Information for Students

Getting Ready for Clinicals at BIDMC

Nursing Student Placements

At Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), nursing students from a wide range of schools join us for clinical training as they take the next steps in their education. Our medical center has a longstanding tradition of nursing excellence — a reputation you’ll experience firsthand as part of our team.

Our Nursing Mission and Practice Model reflect our commitment to “compassionate care, advancing the art and science of nursing, and advocating for the health of patients, families, and communities.”

We’re proud to be designated as a Magnet organization — the highest honor an institution can receive for nursing excellence. Here, nurses at every level are empowered to shape clinical practice, advance professionally, and drive innovation in care delivery.

We hope you’ll consider continuing your journey with us after graduation. Our 12-month nurse residency programs for new graduate nurses offers a supportive transition into practice, featuring unit-based orientation with a dedicated preceptor and monthly seminars for learning and reflection. For those completing a master’s or doctoral program, BIDMC provides a collaborative, forward-thinking environment where nurse leaders thrive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to common questions about nursing student placements at BIDMC, from securing your placement to preparing for your first day.

How To Secure a Clinical Placement

How do I begin the process of obtaining a clinical placement at BIDMC?

BIDMC is part of the Massachusetts Centralized Clinical Placement (CCP) system. If your School of Nursing is part of CCP, your school will arrange your placement through CCP. If your school does not participate in CCP, your school placement coordinator will work directly with the student placement team at BIDMC. Please do not reach out to us directly to arrange your placement; work with your school.

How are students placed?

At BIDMC, undergraduate nursing students (those not yet in a senior independent practicum) are placed in small groups on inpatient units, with a qualified clinical instructor employed by their school. Unit specialties include medical-surgical, critical care, and obstetrics.

Senior independent practicum students are matched one-to-one with a BIDMC clinical nurse, across various units. Placement is determined based on availability. All senior undergraduate placement requests must be submitted through the Center for Clinical Placement (CCP).

Graduate nursing students enrolled in master’s, nurse practitioner, or doctoral programs may also request placements in their area of interest. These students are responsible for identifying and securing a preceptor prior to their school submitting the formal request through the CCP.

What To Know After Your Placement Is Confirmed

How do I obtain a student ID badge?

The BIDMC clinical placement office will work with your school to enable you to get an ID badge. Once you are cleared, BIDMC will notify your school. Your school will let you know you are cleared to pick up an ID badge and will send instructions as to when and where to obtain your badge.

Please do not reach out directly to the BIDMC clinical placement team for ID badge issues; communicate through your school of nursing.

How do I manage my Information Systems (IS) account access?

Instructions for activating IS access will be shared with you by your school of nursing in the week before your start date. You will be able to troubleshoot access issues in real time with our IS help desk. They can be reached at 617-754-8080. Please do not reach out to the BIDMC clinical placement team to fix IS issues.

For security reasons, your IS account will not be activated until the start of your contract, so we recommend not attempting to change your password until you are onsite at your first day of clinical.

What parking space is available for students?

Our campus is in the city and parking is costly ($48 per day). We strongly encourage the use of public transportation and carpooling if you are part of a clinical group. We also have bike racks at several campus locations and close proximity to Blue Bike rental hubs.

Here is a list of on-site parking locations. One location, the Pilgrim Road Garage at 170 Pilgrim Road, offers parking for students at the off-site rate of $55.16 per week. To access this option, you need to request and pick up a letter from the BIDMC student clinical placement coordinators, and you need to pay for the weekly parking directly at our commuter services office prior to parking your car.

Required Training & Systems Access

What general hospital training do I need to complete before starting my clinical?

You will be enrolled in BIDMC site-specific training (8 modules) that will need to be completed within the first two weeks of your placement. These training modules are automatically assigned to you as a student and can be accessed through Workday Learning.

How do I access Epic, the patient electronic medical record (EMR)?

To access Epic, you need to complete training. Epic training is included in the Workday Learning modules you will be assigned. Epic access will be turned on 24 hours after your training is complete. If you have trouble accessing Epic, please call the IT Service Desk in real time at 617-754-8080. Please do not reach out to the BIDMC clinical placement team to fix Epic access issues.