Curriculum to clinic: Integrating clinical readiness assessment

The transition from didactic to clinical education in nurse practitioner (NP) programs demands robust strategies to ensure students are adequately prepared. Although competency-based education and simulation have gained prominence, a clear understanding of student readiness before clinical placement remains underexplored. This project aimed to assess perceptions of clinical training readiness among family nurse practitioner students, preceptors, and faculty to identify gaps and inform curriculum redesign. Evaluation of perceptions was carried out through a survey. Guided by the Domains of Competence put forth by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), three distinct surveys were developed to collect data on perceived readiness to begin clinical rotations. A total of 43 participants responded, including 26 preceptors, 9 students, and 8 faculty members. Survey results indicate strong agreement among the three groups that students can perform a comprehensive medical history, but there is less consensus on their ability to conduct a physical examination, diagnose conditions, develop management plans, and interpret laboratory results. Professionalism was rated highly across all groups, and the majority agreed that students met overall expectations. Findings revealed the alignment of some competencies such as comprehensive medical histories, while exposing discrepancies in others. These insights highlight areas for continued work, recognizing that perceptions do not directly correspond to competence, underscoring the importance of early objective assessment to ensure student preparedness. Findings support the integration of formative, simulation-based assessments aligned with the AACN Essentials to bridge the gap between perceived and actual competence.