Students are required to secure availability and access/permission to an acceptable location/site to fulfill the practice experience and DNP project requirements of the program.

As part of the DNP Program, students must provide proof of employment reflected on their
current resume. Unemployed applicants must verify access to a suitable work environment to
be able to complete classroom assignments.
CastleBranch American Sentinel has partnered with CastleBranch, one of the top ten background check and compliance management companies in the nation. Students are required to complete a
CastleBranch account in order to participate in practice experience hours.

As a DNP student, you will need to complete your CastleBranch account by the end of the first
week of your first course.

I attest that I have access to a facility to complete any required practice experience hours and DNP Project requirements for the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, and I understand that we must complete a CastleBranch account prior to beginning our practice experience hours.

Admission to the Nurse Practitioner specializations requires a minimum of one year of full-time work experience in a nursing clinical role in the last three years. Your resume should reflect this work experience.

CastleBranch Background Check, Drug Screening, and Clinical Requirements:

CastleBranch compliance must be maintained throughout the NP program. This includes annual updates for ALL requirements. Students are not permitted to register for any NP course (other than 3P courses) or accrue clinical hours unless all components are up to date. This includes:

• Residential History and Criminal Background Check
• 10-Panel Urine Drug Screening
• Clinical Requirements:
  • Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)
  • Influenza (flu)
  • Varicella (chicken Pox)
  • Physical Examination
  • Hepatitis B
  • Professional Liability Insurance
  • Tuberculosis (TB)
  • RN license (unencumbered)
  • Tetanus & Diphtheria (Td)
  • HIPAA Certification
  • CPR
  • OSHA Certification
  • Health Insurance

Clinical Fees

As noted on the American Sentinel College of Nursing & Health Sciences at Post University website a clinical fee of $750 is associated with each of the clinical courses in the MSN – Nurse Practitioner program. These fees are required to help cover the University’s costs related to the following:

• Preceptor approval
• Documents for students to begin clinicals (Affiliation agreements, CastleBranch compliance and letters of attestation)
• Preceptor orientation
• Preceptor communication within each course
• Midterm and final course evaluation
• Preceptor issues as warranted
• Typhon clinical log maintenance of documentation, preceptor approvals ongoing evaluations, and final reports
• Verification and paperwork associated with national certification application and state board APRN licensure
• Attestation of graduate completion for certification exam and state board licenses
• Accreditation reports on program/clinical outcomes
• Assist with state-specific board of nursing requirements, education, and document submission
• Student clinical experience education and orientation

Please note: The Clinical Fee is not intended to cover costs related to finding a clinical preceptor. Each student in the MSN – Nurse Practitioner program is required to find their own clinical preceptor. Our Clinical Coordinator is available to assist and guide you in securing an appropriate preceptor. Students struggling to find a clinical preceptor may choose to contract with a company that specializes in finding the nearest available clinical preceptors. Students should understand, however, that there is typically a service fee charged by these companies that is not covered by the Nurse Practitioner Program Clinical Fee described above. Depending on preceptor availability, you may be required to travel to find an appropriate clinical and preceptor.

Any costs associated with obtaining a Clinical Preceptor or Clinical Site for the NP program are the sole responsibility of the student. If these costs are billed directly to the university, the university will request payment from the student for the amount invoiced.

Residence Requirements:

NP students must reside in and hold an active unencumbered RN license in an approved NP program state. Please review the list of currently approved states here. The student may only participate in clinical activities in an approved NP state in which they also hold an active unencumbered license. Prior program approval is required to attend clinical activities in a state in which the student does not have a primary residence.
(Note: Legal Residence is defined as the residence where you have your permanent home or principal establishment and to where, whenever you are absent, you intend to return; every person is compelled to have one and only one domicile at a time.) Failure to notify the College of any changes to your legal residence or RN license status may result in dismissal from the program.