many offer high-quality patient care experiences without the competition of downtown Raleigh. Winston Salem is another city in North Carolina with excellent clinical opportunities for students.

When you secure a placement, you’ll gain exposure to a wide scope of practice, including interpreting tests, managing various health conditions, and working with diverse patients. During your rotation, you may have the chance to observe or participate in prescribing medications or treatments as prescribed by your preceptor, under appropriate supervision. The evaluation process is an important part of your clinical experience—your clinical skills, professionalism, and ability to maintain compliance with regulations will be assessed by your preceptor or director overseeing the program.

Once you’ve identified potential preceptors, craft a professional yet personable message. Think of your email as a one-page pitch: it should show that you’re organized, respectful, and clear on what you’re asking. Include:

• Your full name, NP program, and anticipated graduation date
• The type of rotation you’re seeking (e.g., family medicine, women’s health) and the number of required hours
• Your availability (e.g., “160 hours between Sept–Nov 2025”)
• A sentence explaining why you’re drawn to their practice or community
• Attach your resume, proof of liability insurance, and your school’s required documents

For example, you might write:
"Dear [Preceptor Name],
My name is [Your Name], and I am a committed family nurse practitioner student at [University], seeking a primary care rotation for 160 hours between Sept–Nov 2025. I am particularly interested in your clinic’s reputation for excellence and patient-centered care. I am eager to join your team and learn from your expertise in managing a wide range of health conditions. Attached are my resume, proof of insurance, and required documents. Thank you for considering my request."

If you don’t hear back, don’t panic. Providers in healthcare, especially advanced practice clinicians, juggle a lot, and your email may just get buried.

To follow up:

• Wait 5–7 business days before checking in
• Keep your tone professional and friendly—no pressure
• Reattach your original message for their convenience

Cold outreach in Raleigh NC isn’t easy, but for NP students without formal placement support, it can be the bridge between clinical uncertainty and graduation success.

When done well, it’s not just about compliance, it’s your first experience with the kind of direct, independent communication skills you’ll use as a licensed healthcare provider. Maintaining professionalism and adherence to regulations is essential throughout the process.

Of course, even with strategic outreach and follow-up, landing clinical placements in Raleigh, North Carolina isn’t always within your control.

Between school approval delays, overwhelmed providers, and a rising number of nurse practitioners in North Carolina competing for the same slots, it’s easy to hit a wall.

When that happens, turning to a preceptor-matching service becomes less of a shortcut and more of a smart move, especially one that’s designed for family nurse practitioner students navigating North Carolina’s most competitive healthcare markets. Some of these support systems were created specifically to help NP students, and are overseen by directors and members of professional boards to ensure excellence and compliance.

Don’t forget to join professional organizations like the North Carolina Nurses Association or NP networks for advocacy, support, and networking. These groups, along with experienced nurses and physicians, are committed to helping students succeed and often provide resources, mentorship, and opportunities to expand your professional scope.

When It’s Time for Backup: How NPHub Can Help Raleigh NP Students

Sometimes, even after perfect emails and relentless follow-ups, your search just doesn’t lead anywhere. Maybe your school doesn’t have the right agreements. Maybe providers are already booked. Maybe you're working, raising kids, and simply don’t have the hours to keep hunting.

That’s where NPHub steps in.

NPHub is a preceptor-matching service built specifically for nurse practitioner students. It connects you with verified, experienced preceptors, many of whom already work with schools across North Carolina, including those in the Raleigh NC area.

Here’s what you can expect:

• A curated network of preceptors in primary care, women’s health, mental health, pediatrics, and other high-demand specialties.
• Personalized support: Our team coordinates the paperwork, communication, and timelines with both your school and the clinic.
• Speed and reliability: Especially helpful for students under time pressure or facing tight school deadlines.

If you’ve hit a wall or want peace of mind knowing your placement is secure, NPHub is a flexible, proactive option especially in competitive markets like Raleigh.

Ready to Secure Your Raleigh Clinical Placement?

Whether you're emailing clinics, contacting health care systems, or working with a matching service like NPHub, what matters most is momentum.

Clinical placements in Raleigh, North Carolina are competitive but they’re also achievable with the right support, planning, and strategy.

The earlier you act, the more options you’ll have. So don’t wait for your final semester to start the process. Start now. And if you're already spinning your wheels? Let NPHub help you move forward with a preceptor who’s ready, approved, and aligned with your goals.

