At least 90 bedside clinical hours
Build hands-on experience through direct patient care in a Cedars-Sinai unit. Your nursing school may require additional hours.
The Cedars-Sinai ASPIRE Program
Complete your senior clinical rotation where you hope to begin your nursing career.
ASPIRE, the Affiliate Students’ Pathway from Internship to Residency Experience, gives eligible senior nursing students the opportunity to complete a hands-on bedside clinical rotation at Cedars-Sinai. Students learn alongside an experienced preceptor and receive support from Nursing Professional Development practitioners as they prepare for the transition into professional practice.
Applying begins with your school’s clinical placement coordinator.
One connected ecosystem
Find your pathway
ASPIRE brings four groups together around one shared goal: helping nursing students build a confident, well-supported transition into professional practice.
Nursing Students
Complete a hands-on bedside clinical rotation, strengthen your clinical confidence, and prepare for the transition from student to professional nurse.
Explore the student pathwayPreceptors
Guide a future colleague through a structured clinical experience while strengthening your mentorship and leadership skills.
Learn about preceptingUnit Leaders
Partner with ASPIRE to support student learning, engage future nurses, and strengthen the nursing workforce pipeline.
Partner with ASPIREAcademic Partners
Collaborate with Cedars-Sinai to support student preparation, clinical learning, and a successful transition into professional practice.
Work with ASPIREWhat to expect
ASPIRE at a glance
What students can expect from a senior clinical rotation through ASPIRE.
Personalized unit and preceptor matching
ASPIRE considers your clinical interests, goals, and readiness alongside unit and preceptor availability to identify a placement where you can feel engaged, supported, and positioned to grow. If you are unsure which area is right for you, Nursing Professional Development practitioners help you explore your options.
Dedicated preceptor support
Learn alongside an experienced preceptor who supports your clinical development, with additional guidance from the unit team as needed.
Support beyond the rotation
Receive support from Nursing Professional Development practitioners throughout onboarding, placement, and your clinical rotation. For students who are hired, that guidance may continue through the transition into Cedars-Sinai’s New Graduate RN Residency Program.
Six steps
The ASPIRE journey
Six steps from eligibility through your clinical rotation and preparation for what comes next.
Your school confirms eligibility and submits a request
Your school’s clinical placement coordinator confirms your eligibility and clinical requirements, then submits a placement request through the ASPIRE portal.
You complete the ASPIRE intake form
Share your clinical interests, professional goals, learning needs, placement preferences, and scheduling information.
You interview with the ASPIRE Team
Discuss your interests, readiness, learning objectives, and the clinical environments where you may be positioned to grow.
ASPIRE coordinates your unit and preceptor match
Your interests, goals, and readiness are considered alongside unit capacity and preceptor availability to identify an appropriate placement.
You complete your clinical rotation
Build hands-on bedside experience with preceptor mentorship, support from the unit team, and guidance from Nursing Professional Development practitioners.
You prepare for your next step
Reflect on your growth, strengthen your readiness for professional practice, and prepare to apply to Cedars-Sinai’s New Graduate RN Residency Program.
Participation in ASPIRE does not guarantee a specific unit or preceptor placement, employment, or admission to the New Graduate RN Residency Program.
For Preceptors
Help shape a future colleague.
Share your clinical expertise, guide a senior nursing student through meaningful bedside learning, and strengthen your mentorship and leadership skills with structured support from Nursing Professional Development practitioners.
Become a preceptorHow do I apply to ASPIRE?
Applying begins with your school’s clinical placement coordinator. After confirming your eligibility, your coordinator submits a placement request through the ASPIRE portal. You will then receive the ASPIRE intake form and an invitation to interview with the ASPIRE Team.
How are the unit and preceptor selected?
ASPIRE coordinates a personalized match by considering your clinical interests, professional goals, readiness, and learning needs alongside unit capacity and preceptor availability. A particular unit or preceptor cannot be guaranteed.
Can current Cedars-Sinai employees participate in ASPIRE?
Yes. Current Cedars-Sinai employees may participate when they meet all applicable eligibility requirements and their school’s clinical placement coordinator confirms that they can proceed. Current employment does not replace the school placement process or guarantee an ASPIRE placement.
Your pathway starts at your school.
Talk with your school’s clinical placement coordinator about completing your senior clinical rotation at Cedars-Sinai through ASPIRE, and bring your questions to the ASPIRE Team anytime.