Samford BSN and second-degree BSN clinicals: how the school assigns them
Samford chooses every BSN clinical site, unit and preceptor, in Birmingham-area hospitals and selected community settings. Students in the four-year, transfer and second-degree BSN complete 932 hours of clinical and lab work across nine courses. Your part is being cleared on time, knowing the sequence and using the senior preceptorship request well.
Questions about BSN clinicals
Ask the placement desk about compliance timing, your clinical sequence or planning for an NP program after the BSN.
Who places BSN students
The school does, completely. Samford's 2026-2027 Undergraduate Student Handbook says clinical groups, facilities, days, times and faculty "will be assigned by the Course Coordinator each semester and cannot be requested." For the senior preceptorship, students submit requests during the first semester of senior year, with no promise of the area they pick, and the handbook's answer is final: "All sites, units, and preceptors will be chosen by the MSSON."
The draft 2026-2027 undergraduate catalog places those experiences in "Birmingham-area hospitals and selected community health clinics and settings," and Samford's clinical experiences page says its clinical groups are kept "smaller than required by the board of nursing." A preceptorship in another state is off the table: the handbook explains that seniors take several face-to-face classes at the same time, which require on-campus learning.
If a clinical agency refuses a student, the handbook says the school may explore whether another appropriate placement exists, but it cannot make an agency accept anyone. That is why clean compliance and professionalism matter so much here.
BSN students do not find their own clinical sites or preceptors at Samford. Time spent searching is better spent keeping compliance current and preparing a strong senior preceptorship request.
Clinical courses and hours
Samford's BSN page promises "over 900 hours of hands-on clinical experience," and the plan of study totals 932 hours of clinical and lab work.
| Semester | Course | Credits | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2 | NURS 241 Health Assessment | 4 | 30 (lab) |
| Fall 3 | NURS 346 Foundations for Nursing Practice | 8 | 135 |
| Fall 3 | NURS 340 Behavioral Health Nursing | 4 | 68 |
| Spring 3 | NURS 350 Adult Health Nursing I | 7 | 135 |
| Spring 3 | NURS 348 Maternal and Newborn Nursing | 4 | 68 |
| Fall 4 | NURS 450 Adult Health Nursing II | 6 | 135 |
| Fall 4 | NURS 448 Pediatric Nursing | 4 | 68 |
| Spring 4 | NURS 490 Transition to Professional Nursing Practice | 7 | 225 |
| Spring 4 | NURS 468 Population Health Nursing | 4 | 68 |
The second-degree BSN runs the same clinical courses in five semesters starting each fall: NURS 241 in the first fall, NURS 346 and NURS 340 in the first spring, NURS 350 and NURS 348 in the second fall, NURS 450 and NURS 448 in the second spring, and NURS 490 with NURS 468 in the final fall.
Two credit totals conflict: the four-year plan says 127 credits and the 2026-2027 draft catalog 129; the second-degree plan says 111 and the catalog 114. The clinical hours are the same in every version.
Rules that shape every clinical day
- Every required clinical hour must be completed before the course ends; the handbook attributes this to the Alabama Board of Nursing.
- Missed time is not made up by joining a clinical instructor on their other job; the handbook rules that out because instructors cannot work both roles at once.
- Absences and compliance questions go to the Director, Clinical Education and Community Partnerships, who handles both for undergraduates.
- In Alabama, a preceptor in an RN program is a licensed nurse with at least a year of experience who works in the clinical setting, under the Board of Nursing's definition for prelicensure programs; Alabama's nursing education rules cover the rest.
- Because groups, facilities, days and times are reassigned every semester, a part-time job or commute has to flex around a new clinical schedule each term.
Compliance before your first clinical
Clearance is the one part of BSN clinicals fully in your hands. The undergraduate handbook requires a background check, drug screening, a physical exam within six months of the start of clinical, the required immunizations, American Heart Association BLS and health insurance, all uploaded to your MSSON-affiliated compliance account. The current undergraduate handbook names Exxat as the school's contracted compliance company.
Plan for the wait: the handbook says compliance review "can take up to several weeks." The same handbook also references an MSSON Medical Release Form.
Timing trips people up more than the items themselves. The physical has to fall within six months of the start of clinical, so an exam booked early in the spring may not cover a fall clinical start; count the months back from your first clinical day before you schedule it. BLS has to be an American Heart Association course, so check the provider before you book a class through work or a local training center. Graduate nursing students follow a different list, so use the compliance requirements page for context and the background check guide for what a failed screen can mean.
Where our help fits for BSN students
Since Samford assigns every BSN clinical, the placement desk offers BSN and second-degree students planning, compliance support and answers rather than placement.
- A term-by-term compliance calendar, so the physical exam window, immunizations, BLS and insurance are current before each semester's clinical starts.
- A clear picture of your clinical sequence and hours, useful when you are balancing a job, family or a commute across Birmingham.
- Preparation for the senior preceptorship request: which units fit your goals, and how to explain your choice to the Course Coordinator.
- Plain answers to handbook questions, with the page reference so you can confirm them with your faculty.
- For second-degree students, one map of five dense semesters, since clinical courses begin in the second term and never let up.
Ask the placement desk when a question comes up, or before your first clinical semester.
After the BSN: why connections matter at the graduate level
The picture changes at the graduate level. Samford's online NP programs rely on its affiliation agreements plus the student's own professional and personal connections to secure placements near home, which is where many BSN graduates discover they need help. The BSN to MSN FNP carries 750 clinical hours and the FNP BSN to DNP 1,050.
Samford reports a 100 percent first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate for its 2024 BSN graduates, and the baccalaureate program holds CCNE accreditation through June 30, 2035 (accreditation details). A strong start as an RN is the foundation; the NP clinical years are a different kind of challenge.
Graduates who plan an NP program later can start early by keeping in touch with the nurse practitioners and physicians they meet on the job. When the time comes, the FNP MSN guide shows the clinical sequence, and we bring the connections for each course.
Questions Samford students ask
Can I do my Samford BSN preceptorship in my hometown?
Only if Samford chooses a site there. The undergraduate handbook rules out preceptorships in another state because seniors take face-to-face classes at the same time, and the catalog places clinical experiences in Birmingham-area hospitals and community settings. You may state preferences in the senior request, with no promise of the area.
How many clinical hours are in Samford's BSN?
The plans of study for the four-year and second-degree BSN each total 932 hours of clinical and lab work, and Samford's BSN page describes it as over 900 hours. The largest single block is 225 hours in NURS 490, Transition to Professional Nursing Practice, in the final semester.
What compliance system do Samford BSN students use?
The 2026-2027 Undergraduate Student Handbook names Exxat as the MSSON's contracted compliance company, and undergraduates upload their background check, drug screen, physical, immunizations, BLS and insurance records to an MSSON-affiliated compliance account there. Graduate nursing students follow a separate handbook that does not name a vendor.
Is the second-degree BSN clinical load the same as the four-year BSN?
Yes. The same nine clinical courses and 932 hours are compressed into five semesters, with admission each fall and a June 1 deadline. After lab hours in NURS 241, second-degree students begin their first clinical courses, NURS 346 and NURS 340, in their second semester.
What happens if I miss a Samford BSN clinical day?
Report the absence as your course directs; the Director, Clinical Education and Community Partnerships handles undergraduate absences. All required hours must still be completed before the course ends, and the handbook does not allow making them up by shadowing an instructor at their other job.
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.
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