Contact the placement desk

Updated September 23, 2026 · Reviewed by the USU Preceptor placement team

Use the form or the chat. Tell us your USU program, course number, the session your practicum opens and your state, and the placement desk replies by chat, text or email. There's no phone line and no street address; we work in writing.

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Send your placement request

Your program, course number, session and state are enough to start. A placement advisor replies by chat, text or email.

Numbered steps. What happens after you send it: 1 The placement desk replies.; 2 We talk it through.; 3 You get a written quote and terms.; 4 The search starts if you accept.. — What happens after you send it: 1 The placement desk replies.; 2 We talk it through.; 3 You get a written quote and terms.; 4 The search starts if you accept..

Two ways to reach us

The form on this page suits a request you've thought through. Add your program, course and dates, write a line about where you are with USU's process, and send it. A placement advisor replies by chat, text or email.

The chat suits a quick question, or a moment when you aren't sure where to start. Open it with the chat button on any page. The same placement desk answers both, so you won't have to start over if you use one and then the other.

We work in writing. Say in your message whether you'd rather hear back by chat, text or email; keeping everything written gives you a record of what you asked, what we said and what was agreed.

What to include in your message

The more of this you send up front, the more useful the first reply. None of it is required to start:

Your program as USU names it: MSN Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Educator, Health Care Leadership, DNP or RN-to-BSN
The course number, such as FNP592, FNP596, MSN578 or NUR378
The session the course opens, and any deadline your Clinical Placement Coordinator (CPC) has given you
The state of your address on file with USU, and how far you can travel
Leads you've already tried or listed on the Interest Form, and what happened
Where you are with the OFE: nothing submitted, waiting on the Program Director, or a preceptor who just dropped

If you're not sure which course comes next, say so. The course calendar guide shows how USU's 8-week sessions line up.

What happens after you send it

The placement desk replies. By chat, text or email. The first reply confirms what you need and asks for anything missing.
We talk it through. Program, course number, session and state, plus your leads and USU deadlines. If the timing looks tight, we say so.
You get a written quote and terms. Before you commit to anything. Read them, ask questions and take the time you need.
The search starts if you accept. The placement desk keeps you posted in the same channel.

Nothing goes to USU during these steps, and you stay in charge of every submission. The rest, from the search to the preceptor packet and your first week, is on the how it works page.

What stays with USU

A few things travel only through USU's own systems and vendors, so your message to us can leave them out:

Your Interest Form entries and OFE submissions, which go from your USU Google account
Background check and drug screen results, which run through Complio
Immunization records, your Medical Clearance Form or other health documents

Those reach USU and its vendors through USU's own systems. Some answers are USU's alone, too. Your CPC, listed in your Student Portal and bookable through Calendly, handles approval status, Interest Form questions and OFE placement offers, and the OFE's email is ofe@usuniversity.edu. Course questions go to your faculty in D2L. We explain what the handbook says, and USU's answer is the one that counts.

If you're a preceptor, not a student

Clinicians asked to precept a USU student can use the same form: choose “I'm a preceptor (not a student)” in the program list, or ask in the chat. Tell us the student's course and your specialty, and the placement desk replies with what USU asks of preceptors. Asking doesn't commit you to anything.

The core of it: USU sends its Preceptor Information and Acknowledgement Form (Appendix H) for e-signature through DocuSign, and the Program Director approves each preceptor, which takes 4–16 weeks on average. An early yes helps the student most. USU's Preceptor Resources Hub lists what it offers preceptors, including a tuition discount, continuing education and library access. The details are on precepting USU students.

Questions USU students ask

Is there a phone number for the placement desk?

No. The placement desk works in writing: you start with the form or the chat, and replies come by chat, text or email. That keeps a record of every answer. If you want a back-and-forth before deciding anything, the chat is the easiest way to go back and forth.

Can I get in touch if my course starts in a few weeks?

Yes, but know the limits first. USU wants approvals on file 16 weeks before a clinical course, says it can't take same-day or urgent requests, and counts no hours before the OFE Approval Letter. Tell us your course and start date, and we'll be straight about what is still realistic. See need a preceptor fast.

Should I talk to my CPC before contacting you?

Keep your CPC informed whatever you do. USU expects you to partner with the OFE, and students who meet its document deadlines get priority when the OFE offers placements. Staying in touch protects that priority while you look at other routes, including ours.

Does sending the form commit me to anything?

No. The form or the chat starts a conversation, nothing more. You get a written quote and terms before any search begins, and you decide after reading them. If you choose not to go ahead, there's nothing further to do.

Our serviceHow it worksHow our placement help runs for United States University nursing students: first message, written quote, the search, the OFE packet and your week-one start.PricingCostWhat shapes a quote for USU placement help: program, hours, state, timeline, in person or virtual, and paperwork. Written terms come before you commit.FAQFAQAnswers for USU nursing students before they hire placement help: what we do, how USU approval works, timing, virtual hours, cost and how to start.AboutAbout usThe placement service built for United States University nursing students: how we search, what we prepare for the OFE, and how USU's approval fits in.Placement helpCan't find a preceptorWhy USU preceptor searches stall, a plan for this week, what the Office of Field Experience can and can't do for you, and where outside search help fits.Placement helpNeed a preceptor fastUSU's 16-week and 6-month rules, the approval letter and the week-one start decide what's possible when your clinical course is close. The honest options.

Last checked 2026-09-23

We check these pages against USU's own catalog, handbooks and disclosures. USU's current handbook and your Clinical Placement Coordinator have the final word.

Six months out is USU's rule. We start now.

Tell us your USU program, your state and when your next practicum opens. We look for preceptors who meet USU's rules and help you build the packet the Office of Field Experience and Program Director review.

Preceptors matched to the course: family practice, pediatrics, women's health, urgent care within USU's caps
Appendix H, license, CV and board certification gathered the way OFE asks
In person near you; telehealth only inside USU's 40-hour limit

Start your placement plan

A placement advisor replies with what a USU-ready preceptor and site look like for you.