MRU's ASN clinicals: seven courses and the rules around them
MRU's Associate of Science in Nursing carries 450 clinical hours across seven onsite courses in two years. Those hours run at contracted externship agencies, scheduled through MRU, so ASN students are not asked to find preceptors. This page covers the courses, the clearance you need before the first shift and the rules that apply once you are there.
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The ASN at a glance
The Associate of Science in Nursing is 68 semester credits over 24 months and six semesters, taught face-to-face on the Miami Springs campus. It prepares graduates to sit the NCLEX-RN. In MRU's 2026 curriculum the program's 1,410 hours break down into 780 lecture, 180 lab and 450 clinical.
Getting to the first clinical course takes two things beyond admission itself. You must pass the Nursing Core Qualifying Exam (NCQE) or an accepted alternative, and you need a 2.5 GPA across your general-education courses before nursing courses begin.
Clinical courses and hours
MRU gave every ASN course a new number in 2026. Old codes appear in the second column because older paperwork uses them; MRU publishes no official map, so the pairing below is by title and semester position. The 2026 course codes page explains the wider change.
| 2026 code | Old code | Course | Credits | Clinical hours | Patients and setting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NUR1020 | NUR1100 | Nursing Foundations | 8 | 90 (+60 lab) | Basic care across the lifespan in supervised settings |
NUR1210 | NUR1200A | Medical Surgical I | 6 | 90 | Adult and geriatric, acute and chronic, all body systems |
NUR1515 | NUR1220A | Mental Health | 3 | 45 | Mental health and community settings |
NUR1211 | NUR2300A | Medical Surgical II | 6 | 90 | Adult and geriatric: acute, traumatic and critical care |
NUR1310 | NUR2320B | Pediatric Nursing | 3 | 45 | Infancy through adolescence |
NUR1420 | NUR2320A | Maternal and Newborn Nursing | 3 | 45 | Antepartum, intrapartum, newborn and postpartum |
NUR2700 | NUR2460 | Role of the Nurse Leader in the Community | 4 | 45 | Community-based leadership and quality improvement |
The order is built into the prerequisites. NUR1020 opens the sequence. NUR1210 and NUR1515 follow it, then Medical Surgical II, pediatrics and maternal-newborn all require both of those, and NUR2700 comes last once those three are complete.
How ASN externships are scheduled
ASN clinicals are held at a "contracted externship agency", in MRU's words, with the Office of the Registrar coordinating the scheduling sections with program representatives. There is no own-preceptor rule for the ASN, and nothing in MRU's materials asks ASN students to find a site. If anything about your assignment is unclear, the Chair of ASN is the person to ask.
The agency controls timing. MRU's catalog says it does not set externship dates or times, and shifts can land on days, evenings, overnights, weekends or holidays, including shifts different from the one you enrolled in. When an agency changes its sites, MRU may reschedule you without notice, and the final published schedule stands.
MRU's catalog caps direct clinical supervision in the ASN at 12 students per faculty member. Clinical hours are recorded in Typhon, which the ASN fee table lists as MRU's Clinical Evaluation Portfolio System; see the Typhon guide.
Getting cleared for the first shift
American Data Bank handles ASN clinical clearance: background check, drug screening, medical document manager and clinical document clearances, all named in the ASN fee table. The American Data Bank page explains how to keep the account current.
Your immunization records must come from a healthcare provider licensed in Florida, at your own cost. MRU Health, the on-campus clinic on the third floor of the MRU building, checks TB, influenza, hepatitis B, MMR, varicella, Tdap, CPR, a physical, a drug screen and titers, and offers immunizations, labs, imaging and physicals. It takes card or cash only. The immunizations and health records page has the checklist.
Liability insurance must be active before any externship and stay active until graduation. Proof is due at least 15 days before the start date, and you can arrange it through MRU's clinical department or bring your own policy.
The flu shot is required every year. Religious and medical exemptions exist, but declining it can keep you out of affiliate sites, and if no accommodation is possible MRU withdraws the student.
Rules once you are on site
What MRU's catalog asks of every ASN student at the agency
- English only during externship hours, unless the agency gives written permission for another language
- No phones on the floor
- No tobacco or e-cigarettes
- Follow the agency's policies, including its HIPAA policies; HIPAA violations can mean course failure and dismissal
- Report any change in your criminal background, or in your physical or mental health, in writing to the Office of Academic Affairs within 24 hours
The list above is a floor, not a ceiling. MRU's catalog also tells you to follow each agency's own policies, and those can go further than MRU's rules. Read whatever the agency gives you before your first shift, and ask your clinical instructor if an agency rule seems to conflict with something MRU has told you.
Our clinical site rules page goes through each rule in more detail.
If a rotation is disrupted
Missed externship hours or unmet outcomes mean an F for the course, and making up a missed session can carry a fee. Keep a close eye on your MRU email, which you are expected to check daily, and tell your clinical instructor straight away when a new schedule causes a clash.
If you cannot finish, the options are narrow. MRU has no leave of absence. An Incomplete needs a written request on the Incomplete Grade Request Form, at least 80% of the course completed, and approval from course faculty and the program Dean; the incomplete grade page explains the time limits.
Before graduation you also need clearance from the Center for Student Achievement. That center focuses on NCLEX preparation and academic coaching; it does not handle clinical placement. The who does what page sorts out the offices.
Accreditation, and when we come in
ACEN accredits MRU's associate nursing program, and MRU's accreditation page lists its latest action as continuing accreditation. MRU also lists Florida Board of Nursing approval for its pre-licensure programs, and SACSCOC accredits the university as a whole.
ASN clinicals are MRU's to schedule, so your focus now is clearance and coursework. Our part comes later: if you continue to an MRU nurse practitioner program that asks you to bring your own preceptor, that search is our specialty.
Questions MRU students ask
Do ASN lab hours count toward the 450 clinical hours?
No. MRU counts them separately: the ASN has 180 lab hours on top of its 450 clinical hours. In NUR1020 Nursing Foundations, for example, the course carries 90 clinical hours plus 60 lab hours. Only the clinical figure counts toward the 450.
Can I decline the flu shot as an MRU ASN student?
MRU allows religious and medical exemptions, but declining the vaccine may bar you from clinical participation at affiliate sites. If the University cannot find an accommodation, the student is withdrawn. Raise an exemption early so there is time to work out whether your assigned agencies accept it.
What were the ASN course codes before 2026?
By title, NUR1020 was NUR1100, NUR1210 was NUR1200A, NUR1515 was NUR1220A, NUR1211 was NUR2300A, NUR1310 was NUR2320B, NUR1420 was NUR2320A and NUR2700 was NUR2460. MRU does not publish an official map, so check any doubtful match with the Registrar, especially when a prerequisite or transcript uses the old number.
Do I have to use MRU Health for my immunizations?
No. The rule is that immunization proof must come from a healthcare provider licensed in Florida. MRU Health on the third floor is a convenient option that offers immunizations, labs, imaging and physicals, and it takes card or cash only. Records from any Florida-licensed provider satisfy that rule.
Can ASN clinical shifts be at night?
Yes. MRU's catalog says externship dates and times are not set by the University, and shifts may be day, evening, overnight, weekend or holiday, even when that differs from the shift you enrolled in. Build some flexibility into work and family plans for each clinical semester.
Related pages
Last checked 2026-09-24
We check these pages against MRU's own catalog, addenda and program pages. The nursing student handbook on the MRU student portal and MRU's Office of Academic Affairs have the final word.
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