Clinical Faculty

In accordance with the Arizona State Board of Nursing Advisory Opinion titled “Role of the Clinical Instructor,” the role of the clinical instructor is within the scope of practice of a registered nurse, who meets the qualifications specified in Arizona Administrative Code Title 4, Chapter 19, Article 2 to serve as clinical instructor for Registered Nurse or Licensed Practical Nurse pre-licensure students in an approved nursing program. Rule 4- 19-206 requires that programs provide clinical practice experience as part of student clinical learning. Additionally, under Rule 4-19-205 (A) the number of students admitted to a program is determined by the program resources including the number of available faculty and clinical site rotation availability. This Advisory Opinion is intended to cover direct clinical instruction in clinical rotations and not intended to cover clinical preceptor supervision. Please see A.A.C. R4- 19-206 (E) for regulations pertaining to preceptorships.

At Aspen University, the Clinical faculty responsibilities include the following:

Work with Clinical Practice Manager and Office Manager for contract assignment availability
Complete all training required prior to supervising students in clinical
Maintain immunization/health/safety compliance and complete any agency requirements necessary to start the assigned rotation
Maintain personal updated Health and Safety documents.
Follow institutional absenteeism policy-
- If clinical faculty will be absent with 24 hours or greater notice, please contact the Clinical Coordinator and/or Clinical Practice Manager.
- If clinical faculty needs to report an absence within 24 hours of the clinical start, notify Clinical Coordinator and/or Clinical Practice Manager.
- Clinical faculty may not independently cancel a clinical rotation.
- If a clinical experience is cancelled, clinical faculty will notify students via telephone.
Comply with all requests from clinical sites or locations
Post an announcement in D2L informing students where to meet for pre-conference, what time to meet, and what to bring the first day
Create a schedule for student floor assignments for the assigned clinical rotation
Review clinical expectations and clinical assignments with students first day of clinical
Adhere to professional dress code
Review individual student learning objectives/goals for the day in pre-conference
Within the clinical setting, students will provide patient care and perform skills under supervision of licensed personnel. Licensed personnel include the Aspen University SONHS clinical faculty or the licensed nurses employed by the clinical facility. In addition, policies from each specific facility must be followed. For example, DIRECT supervision of patient care and performance of skills require direct supervision by licensed personnel when caring for children. The clinical faculty is required to be aware of all facility and clinical course specific policies dealing with students.
Clinical faculty are not just supervisors, but facilitators for learning. This is rigorous work. Clinical faculty will supervise and facilitate learning for students in no more than a 10:1 ratio at any given clinical site in Arizona. Clinical faculty are expected to spend much of their clinical day on the floor with the students. The goal of clinical is the practical application of theory. The clinical faculty role is to facilitate that application of theory through a variety of teaching and learning strategies that may include:
- Review of each student’s patient (pre-clinical prep, status, current plan of care, medication administration, and related experiences).
- Reinforcement of skills (health assessment on a variety of patients, facilitation of skill observation or performance with other nurses/patients).
- Facilitation of new learning experiences (rounds on other patients, encouraging students to share information on their patients in a formal or informal setting, chart reviews, facilitation of observation/work with ancillary personnel for short periods (OT, PT, speech, nutrition, case manager, pharmacist. Extended role RN’s such as pain specialist, NP, clinical specialist, etc.)
- Reinforcement of knowledge (case review, application of knowledge, critical thinking situations, etc.)
- Actively facilitate cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning for your students during their clinical time.
Round on students throughout the day. Inquire about the following topics to help enhance critical thinking, clinical application, and clinical judgment and reasoning:
- Patient history
- Patient assessment
- Patient interventions to include both medical and nursing interventions
- Patient priorities
- Patient plan of care
- Patient plan for discharge
- Patient teaching/evaluation
Supervise all assigned students in the clinical area per the clinical objectives, patient acuity, student competencies, and geographic location.
Provide a safe environment for learning consistent with the policies and procedures of both the clinical facility and Aspen University SONHS.
Complete any in-clinical observations or check-offs as stated in the course syllabus
Complete student psychomotor skills list each clinical day
Collaborate with assigned clinical nurse to help assess and evaluate student’s psychomotor skill performance
Collaborate with assigned clinical nurse to discuss student’s clinical performance
Conduct post-conference to enhance student’s application of theory to practice
Provide timely and constructive feedback to students. For any clinical issue or concern, document and send to student via email. For any immediate concern concerning student or patient safety, please contact Clinical Practice Manager immediately.
Participate in regular clinical faculty meetings called by the Clinical Practice Manager.
Complete grading of clinical assignments as determined by course syllabus according to university policy guidelines.
Complete the Clinical Evaluation Tool for each student within 7 days of close of clinical course.
It is important for nursing students to learn the importance of establishing and maintaining professional boundaries. These professional boundaries exist between student and faculty as well as student and client. Clinical faculty are expected to model this behavior. If students have questions regarding an appropriate response to a client, clinical faculty will provide guidance.
For clinical faculty assigned to lab and simulation experiences:
- Arrive 30 minutes prior to assigned start time
- Review lab and/or simulation materials before assigned experience
- Ensure standardization of instruction with AU course materials
- Maintain compliance with any additional lab or simulation specified training
For clinical faculty assigned to the N455C Transition to Practice Nurse Residency experience:
Review list of assigned students and location of experience with clinical coordinator
Communicate expectations to students
Ensure receipt of student residency schedules
Conduct initial in-person visit on students’ first scheduled shift and complete all required forms
Conduct final in-person visit on students’ last scheduled shift
Maintain availability during all of students’ scheduled shifts
Serve as liaison for assigned students for any issues, questions, or concerns
Report and document any issues to clinical coordinator as needed