Clinical attendance at EKU: absences, notice and making time up

EKU's attendance rule, as the handbook states it

The 2021-22 MSN Student Handbook starts from a flat requirement: "Regular attendance for scheduled clinical practicum experiences is required." It then sets out the rules that govern NSC 800, NSC 876 and NSC 886, and EKU's catalog applies MSN policies to post-MSN certificate students as well.

What the archived handbook says

• Notice: an absent student tells both the preceptor and the clinical faculty "no later than one hour before the clinical experience is scheduled." Missing that window can mean failing the clinical component.
• The limit: "Students missing more than two clinical experiences will be subject to failure," at the clinical instructor's discretion.
• Lateness: a pattern of tardiness can also lead to failure.
• Appeal: an absence ruling can be taken to the Department Chair, whose decision is final.

EKU no longer posts this handbook and later editions may differ, so ask your faculty or program coordinator whether the current version keeps the same numbers. Until you hear otherwise, plan as if it does.

Planning a semester around clinical days

The usual threats to attendance are ordinary ones: a work shift that moves, a sick child, a clinic that closes for a holiday. EKU flags the load in advance. The handbook says "extensive clinical practice hours are required" and asks students to weigh those hours when making decisions about employment.

Clinical courses also run on a longer clock than coursework. EKU's core courses use 7-week sessions, but its archived 2022-23 curriculum plans spread NSC 800 and the internships over 16 weeks, with one summer NSC 800 block over 12 weeks. Map every clinical day across the whole course, mark EKU's breaks and your preceptor's days off, and agree on backup days at the start rather than after the first miss.

The 7-week terms guide has the 2026-27 calendar, and the NSC 800 guide explains how the clinical course sits beside FNP or PMHNP I to III.

When the course ends before the hours do

EKU's catalog has two grade tools for unfinished work, and both have strict edges. An In Progress (IP) grade exists for approved courses such as practicum, but IP in a practicum or internship must be completed within the calendar year or it turns into No Credit (NC). An Incomplete (I) is reserved for extenuating circumstances, has to be requested before the last day of class, and expects at least 60% of the course finished satisfactorily.

Neither is automatic, and neither pauses the attendance rule for time already missed. Ask your faculty about the right option before the course ends, not after grades post. The grades and progression guide covers the paperwork and deadlines, and behind on clinical hours is a plan for getting back on pace.

A preceptor who fits your schedule is the best attendance plan

The easiest absence to handle is the one that never happens. When your placement advisor looks for a preceptor for your input, the days matter as much as the specialty: clinic hours that fit your work pattern, a preceptor with room for make-up days, and a site close enough that weather and traffic are not a weekly gamble. If a preceptor has to step away partway through, we stay with you and line up a replacement option so your hours keep moving.

EKU secures and approves every placement under Kentucky's preceptor rule; we make sure the option you bring it is one you can actually attend. Request a placement with your work schedule attached.