Attendance and Punctuality
Each course in the BSN Pre-Licensure Program contains very significant content that builds on previous content. Students are required to be prepared, attend, and actively participate in all online class assignments, seminars, lab, simulation, and clinical experiences. Attendance and punctuality are professional behaviors correlated to the student’s success. Absences from seminar, lab, simulation, or clinical experiences compromises the student’s ability to demonstrate achievement of course outcomes and puts the student in jeopardy being unsuccessful in the course. Failure to participate in the online classroom during the first week of the course and at least once every consecutive fourteen days thereafter will result in administrative withdrawal from the course.
Extenuating Circumstances
Occasionally, extenuating circumstances (i.e., personal illness, death in the immediate family, court subpoena, jury duty, severe weather, or military service) occur that prevent a student from attending seminar, lab, simulation, or clinical. These absences are to be discussed with the course faculty & Program Director in order to assure course outcomes are met.
Students experiencing variances in health status that interferes with the ability to provide safe nursing care should not attend seminar, lab, simulation, or clinical experiences. The student is to notify the faculty in person, by email, or by phone at least one (2) hours prior to the scheduled time. Students may be required to submit documentation of the illness from a healthcare provider. Any student experiencing an emergency department visit or hospitalization must provide a release to return and status of participation in direct client care. Students experiencing pregnancy or an extended illness should contact their Academic Advisor or the Office of Disability Services to discuss their situation. Students are responsible for any content missed during the absence.
Leaving Clinical Site
During a clinical rotation, a student may not leave the clinical site. If a student has an emergency, such as an illness, family situation, or other extenuating circumstances, they must communicate with their clinical instructor. The clinical instructor will communicate with program leadership and receive further instructions and guidance. Only with permission from the clinical instructor may the student leave the site. Actual clinical hours attended should be documented and the missed hours will need to be made up during the same session.
Refusing a Clinical
A student must accept a clinical assignment when given advance notice of the clinical site, date, and time. If the student has questions or concerns, they need to discuss this with the program director prior to the first assigned clinical day. Any decision made will be at the discretion of the program director overseeing the student. Once a decision is made, that student is committed to that clinical rotation and must attend all the dates required of them.
Missed Lab, Simulation, and Clinical Hours
Students are provided with lab, simulation, and clinical opportunities and are expected to attend all events. Students must appropriately notify their faculty, clinical coordinator, and program leadership if there are extenuating circumstances preventing them from attending. Extenuating circumstances will be reviewed by program leadership. The excuse must be verifiably documented and must be approved by the Program Director and Dean of Nursing. Any approved makeup hours will be under the direction of the program director. All course requirements, including lab, simulation, and clinical hours, must be met prior to course completion. Failure to complete required hours will result in failure to progress in the program.
Lab, Simulation, and Clinical Make Ups
If a student is granted make up hours, these must occur before course completion. If a student fails to attend make up hours prior to the course completion date, the course requirements have not been met. This will result in course failure and the student will not progress in the program.
Documenting Hours
The hours for all lab, simulation, and clinical experiences required are required to be documented in Project Concert. Students must follow the instructions in the lab or clinical course syllabus.
Tardy Policy
Tardiness is defined as being late to seminar, lab, simulation, or clinical. Students are expected to be prompt to seminar, lab, simulation, and clinical. Any anticipated tardiness is to be reported to the faculty prior to the scheduled start time of seminar, lab, simulation, or clinical.
Consequences of being tardy within the same course:
- First occurrence – Student will receive a warning.
- Second occurrence – Student will be placed on clinical probation.
- Any subsequent occurrences will result in course failure.