Information for Students

The nursing care model at Lurie Children's includes nearly 300 Advanced Practice Registered Nurses who serve in roles as nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists and certified nurse anesthetists. These advanced practice nurses are available to provide precepted experiences for graduate students once they have been in their position at the hospital for one year.

Graduate faculty or students seeking clinical practicum placements with APRNs are required to start their inquiry with Melissa Hurley, APP Nursing Professional Development Practitioner, who will then route the request to the appropriate APP Leader for approval. The APP Leadership team will recommend APRN preceptors and assist with the placement of graduate students. The clinical practicum hours may not exceed 60 hours/week.

Once the practicum has been confirmed, the coordinating graduate faculty member is responsible for informing Melissa Hurley (graduatenurse@luriechildrens.org) of the specifics related to this practicum placement so that on-boarding of the student can go smoothly and so that there is a central record of the practicum rotation. We currently have affiliation agreements for advanced nursing practicums with multiple local nursing schools within the Chicagoland area, as well as nationally. If we do not have a current affiliation agreement with your school, we will need to create a one-time affiliation agreement contract for each practicum student. Please allow 4-6 weeks for this process to be completed.

Graduate nursing students seeking clinical practica must hold an Illinois RN license at the time of the practicum, show validation of current completion of an AHA Basic Life Support Provider Course, compliance with hospital immunization requirements and evidence of malpractice insurance. To prepare for charting and order entry, graduate students will be required to complete on–line EPIC education through our WeLearn web-based learning system. Students will receive an email from Melissa Hurley or the E-Learning Manger notifying them that their courses are available.

Lurie Children's utilizes My Clinical Exchange, an online software platform to centralize and streamline all nursing practicum requests and student compliance documents. All schools and nursing students who participate in a practicum at Lurie Children's will be required to use this system. Assistance is provided in ensuring this process is an easy one for schools and students. The school will be responsible for attesting within the system that the student has all the required immunizations. Students will be required to use the MyClinicalExchange system for completing all required compliance documents.

PROCESS TO FOLLOW FOR GRADUATE NURSING STUDENT PRACTICUM PLACEMENT REQUESTS

1. School places a request for a graduate placement in MyClinicalExchange**
2. School should complete the request by filling out all the necessary requested information including the student's name. There is also a spot indicated for the students CV and application to be uploaded. Please note that since the student has not yet been formally approved, they will not have access to upload the requested information. The coordinator or another school representative will need to upload the student's application, CV into the MyClinicalExchange system on their behalf.
3. The APP Leader over the requested area will review the request and student's information (application and CV) to determine next steps.
4. Request will be approved in MyClinical Exchange upon approval from APP Leader.
5. School registers student into MyClinical Exchange
6. Student completes Compliance Documents and required online courses prior to starting.

** If school does not have a current affiliation agreement with Lurie Children's, then initial request should be placed via email to Melissa Hurley (graduatenurse@luriechildrens.org) as non-affiliated schools will not have access to MyClinicalExchange until an agreement has been made.

** Any questions about graduate student practicum placements should be directed to Melissa Hurley (graduatenurse@luriechildrens.org) or 312.227.2933. 

NOTE: ALL PA STUDENTS MUST GO THROUGH MCGAW