Walden preceptor and clinical placement in Virginia
Virginia is a restricted practice state for nurse practitioners, which means new NPs work under a practice agreement with a patient care team physician until they earn the autonomous practice designation. That rule shapes your future career, not your Walden practicum. As a Walden student, your job right now is to secure your own preceptor and clinical site and nominate them in Meditrek. That is exactly the part we handle, anywhere from Northern Virginia to Hampton Roads.
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NP practice authority in Virginia
The American Association of Nurse Practitioners lists Virginia as a restricted practice state. Under Virginia law, a nurse practitioner with fewer than the equivalent of three years of clinical experience must maintain a practice agreement with a patient care team physician. The physician conducts periodic chart review and is available for consultation in complex cases and emergencies. A single physician may serve on a team with up to six nurse practitioners, or up to ten for psychiatric-mental health NPs.
House Bill 971, effective July 1, 2024, lowered the threshold for the autonomous practice designation from five years to three years, roughly 5,400 clinical hours. Once an NP attests to that experience and the board approves the designation, the practice agreement is no longer required. This matters for your career after graduation. While you are a Walden student, your preceptor relationship is about teaching and oversight of your clinical hours, not about Virginia's patient care team rules.
Restricted
AANP category for Virginia NP practice authority.
3 years
Clinical experience for autonomous practice since July 2024 (about 5,400 hours).
Team physician
Practice agreement required for newer NPs, with periodic chart review.
The Virginia Board of Nursing
Your license is issued by the Virginia Board of Nursing, part of the Department of Health Professions in Henrico. Nurse practitioners in Virginia are jointly regulated by the Board of Nursing and the Board of Medicine, which is why both the nursing license and the patient care team rules apply to NP practice. The board handles initial licensure, licensure by endorsement, the autonomous practice designation, and renewals.
- National certification verification is sent directly to the board by your certifying body, such as the AANP Certification Board or ANCC.
- If you are licensed in another state, request a license verification from your prior board to support endorsement.
- Public license verification is available through the DHP license lookup, useful for confirming a preceptor's standing.
Verify board requirements and your own status before each clinical term. Rules and forms change, and the board's website is the authority.
Finding a preceptor and clinical site in Virginia
Walden expects you to secure your own preceptor and clinical site and then nominate them in Meditrek for review. Walden's Office of Field Experience supports the process, but the university does not generally assign placements to you. That is where most students get stuck, and it is the whole reason this service exists. We do the outreach, confirm the preceptor's credentials and willingness, and prepare your nomination so it moves through Meditrek cleanly.
We place Walden students across Virginia, including clinics, group practices, and health systems in:
Northern Virginia
Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, and the Loudoun corridor.
Richmond region
Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, and Petersburg.
Hampton Roads
Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, and Newport News.
Roanoke Valley
Roanoke, Salem, and the southwest.
Shenandoah
Harrisonburg, Winchester, and Staunton.
Charlottesville
Charlottesville and the central Piedmont.
Each match is checked for the right population and setting for your Walden track, whether that is family primary care, psych-mental health, adult-gero, acute care, or pediatrics. You confirm the preceptor before anything is finalized.
Virginia practicum requirements at a glance
Walden sets the hour totals and the Meditrek workflow. Virginia and your specific site set the compliance details on top. Here is how the pieces fit together for a student doing practicum in the Commonwealth.
| Item | What it means in Virginia |
|---|---|
| Practicum hours | 640 hours across four 160-hour courses for NP tracks such as FNP, PMHNP, AGPCNP, AGACNP, and PNP. DNP requires at least 1,000 post-bachelor's hours. RN-to-BSN includes a 100-hour capstone (NURS 4300). |
| Meditrek | You nominate your preceptor and site, and your preceptor signs off your hours. You cannot register for practicum without an approved Meditrek application. |
| CastleBranch (myCB) | Background, immunization, and compliance tracking through CastleBranch, with state and site-specific requirements. Many Virginia sites add their own onboarding. |
| Affiliation agreement | A signed agreement between Walden and your Virginia site must be in place before you start hours. We flag this early so it does not delay your term. |
Virginia does not change Walden's hour totals. It can add compliance steps through your site and the board, which is why we confirm requirements before you commit.
Virtual or in person in Virginia
In person is the core
NP clinical hours are direct, hands-on patient care at an approved Virginia site. The relationships you build in a Fairfax clinic or a Norfolk practice are the heart of your training, and most of your 640 hours happen face to face.
Telehealth where it fits
PMHNP students may include telepsychiatry where the site and preceptor support it, in line with Walden and board expectations. It supplements in-person work rather than replacing it. Fully virtual coursework does not earn practicum credit.
Virginia practicum FAQ
Is Virginia a full practice authority state for nurse practitioners?
No. The AANP classifies Virginia as a restricted practice state. New nurse practitioners must hold a practice agreement with a patient care team physician until they qualify for the autonomous practice designation, which since July 2024 requires the equivalent of three years, about 5,400 hours, of clinical experience.
Does my Virginia preceptor have to be a physician?
Not for your Walden practicum. Walden accepts qualified nurse practitioners, physicians, and other approved providers as preceptors, depending on your track. Virginia's patient care team physician rule governs your own future independent practice, not who supervises your student clinical hours.
How many practicum hours do Walden NP students complete in Virginia?
Walden NP tracks such as FNP, PMHNP, AGPCNP, AGACNP, and PNP require 640 practicum hours across four 160-hour courses. The DNP requires at least 1,000 post-bachelor's hours, and RN-to-BSN includes a 100-hour capstone. Virginia does not change these Walden totals.
Can I complete my Virginia practicum hours virtually?
NP clinical hours are direct, hands-on patient care at an approved Virginia site. PMHNP placements may include telepsychiatry where the site and preceptor support it, but the bulk of your hours are in person. Walden does not award practicum credit for fully virtual coursework.
Sources and references
- AANP, Virginia state practice environment
- Virginia Board of Nursing, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse resources
- Virginia Board of Nursing, license verification: dhp.virginia.gov license verifications
- Walden University Academic Guides, field experience and practicum
- Walden CastleBranch compliance portal
Ready to lock in your Virginia placement?
Tell us your Walden track and where in Virginia you are, and we will start the preceptor search. You confirm the match, we prepare your Meditrek nomination, and you pay nothing until you are placed.