Samford NP clinicals in Virginia
Samford accepts Virginians into all of its FNP and PMHNP tracks, and Virginia's nursing board runs no approval step for schools based elsewhere or for programs beyond the first license. What sets Virginia apart is the rest: a student-license exemption looser than Samford's own rule, physician agreements for newer NPs, a preceptor incentive reserved for Virginia schools, and a District of Columbia next door that sits outside the compact.
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Tell us your Samford program and where you live. A placement advisor replies with preceptor and site options in your community that fit your Samford course.
How Samford's disclosure treats Virginia
Virginia is not among the 16 states Samford's NP tracks turn away. Its row in the September 3, 2025 NP disclosure links to the Virginia Board of Nursing, and Samford reports that its NP tracks meet Virginia's educational requirements for licensure.
| Program | Virginia applicants | Licensure finding |
|---|---|---|
| FNP: MSN, ADN to MSN, BSN to DNP, MSN to DNP | Accepted | Meets (September 3, 2025) |
| PMHNP: MSN, ADN to MSN, MSN to DNP | Accepted | Meets (September 3, 2025) |
| FNP and PMHNP post-graduate certificates | Accepted | Not in any published disclosure |
| Nurse Anesthesia DNP | No state bar; the first two semesters are the online part | Meets (August 28, 2025) |
| Online RN to BSN | Accepted | Meets (BSN disclosure) |
For the full lists, read the state authorization guide.
Virginia's Board steps back, Samford's rule does not
Virginia's Board is explicit that schools from other states, and post-licensure programs, fall outside its oversight, so Samford has no Virginia approval to obtain. The rule that 80 percent of clinical time stay in Virginia, like the 18VAC90-27 site rules, covers the pre-licensure schools the Board approves.
State law goes further. Code section 54.1-3001 exempts from Virginia licensure an RN whose out-of-state license is current and unrestricted, for the clinical practice their advanced program's curriculum calls for. Samford's handbook is stricter, asking for your RN license wherever a rotation takes place, so Samford's rule governs. Any Virginia-specific question goes to Samford before a preceptor commits, since a rotation request can fail on state rules alone.
Practice agreements and where Virginians look
AANP scores Virginia restricted. An NP there practices alongside a patient care team physician under a formal agreement until attesting to experience equal to three full-time years, and only then can the agreement lapse. That setup is worth knowing when you weigh a preceptor; Samford approves every match either way.
Virginia's NP students are spread across several large markets. Census estimates for 2025 count roughly 3.2 million residents in Virginia's share of the Washington region, about 1.7 million in Hampton Roads, about 1.4 million in the Richmond area and about 317,000 in and near Roanoke. Students search in systems such as UVA Health, Sentara Health, Carilion Clinic, Inova and VCU Health, and each sets its own student process.
The state incentive stays with Virginia schools
Virginia's Nurse Preceptor Incentive Program gives a per-semester award, scaled to hours, to physicians, PAs, APRNs, RNs and LPNs licensed in Virginia, and the student has to be enrolled at one of the state's own public or private nonprofit nursing schools. Legislation signed in March 2026 handed the program to the Virginia Nursing Workforce Center, and hours from July 1, 2026 onward are claimed through the Center. A Samford rotation falls outside it.
RN licensing, the compact and the DC line
Multistate licensing has been available to Virginia nurses since the compact opened in January 2018, so a Virginia multistate license covers rotations in Maryland, North Carolina, Kentucky or Tennessee. The District of Columbia sits outside the compact, so a Northern Virginia student training at a DC clinic needs a DC RN license. West Virginia is in the compact yet sits among the 16 states Samford closes to NP applicants, so ask Samford before arranging anything there. No APRN Compact law has passed in Virginia. Our RN license guide covers every Samford state.
Why Virginia students choose us
From Northern Virginia to Hampton Roads and the Roanoke Valley, the best preceptor is usually a local one, and Samford's connections passage says local connections open the door. We look for a preceptor near your home, check the practice setup and licenses, and assemble the site file behind a new affiliation agreement well before the term begins. When a preceptor drops mid-course, the next option is already moving. Request a placement advisor through the form below.
Questions Samford students ask
Is Samford's online PMHNP open to Virginia residents?
Yes. Virginia is outside Samford's 16-state exclusion list, so the PMHNP MSN, ADN to MSN, MSN to DNP and certificate routes are open, as are the FNP tracks. Psychiatric clinical hours happen near home, and PMHNP students plan one or two intensives in Birmingham, Alabama, some listed as on-campus or telehealth.
Can I do Samford clinicals in Washington, DC, while living in Virginia?
Only with a DC RN license. DC stays out of the multistate compact, and Samford's handbook requires a license in every place that hosts a rotation. Samford accepts NP applicants from DC, so a DC clinic is possible; read our District of Columbia guide and confirm with Samford before you commit.
Does Virginia's 80 percent in-state clinical rule apply to Samford students?
No. The 80 percent rule is written for pre-licensure schools the Virginia Board itself approves, and the Board keeps schools from other states outside its approval work. A Samford NP student is not measured against it; Samford's own review of each rotation request is the check that matters.
When should a Virginia student start looking for a preceptor?
Well before the course. Samford's lead times are not public, so check the Nurse Practitioner Homeroom or ask your program coordinator, and remember a Virginia clinic may need a new affiliation agreement. The 2026-27 graduate calendar runs fall from August 24 and spring from January 11, so aim to have a preceptor lined up at least a term ahead.
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
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