Safety Guidelines
Standard Precautions
Students will adhere to all guidelines for Standard Precautions within the clinical agencies.
Health and Safety Requirements Checklist
The following Health and Safety Requirements Checklist for Clinical Faculty and Nursing Students must be on file with the Clinical Coordination Office before a student’s first clinical course:
- Signed Medical Clearance Form
- Signed HIPAA form
- BLS or CPR for Healthcare Professionals/Providers
- Proof of Health Insurance Coverage
- Tuberculosis (TB)
- Tetanus vaccination (Td/Tdap)
- MMR Titers
- Varicella Titer
- Hep B
- Influenza
- COVID-19 Vaccine
- Urine drug screen
- Background check
- MOU or affiliation agreement
- Attend mandatory student orientation
- Complete training on patient privacy and clinical site requirements (for each clinical site)
- Fingerprint clearance card
Bodily Fluids Exposure and/or Injury during Lab or Clinical Experiences
Aspen University acknowledges the inherent risks associated with working around or with patients and health care organizations, including a potential exposure to blood and body fluids. Once in a patient care setting, you will have access to and will be expected to utilize appropriate blood borne pathogen barriers, proper sanitary precautions, and appropriate biohazard disposal equipment and procedures at each clinical site.
The following policy outlines your responsibilities in this area:
- Students scheduled in rotations at facilities that utilize my Clinical Exchange (mCE) complete the Infection Control (includes bloodborne pathogen information) modules and exams annually.
- Students receive the Bloodborne Pathogen and Safety training in fundamentals skills lab, simulation and clinical orientation.
- You must have and maintain current health insurance and show verification of coverage each year while matriculated in the program.
- Aspen University and the clinical agencies that provide practical experiences for students are not responsible or liable for the costs of medical follow-up or expenses incurred.
- If evaluation and treatment is required by the facility where you are completing clinical experiences, the student is responsible for all costs and associated follow up.
- In the event that you are injured or exposed to blood and body fluids, you will:
- Immediately notify your clinical instructor or site supervisor.
- Wash the area immediately and thoroughly with soap and water.
- Within 24 hours, follow-up with your own Primary Care Provider who will decide of immunization status and give appropriate prophylaxis or referral for appropriate prophylaxis.
- Assume full responsibility for disease sequelae.
- Follow the policies of the agency if any.
- Complete an incident report with the clinical faculty who was present during the incident. A copy of this report will be given to the Clinical Practice Manager and Clinical Coordination Office and placed in the student’s file.
Protocol for Puncture Wounds and Exposure to Blood or Bodily Fluids
- Incidents involving any type of needle stick or body-fluid exposure must be reported to the Clinical Faculty/Facility immediately.
! The clinical faculty will then notify the Clinical Practice Manager and/or Clinical Coordination Office.
- All faculty and students should observe the protocol for safe needle usage when practicing or performing parental injections, IV starts, blood draws, or using syringes, or performing any invasive procedure as part of a skills check off, or in a clinical setting. The faculty/student should follow the protocol for needle usage at the agency where clinicals are being held.
Uncontaminated Needle Stick or Intact Skin Exposure
A student who accidentally punctures him/herself with an uncontaminated needle or is exposed to blood or bodily fluid that is an intact skin exposure should:
- Wash the area immediately and thoroughly with soap and water
- Follow-up with their own Primary Care Provider or other facilities listed on the resource page who will make a determination of Tetanus immunization status and give appropriate prophylaxis or referral for appropriate prophylaxis.
- Complete an incident report with the clinical faculty who was present during the incident. A copy of this report will be given to the Clinical Coordination Office and placed in the student’s file.
- Counseling referral and other referrals can be arranged through the student’s personal Primary Care Provider.
Contaminated Needle Stick or Non-Intact Skin or Mucous Membrane Exposure
If the exposure is via a contaminated needle or if a bodily fluid exposure to non-intact skin, or to mucous membranes the student should continue with the following:
- Wash the skin area immediately with soap and water. If exposure is to mucous membranes, flush area with water immediately.
- Report the incident to your clinical faculty.
- Immediately seek medical attention. If in an acute care setting, always follow agency guidelines. This may include reporting to either Occupational Health or the agency Emergency Department.
In the event that this incident occurs, in the community setting, when the agency Occupational Health Center or Emergency Department are not available, Aspen University recommends that you seek immediate treatment at an Urgent Care or Physician’s Office equipped to treat contaminated needle stick injuries.
An incident report will be completed by the student and the clinical faculty who was present during incident. A copy of this report will be given to the Clinical Coordination Office to be placed in the student’s file. Financial responsibility for testing and recommended care following an exposure rests solely with the student. This may include testing, evaluation, treatment, and counseling.
If you have questions about the appropriate medical treatment, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that you call a 24-hour assistance line at the Clinicians’ Post Exposure Prophylaxis Hotline at 1.888.448.4911.
Potential Resources for Medical Treatment near Aspen University
Emergency Departments, Primary Care Physicians, Occupational Health Services, Urgent Cares
- Maricopa County Public Health Clinic
STD/HIV Testing
1645 E. Roosevelt Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85006
602-506-1678
Clinic Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8:00 am-5:00 pm, Wednesday 9:00 am-5:00pm. Please register before 3 pm, no appointment necessary.
- Valleywise-Emergency Department Hours: 24 hours available
2601 East Roosevelt Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85006
1-833-855-9973
- Planned Parenthood Centers
4751 North 15th Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85014
6002-277-7526
Please contact individual center to verify ability to provide PEP services. Clinic hours vary per location.
**Note: Above services are subject to change. It is strongly encouraged that the student contacts the service to verify ability to provide PEP services.