Idaho clinicals for Samford nurse practitioner students
Samford takes NP applicants from Idaho and rates its NP tracks as meeting Idaho's educational requirements for licensure. Idaho's rules make room for APRN students on a compact license, and a 2024 board policy sets a floor for the preceptor's license, pegged to the level you are training for. What Idaho has not written is a rule for schools elsewhere that place students in Idaho clinics, so raise that with Samford early.
Start an Idaho preceptor search
Share your town, your Samford program and your next clinical course.
Idaho on Samford's state lists
Idaho's line in the September 3, 2025 NP disclosure carries no asterisk, and the list of refused states on Samford's NP program pages passes over it. The Idaho row points to the Idaho Board of Nursing, housed in the state licensing division known as DOPL. On Samford's 2020 State Authorization list, Idaho fills every column.
| Program | Idaho residents may apply | Samford's licensure statement |
|---|---|---|
| Family NP, MSN and DNP pathways | Yes | Sufficient to meet requirements |
| Psychiatric-mental health NP, MSN and DNP | Yes | Sufficient to meet requirements |
| FNP and PMHNP post-graduate certificates | Yes | No disclosure published |
| Nurse anesthesia DNP | Yes, with conditions | Sufficient to meet requirements |
| DNP Nurse Leader | Not accepting applications | No disclosure published |
Idaho's rules for APRN students and preceptors
Idaho writes APRN students into its rules. Rule 100.12.a of IDAPA 24.34.01 lets a student in a nationally accredited APRN program practice at the APRN level in Idaho, as long as the student is an RN licensed there or holding a compact privilege and the practice is integral to the curriculum. CCNE accreditation covers Samford's master's and DNP degrees and its post-graduate APRN certificates; the accreditation page has the dates.
Preceptors face a standard of their own. HP-BON-Education 1, a board policy adopted in April 2024, says preceptors in any nursing program must hold licensure at least equal to the credential their student is working toward. Under the same policy, faculty teaching nursing courses should hold Idaho RN licensure, and faculty in charge of APRN role or population courses an Idaho APRN license.
Out-of-state schools are the open question. Idaho Code 54-1406 and rule 150 of the same IDAPA chapter deal with programs offered in Idaho and say nothing about clinical placements arranged from another state, and the board's web page refers outside schools to its licensing staff. Ask your program coordinator whether Samford has anything to settle with Idaho before your clinical rotation request goes in.
Boise, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls and Twin Falls
Boise dominates the state's population, and the largest systems are easy to name. Use them as landmarks for your search; none is described here as working with Samford.
| Area | Population | Systems students name |
|---|---|---|
| Boise City metro | 864,243 | St. Luke's Health System; Saint Alphonsus Health System |
| Coeur d'Alene metro | 191,864 | Kootenai Health |
| Idaho Falls metro | 173,851 | Search practice by practice |
| Twin Falls metro | 123,901 | Search practice by practice |
Idaho is full practice on AANP's map, which means an Idaho NP needs no physician agreement, and a seasoned family NP may cover both the adult hours of NURG 723 and the lifespan hours of NURG 724 if Samford approves. PMHNP students pair a psychiatric prescriber (NURG 788 through NURG 790) with a psychotherapy placement for NURG 767, while the closing NURG 730 practicum needs someone able to host 300 hours.
Licensing for Idaho rotations and the states next door
Idaho joined the multistate licensing system of the Nurse Licensure Compact on January 19, 2018. With Idaho as your home state and a multistate license, you can train in Idaho or any fellow compact state, and that single license is how most Idaho students meet Samford's rule of a current, unencumbered license wherever they rotate. Details are in RN license requirements.
The borders are uneven. Washington, Utah and Wyoming belong to the compact. Oregon and Nevada do not, and Oregon, Nevada and Montana are all on Samford's list of states closed to NP applicants, so ask Samford before planning a clinic across those lines.
Why Samford students in Idaho choose us
Samford's agreements with clinical agencies are concentrated in the Southeast, and its NP pages expect students to bring the connections that turn into a placement near home. From Twin Falls to Coeur d'Alene, we are that connection. Your placement advisor looks for a nurse practitioner or physician whose practice matches your exact Samford course, checks the license against Idaho's 2024 policy, and prepares the details Samford needs to approve the site or begin a new affiliation agreement. We plan the following course while you finish this one and restart the search whenever a preceptor withdraws. Request an Idaho search to begin.
Questions Samford students ask
Will Idaho make me hold an APRN license during Samford clinicals?
Not under the Idaho rule for APRN students described above, which relies on your RN license or compact privilege while the curriculum calls for APRN practice. Idaho APRN licensure comes after you graduate and pass national certification, and Samford's disclosure already treats its MSN and DNP NP tracks as sufficient for Idaho licensure.
Can a physician be my preceptor in Idaho?
Idaho's 2024 policy sets a floor, not a list: the preceptor's license has to sit at or above the level you are training for. Samford answers to Alabama, where rule 610-X-3-.01(9) lets APRNs, physicians and other clinicians licensed for the same population focus serve as APRN preceptors. Samford approves each preceptor, so check the NP Clinical Manual and who can precept first.
Coeur d'Alene students: is a Spokane rotation possible?
Your Idaho multistate license reaches Washington, a compact state, so the license is not the obstacle. Washington's board approves out-of-state distance programs before they place students there and says approved placements are for Washington residents, with exceptions handled case by case. Ask Samford before you approach a Spokane preceptor, and read our Washington guide.
Is there a preceptor incentive in Idaho?
Our state research found none recorded for Idaho. The Alabama preceptor tax credit Samford students hear about reaches only clinics in rural, medically underserved parts of Alabama, so an Idaho clinic falls outside it. What persuades an Idaho preceptor is a well-organized request: the course, the hours per week, the dates and a ready file.
Related pages
Last checked 2026-09-25
We check these pages against Samford's own program pages, plans of study, the 2026-27 Graduate Nursing Student Handbook and Alabama rules. Your course, your program coordinator and Graduate Student Services have the final word.
Samford says connections are essential. We are the connection.
Tell us your Samford track, where you live and when your next clinical course starts. We find preceptors near you who fit the course and prepare the details Samford needs to approve the rotation, including a new affiliation agreement where one is needed.
- Preceptors matched to the course: adult primary care for
NURG 723, family practice across the lifespan forNURG 724, psychiatric care forNURG 788 - Preceptor, license and site details ready for your clinical rotation request
- In your own community, anywhere Samford accepts you and your RN license is valid
Start your placement plan
Program, city and start date is all we need to begin.