Spring Arbor clinicals in Wisconsin: approval comes first
Wisconsin is on SAU's authorized list, but the state adds its own gate: Wis. Admin. Code N 1.06 requires nursing schools based elsewhere, graduate programs included, to hold the Wisconsin Board of Nursing's approval. Check SAU's standing on the board's approved list before you line up a Wisconsin preceptor.
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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.
01Wisconsin on SAU's list
SAU's one state list for nursing, read September 24, 2026, authorizes Wisconsin. Arizona, Alabama, New York and Louisiana are the four it excludes.
| Program | SAU list | Clinical piece |
|---|---|---|
| FNP, AGPCNP, PMHNP, PNP-PC | Authorized | Wisconsin preceptor, faculty-approved |
| Nurse Educator; MSN/MBA | Authorized | NUR 780B practicum, 125 hours |
| Post-master's certificates | Authorized | Hours per certificate |
| DNP | Authorized | Practicum toward 1,000 hours |
| RN-to-BSN | Authorized | Hours inside the courses |
The NUR 780B code is printed in SAU's 2023-24 catalog, so confirm it with your advisor.
02Wisconsin's approval rule for schools from elsewhere
The board's own form for out-of-state schools, Form 3067-OEE (revision dated April 13, 2026), rests on Wis. Admin. Code N 1.06, under which any nursing school headquartered outside Wisconsin needs the board's approval. That covers PN and RN education from the associate degree up, including bachelor's completion for licensed nurses, and graduate study. Approved schools file a self-evaluation, Form 3069OEE, to keep their approval.
The out-of-state schools approved by Wisconsin's Department of Safety and Professional Services appear on a PDF list that DSPS publishes. Look for SAU on it yourself and ask the program director about SAU's status. SAU's authorization list and the Wisconsin board's approval are separate things.
The same form asks that faculty and preceptors for Wisconsin clinicals be licensed in Wisconsin or hold a privilege to practice there. SAU's current NP adjunct posting includes Wisconsin in the handful of states where it wants NP faculty holding a license.
03A new APRN law, and where to look
September 1, 2026 brought a new APRN law. With 2025 Wisconsin Act 17 in force, DSPS licenses advanced practice nurses under the APRN title in four roles: nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, clinical nurse specialist and nurse midwife. APNP licenses already on file were converted. An APRN who wants to work independently, with no collaborating physician, applies separately and needs the board's approval. AANP lists Wisconsin as reduced practice and flags the new law.
Certified NPs, physicians and PAs can all precept SAU's NP students. Froedtert ThedaCare Health, Aspirus Health, UW Health, Ascension Wisconsin and Advocate Health's Aurora Health Care are the large systems, and Madison, Milwaukee-Waukesha, Appleton and Green Bay are the main metros. Ask the program director for SAU's volunteer-provider list, then see our preceptor search guide.
04Licensing for Wisconsin clinical hours
Since January 19, 2018, Wisconsin has accepted compact licenses: yours works here whether Wisconsin issued it or the compact state where you live did. SAU's catalog license rule is met the same way. The RN license page has more.
05Why Spring Arbor students in Wisconsin choose us
Once SAU's Wisconsin status is clear, we look for Wisconsin clinicians who fit your specialty and assemble with you the preceptor and site information SAU wants a month ahead. Faculty make the decision, and the information is complete when they do. Contact us.
Questions Spring Arbor students ask
Is Spring Arbor approved by the Wisconsin Board of Nursing?
Confirm it before you plan around it. N 1.06 requires out-of-state nursing schools, graduate programs included, to hold Wisconsin board approval, and DSPS publishes a list of the approved schools. Check that list and ask SAU's program director before you ask a Wisconsin preceptor to commit time to you.
Does my Wisconsin preceptor need a Wisconsin license?
Yes, or a privilege to practice in Wisconsin. The board's out-of-state school form applies that condition to faculty and preceptors in Wisconsin clinicals alike. An NP or physician working in Wisconsin will normally have one already; the point matters more for faculty SAU assigns from another state.
How does the September 2026 APRN law affect my rotation?
Not directly. The new law, 2025 Wisconsin Act 17, reshaped advanced practice licensing: APNPs became APRNs, and independent practice became a separate step needing board approval. Your preceptor's credential may now read differently, so make sure the license details you submit match what DSPS shows today.
What about a preceptor in Michigan or Minnesota?
SAU's FAQ frames clinicals around your home state. Neither Michigan nor Minnesota belongs to the nurse compact, so a Wisconsin multistate license would not cover RN practice in either. Plan on Wisconsin, and talk to the program director before reaching out to any out-of-state site.
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.