Closing the Preceptor Gap: How Clinical Compass Strengthens Nursing Workforce Readiness

Across the nation, health systems and nursing schools are running into the same bottleneck: a shortage of preceptors. Without enough qualified nurses to guide students through clinical rotations, health systems are forced to overextend staff nurses, while academic institutions struggle to expand class sizes. The result? Student capacity shrinks, nurses burn out, and the workforce pipeline suffers. 

Clinical Compass was designed to address this gap head-on. By connecting experienced contract RNs with nursing students in a turnkey preceptorship model, Clinical Compass relieves staff burden, restores student capacity, and builds a stronger bridge between nursing education and workforce readiness. 

The Problem: A Workforce Bottleneck 

• For Health Systems: Staff nurses pulled into preceptorship roles are at higher risk of burnout and turnover. Overtime costs climb, and long-term workforce readiness declines. 

• For Academic Institutions: Without enough preceptors, nursing programs cap or reduce student intake, limiting growth and worsening the national shortage. 

• For Students: Limited access to clinical rotations not only restricts student capacity but also compromises hands-on learning, leaving future nurses less prepared for the realities of patient care. 

A recent example highlights the scope of the issue: A large four-hospital health system with 750 beds had to reduce annual student intake from 1,100 to just 700 due to lack of available preceptors. That reduction weakened their ability to train and retain the next generation of nurses before they even entered the job market. 

The Clinical Compass Solution 
Clinical Compass takes a fresh approach: 

• Contract Preceptors: Experienced RNs, already familiar with the health system environment, are hired to serve as preceptors in multiple specialties. 

• Student-to-Preceptor Ratio: Dedicated preceptor works with students, ensuring personalized guidance. 

• Seamless Integration: Assignments run 6–16 weeks, aligned with academic semesters. No complex onboarding is required—HWL manages the entire process. 

• Built-In Oversight: Clinical Advisors provide support to the preceptors, ensuring consistency and quality across all placements. 

• Customizable Deployment: The program adapts to the needs of each health system or academic institution. Whether scaling across departments, aligning with semester cycles, or integrating with existing workflows, Clinical Compass is designed to fit. 

Benefits for All Stakeholders 

• Mitigate burnout by taking the burden off of precepting from uninterested or overworked fulltime staff 

• Reduce overtime costs  

• Strengthen workforce hiring pipelines by engaging students before graduation 

• Expand specialty units with workforce-ready graduates 

• Expand class sizes and specialty offerings for clinical hours 

• Improve student competency by bridging theory and practice 

• Enhance student outcomes and program quality 

• Professional growth and leadership development opportunities 

• Expanded career pathways and job satisfaction 

A Win-Win Investment 
While preceptorship requires investment, the return is significant. In the case study above, introducing contract preceptors would allow the health system to recapture 400 students each year, safeguarding their pipeline while reducing burnout and overtime costs. Academic institutions also benefit financially by expanding class capacity and strengthening their reputation for clinical excellence. 

The Bottom Line 
The preceptor shortage is a national challenge, but it doesn’t have to be a barrier. Clinical Compass offers a scalable solution that bridges the gap between academia and healthcare—one that relieves today’s pressures while building tomorrow’s workforce. 

Ready to strengthen your clinical hiring pipeline? Contact HWL today.