Behind on clinical hours near the end of an ETSU term
If an East Tennessee State University (ETSU) practicum is running out of weeks before you run out of hours, start with an exact count from ProjectConcert and set it against the days left before finals. Most gaps close with extra clinical days, a second approved preceptor or both. The ones that cannot close need a talk with course faculty about an Incomplete before the term ends.
Get your placement plan
Tell us your ETSU program and where you live. A placement advisor replies with the preceptor and site options that fit your ETSU course.
Start with an exact count
Total the hours logged and approved for this course in ProjectConcert and compare them with the clock hours on your plan of study. Count unlogged days separately: hours you worked but have not entered under Experience are a paperwork gap, not a clinical one, and you can close them tonight.
Course totals on ETSU's plans of study
NRSE 5010, the health assessment practicum: 60 hours.- Each later FNP practicum (
NRSE 5012,5022,5014,5024) and each PMHNP practicum (NRSE 5405,5409,5411,6950): 120 hours. - Nursing Administration (
NRSE 5502to5504) and the two education practicums (NRSE 5046,5045): 180 each;NRSE 5115: 60. - DNP residencies
NRSE 6801to6804: 125 each, and Residency I needs 40 supervised practicum hours for BSN-to-DNP students and specialty changers.
These plans date from 2020 to 2023, so confirm your figure against your syllabus and catalog year. The clinical hours hub lists every program.
How much of the term is left
Next, count the clinical days you can realistically still use. University closures and holiday weeks cut into the calendar, and your site keeps its own schedule on top of that.
| Term | Closures late in the term | Last class day | Finals | Grades due |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2026 | Nov 11; Nov 25 to 27 | Dec 3 | Dec 5 to 10 | Dec 14 |
| Spring 2027 | Spring break Mar 15 to 21; Mar 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 to 6 | May 10 |
| Summer 2027 | May 31; Jun 18; Jul 5 | Aug 13 (complete term) | See the Registrar | See the Registrar |
ETSU's pages do not say whether clinical hours may be logged over spring break or during finals week, so ask your course faculty before you build a plan on those days.
Hours per week to close the gap
Divide the hours you still need by the weeks you have left, then divide again by the length of your preceptor's clinic day to see how many days a week that means.
| Hours still needed | 6 weeks left | 4 weeks left | 2 weeks left |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 5 | 7.5 | 15 |
| 60 | 10 | 15 | 30 |
| 90 | 15 | 22.5 | 45 |
| 120 | 20 | 30 | 60 |
Once the weekly figure is more than your preceptor can host or you can attend alongside work, the numbers are telling you to add a second preceptor or discuss an Incomplete now, rather than hope the schedule holds.
Ways to add hours this term
- Add days with your current preceptorAsk for extra clinic days now, then update ProjectConcert's self-scheduler so faculty can see the new plan.
- Bring in a second approved preceptorThe form lets you list an additional preceptor for the same course, so this is a normal request. The second preceptor goes through faculty approval and a Student Services credential check, plus a contract if their site is new, so start here first when the gap is large.
- Keep the patient mix rightExtra hours still have to fit the course's population focus. Adult urgent care time is a poor fit for a children and adolescents practicum.
- Log as you goEnter each day's hours and patient journal the same evening, so your preceptor reviews them while the day is fresh.
- Schedule the final evaluation earlySend it through "Schedule User Evaluation" once your last clinical day is set, so it is not the item holding your grade.
In a DNP residency, your project chair confirms residency hours when the semester closes, so give the chair a clear count and plan well before then.
When the gap will not close: an Incomplete
If the remaining hours cannot fit before term ends, ask your course faculty about an Incomplete before grades are due. ETSU's policy allows an I when 75% of the work is complete and circumstances outside your control prevented the rest; an I is not a way to redo work or improve a grade.
The limits are firm. Unfinished work has one calendar year, or less if your instructor picks an earlier date, before the grade turns to F. The College of Nursing also halts progression at a second open I and wants any extension approved ahead of the deadline, and nobody graduates with an I on the record. Put the plan in writing: hours, site, preceptor and finish date. The incompletes page has the full policy.
Keep one short term from becoming two
A gap in one practicum can spill into the next. ETSU's plans run clinical courses in sequence, and an Incomplete that overlaps your next practicum means carrying two sets of hours at once. Line up the next preceptor early and tell your advisor. The delayed graduation guide covers part-time switches and leave.
Keep the grade floor in view too: every graduate nursing course needs at least a B. If withdrawal is on the table instead, note the dean-permission deadline, October 12 in the fall term and March 9 in spring, and the nursing limit on WF grades. The grades and progression page explains both.
How we help you catch up
Catching up means more approved clinical time with the right patients, quickly. We find an additional preceptor near you whose caseload fits your course, confirm availability for the weeks you have left and prepare every Intent Form detail, so your ProjectConcert entry is complete when it goes in.
We flag straight away whether the site needs a contract, so the College can act early. Approval of the added preceptor stays with your faculty, and credential checks with Student Services; the entry we help you file is ready for them on arrival. If your preceptor has left altogether, read what to do when a preceptor drops out, then send us your numbers through the contact form.
Questions ETSU students ask
Can I log clinical hours during finals week at ETSU?
ETSU's published pages do not say. Finals for fall 2026 are December 5 to 10 and for spring 2027 May 1 to 6, with grades due December 14 and May 10. Ask your course faculty before scheduling any clinical day after the last class day, and keep their answer in writing.
Can I have two preceptors for one ETSU practicum?
Yes. The form has room for more than one preceptor and asks how the planned hours are split. Each one needs your clinical faculty's approval and a Student Services credential check, and a new site needs a contract before you work there.
What if I finish my hours after grades are due?
Then the course normally needs an Incomplete, which requires 75% of the work to be finished and a cause you could not control. Unfinished work turns the I into an F after one calendar year, and in nursing a second open I halts progression, so agree on a firm finish date with your faculty.
How many clinical hours does ETSU's FNP program require?
ETSU's MSN FNP plan of study lists 540 clock hours: 60 in NRSE 5010 and 120 in each of NRSE 5012, 5022, 5014 and 5024. The BSN-to-DNP FNP plan adds four 125-hour residencies for 1,040, while the catalog gives 1,000 for the BSN-to-DNP route. Check your catalog year and plan of study.
Do hours I have not logged yet count as behind?
Not clinically, but on your record they look the same. Hours you worked but have not entered under Experience in ProjectConcert cannot be reviewed by your preceptor or seen by faculty. Enter them, with the patient journal, before you work out how far behind you really are.
Related pages
Last checked 2026-09-25
We check these pages against ETSU's own catalog, College of Nursing pages, plans of study and ProjectConcert guides. Your plan of study, your syllabus, your course faculty and the graduate clinical coordinator have the final word.
ETSU asks you to lead the preceptor search. We make it the fastest part of your program.
Tell us your ETSU concentration, where you live and which semester your next practicum starts. We find preceptors who fit the course's patient population and prepare everything your Preceptor Intent Form and ProjectConcert entry need.
- Preceptors matched to the course: young and middle adults for
NRSE 5012, older adults forNRSE 5014, women forNRSE 5022, children forNRSE 5024, psychiatric care forNRSE 5405 - Credentials, license numbers, certification dates and the site's patient mix ready for faculty approval
- In your own community, in Northeast Tennessee or wherever ETSU approves your clinicals
Start your placement plan
Program, city and semester is all we need to begin.