Preceptors and volunteer clinical faculty offer students individual perspectives and hands-on experience in a variety of health care settings and specialties. The cumulative effect of what these volunteers impart plays a significant role in the care any health system delivers.
- Clinical preceptors are integral to the future of nursing.
- They volunteer their time and energy, using education and training in an effort to assure that the profession grows and thrives.
- They provide students with learning experiences that prepare them for the role of expert care provider.
- Preceptors can advance their career by becoming a UCSF volunteer faculty, participating in CE opportunities, and collaborating on projects within the School of Nursing.
- UCSF recently transitioned to a BSN Entry to Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) pathway. We are excited to bring preceptors along this journey and to gain new preceptors. In this FAQ resource, we answer preceptors' questions about this transition.
- For more information, contact Clinical Placements Supervisor Tammy Ryan.
Why I Precept
What Makes a Great Preceptor?
Recognizing Our Preceptors
In honor of the critical contributions that preceptors make to advance student learning, the UCSF School of Nursing faculty are honoring one preceptor each month. The award recognizes an exceptional preceptor who consistently and effectively contributes to UCSF nursing students’ clinical education.
Samuel Tucker, MD, MPH was nominated by the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) specialty as the December 2024 preceptor award recipient. Jane Abanes, PhD, DNP, PMHNP-BC, assistant professor and PMHNP specialty coordinator, states, “Dr. Tucker has a wealth of knowledge and has generously donated his time for many years.” Tucker has worked in the psychiatric world for 44 years and has seen enormous changes in the system. He says he has always been oriented towards public health, and he notes that mental health tends to get short shrift within that system.
“Working with the psychiatric nurse practitioner students has given me hope for addressing the psychiatric public health issue,” Tucker said. “UCSF students are smart, dedicated, competent and eager to fill in the growing gap I have seen in how services are provided. To me, they represent the future as fewer medical students choose psychiatry as their field of choice.”
Students praise his preceptorship. "Dr. Tucker generously shares not only his extensive professional experience in psychiatry, but also his passion for helping patients who are marginalized and often underserved. He ensures we recognize the role of holistic assessment and treatment with respect to both pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatment, helping us become competent and confident providers.” “As a community-minded and service-oriented psychiatrist, he continues to be an important presence for many patients while also sharing his knowledge with the next generation of psych NPs.”
Read about other recipients of the School of Nursing Preceptor Awards.