Spring Arbor clinicals in Indiana, Michigan's next-door neighbor
SAU can run every one of its nursing programs in Indiana, and the state board says it does not review graduate or RN-to-BSN programs, so no state filing stands between you and a clinical site. A compact license works here, and SAU's main campus, home of the residency, is in neighboring Michigan.
Get your placement plan
Tell us your Spring Arbor track and where you live. A placement advisor replies with what your preceptor and site need to look like for Spring Arbor to approve them.
01Indiana by SAU program
Indiana carries authorization for all SAU nursing programs on the September 24, 2026 version of SAU's list. Each row adds the Indiana-specific point.
| SAU program group | Clinicals in Indiana? | Indiana point |
|---|---|---|
| NP tracks: FNP, AGPCNP, PMHNP, PNP-PC | Yes | Collaborating physicians give you a second preceptor lead |
| Nurse Educator and MSN/MBA | Yes | No board review of graduate programs; 125 practicum hours |
| Post-master's certificates | Yes | PMC-FNP hours range from 250 to 625 by prior certification |
| DNP (Strategic Leadership) | Yes | No Indiana board review of doctoral programs either |
| RN-to-BSN | Yes | The board says it does not review RN-BSN programs; SAU's hours sit in coursework |
02Indiana's board stays out of graduate programs
Operating through the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, the Indiana State Board of Nursing accredits Indiana programs preparing students for a first-time RN or LPN license. RN-to-BSN and graduate programs sit outside the Board's own review, by its account, and 848 IAC 1-2-4, which lists the programs that qualify, addresses pre-licensure education alone. We found nothing that asks a school from another state to seek Indiana approval before an SAU student starts in an Indiana clinic.
So the approvals that count are SAU's. Faculty sign off on each preceptor and site, and the 2023-24 catalog wants SAU's three clinical forms (agreement, affiliation, preceptor verification) filed four or more weeks ahead of the course. Our clinical paperwork guide walks through them.
03Reduced practice and the Indiana search
AANP lists Indiana as reduced practice: every NP there needs a physician collaborator, under a regulated agreement, for at least some of what they do. That often gives you two people to ask in the same practice, and SAU's NP tracks accept either one, as well as PAs.
Indianapolis, Carmel and Greenwood hold the most options, followed by Fort Wayne and the Indiana ends of the Chicago and Louisville metros. Health systems to approach include Franciscan Health, Indiana University Health, Community Health Network, Parkview Health and Ascension St. Vincent.
A border note: in Northwest Indiana, a Chicago-side site would need an Illinois license, because Illinois is outside the compact. Sites on the Kentucky side of Louisville are simpler, since Kentucky is a compact state on SAU's list.
04Licensing, and a drive to the residency
Indiana put the Nurse Licensure Compact into effect on July 1, 2020. An Indiana multistate license covers Indiana and the other member states, and a multistate license from another compact state where you live works in Indiana. SAU's catalog requires the license to be unrestricted in the state where you train; our RN license page has the detail.
For many Indiana students, the four-day NUR 602R residency at SAU's home campus in Michigan is a drive rather than a flight. Under the 2023-24 catalog you must complete it before any practicum, so plan it alongside your first preceptor search; see the residency page.
05What Spring Arbor students in Indiana get from us
We search Indiana practices that suit your SAU track, weigh border sites against license rules, put together the documents SAU faculty review, and keep going if a preceptor drops out. The sign-off on each preceptor and site is SAU's, and the file behind it is ready early. Contact us.
Questions Spring Arbor students ask
Does the Indiana State Board of Nursing need to approve SAU?
No. Indiana's board accredits programs leading to a first nursing license in Indiana and says it does not review RN-to-BSN or graduate nursing programs. SAU's own faculty approval and its four-week paperwork deadline are the steps that govern your Indiana clinicals.
I live in Gary or Hammond. Can I train at a Chicago clinic?
Illinois is on SAU's authorized list, but it is not a compact state, so an Illinois RN license would have to sit alongside your Indiana one, and Illinois has its own process for programs from other states. Staying on the Indiana side is usually the simpler route.
Can the collaborating physician precept me instead of the NP?
Yes, if SAU faculty approve. Physicians are on SAU's preceptor list for NP tracks, as are certified NPs and PAs. Because each Indiana NP works under a collaborative agreement with a physician, asking the physician partner is a reasonable next step when the NP's schedule is already full.
When should an Indiana student start looking for a preceptor?
SAU's own advice is to start looking within your first months in the program, and NP clinicals have typically started in the second year. With no Indiana board filing to wait on, the limits are the preceptor's calendar and SAU's four-week paperwork deadline, so give yourself room for both.
Related pages
Last checked 2026-09-24
We check these pages against Spring Arbor's own published sources. SAU's nursing faculty and current catalog have the final word.
More preceptor leads, sooner, for your SAU clinicals.
Tell us your Spring Arbor track, where you live and when your clinical course starts. We look for a preceptor and site that fit SAU's rules for your track and help you get the paperwork in on time.
- Matched to your track: FNP, AGPCNP, PMHNP, PNP, Nurse Educator or DNP
- Clinical agreement, affiliation and preceptor verification forms ready early
- In your home state, near where you live
Start your placement plan
A placement advisor replies with what an SAU-ready preceptor and site look like for you.