You’ve Got Options Even in a Crowded Market

Raleigh might be one of the busiest NP training hubs in North Carolina, but that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. With a solid understanding of local systems, a focused cold outreach plan, and tools like NPHub in your back pocket, you're far from stuck, you’re prepared.

Whether you're drawn to family medicine, mental health, or a more specialized advanced practice track, Raleigh offers meaningful, diverse clinical experiences that can shape your future as a provider. You just have to know where to look and when to ask for help.

So don’t get discouraged. Get strategic. Your preceptor is out there and now, you’ve got a game plan to find them!

Frequently Asked Questions: Finding NP Preceptors in Raleigh, NC

1. How do I find nurse practitioner preceptors in Raleigh, NC?

Start by checking with your school’s placement coordinator. If you’re on your own, focus on independent clinics, NP-owned practices, and surrounding suburbs. Cold outreach and preceptor-matching services like NPHub are common backup strategies.

2. Which hospitals in Raleigh accept NP students?

WakeMed is a major health system that may accept NP students, but most rotations require a school affiliation and advance approval. Use caution—many major hospitals prioritize students from specific programs.

3. Can out-of-state NP students do clinicals in Raleigh?

Yes, but only if your program has an active Clinical Education Affiliation Agreement with the preceptor or clinic. Without that, your rotation won’t be approved—even if a provider says yes.

4. What if my NP school doesn’t assign preceptors?

Then you’re responsible for finding one. You can research and contact local providers yourself or work with a professional service like NPHub that specializes in nurse practitioners preceptors.

5. How early should I start searching for a preceptor in Raleigh?

Start looking at least 4–6 months before your rotation starts. Some systems close applications early, and preceptors fill up fast in cities with high north carolina nurse practitioners density.

6. Is using a paid preceptor service like NPHub acceptable?

Yes. Most schools allow it, especially if they don’t provide placement help. Just confirm that the site is approved by your program before committing.

7. What paperwork do I need for a clinical rotation in Raleigh?

Typically: your resume, liability insurance, immunizations, background check, and a preceptor packet from your school. Having these ready speeds up the approval process.

8. How many clinics should I contact to find a placement?

Expect to contact 10–20 clinics—especially in competitive markets like Raleigh. Consistent, respectful follow-up is key.

9. Are NP students allowed to complete clinical hours outside their home city?

Yes, if your program permits it and the site has proper approvals. Many students travel within North Carolina to access better opportunities.

10. Does NPHub have Raleigh-based preceptors?

Yes. NPHub works with preceptors across Raleigh and surrounding areas—including those in family nurse practitioner, women’s health, and mental health specialties.

Key Definitions

• Preceptor
  A licensed healthcare provider (NP, MD, or PA) who supervises nurse practitioner students during clinical rotations, providing mentorship, feedback, and real-world patient care experience.
• Clinical Placement
  A required, supervised training experience where NP students apply classroom knowledge in actual healthcare settings such as clinics, hospitals, or specialty practices.
• Clinical Education Affiliation Agreement (CEAA)
  A formal agreement between a university and a clinical site that allows students to rotate there. Without this contract, even willing preceptors can’t host students.
• Cold Outreach
  The process of directly contacting potential preceptors (usually by email) without a prior connection. This is often necessary when schools don’t assign clinical sites.
• NPHub
  A professional preceptor-matching service designed specifically for NP students. NPHub connects students with verified Raleigh NC preceptors, helps manage paperwork, and ensures compliance with school requirements.
• Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
  A type of advanced practice registered nurse who provides comprehensive primary care across the lifespan. FNPs make up the majority of NP students and often pursue placements in family medicine clinics.
• myClinicalExchange
  An online platform used by some health systems for student placement requests, compliance tracking, and document management.
• Sonia Portal
  A clinical placement management system used by certain universities to coordinate rotations, track student progress, and submit documentation.

About the author

• NPHub Staff
  At NPHub, we live and breathe clinical placements. Our team is made up of nurse practitioners, clinical coordinators, placement advisors, and former students who’ve been through the process themselves. We work directly with NP students across the country to help them secure high-quality preceptorships and graduate on time with confidence.
• Last updated
  Jun 25, 2025
• Fact-checked by
  NPHub Clinical Placement Experts & Student Support Team
• Sources and references
  
  • https://www.shepscenter.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Final-Public-APRN-State-of-the-State-Report-1.pdf
  • https://www.wakeahec.org/whatisorpce.htm
  • https://www.wakemed.org/careers/student-program/request-a-placement
  • https://atriumhealth.org/education/center-for-advanced-practice/advanced-clinical-practitioner-student-placement
  • https://www.nphub.com