The Catholic University of America

SON Clinical Procedures

Clinical procedures have been separated into sections:

Before Clinicals

Documentation and Certifications

Before starting clinicals, students must:

  • Be CPR Certified - The course must be approved by American Heart Association (Course C) OR the American Red Cross (CPR for the Professional) - Course MUST include 1 and 2 person, infant, and child CPR
  • Have current health form on file in the dean's office. Health Forms (pdf file).
  • Have completed a background check. Background Check Information (pdf file).
  • Drug/Toxicology Screen (if requirement at clinical site)

Please see the Undergraduate Announcements - Policies and Regulations for additional information on the Eligibility Requirements for Placement in Clinical Settings, Assignment of Clinical Placements, Criminal Behavior And Background Check Policy, Health And Basic Life Support Requirements

Licensure: Registered Nurses in any clinical nursing program may be required to obtain licensure as Registered Nurses in the jurisdiction of their clinical placement.

Expectations for Professional Attire When In Clinical Placements/ Practica

The following information outlines the School of Nursing expectations for professional attire in the clinical setting. Students who appear for clinical inappropriately attired or groomed may be sent home and the absence treated as a non-excused clinical absence.

A professional appearance is expected of students in all clinical experiences. Students should consider the impact of cosmetics, tattoos, and decorative hair style/colors upon patient, staff and other individuals' responses to and perception of them as professionals. The clinical agencies and faculty have the discretion to require modification of these factors when students are in the clinical setting

A specific uniform, available in the University bookstore, is required in settings where street clothes are not permitted and where the clinical agency does not require a specific alternate uniform (i.e. in pediatric settings).

Uniform: Navy blue scrub tops and pants and a white jacket;

  • Stethoscope: A stethoscope will be needed for clinical. For undergraduate students, information on suggested types will be given in the Health Assessment and Skills class.

The following are for safety and infection control purposes.

  • Hair Covering: Students who need to cover their hair for religious reasons should consult with the faculty member to ensure that the cover selected meets safety and infection control standards.
  • Jewelry: One pair of stud earrings worn ONLY in the ears is acceptable, if allowed by the agency. No other jewelry may be worn except a flat wedding band. Students should avoid long necklaces or lanyards which may become entangled in IV equipment.
  • Nails: Nails must be short (fingertip length). NO NAIL POLISH OR NAILTIPS
  • Perfumes: Strong perfume should not be worn because of scent allergies and sensitivities
  • Hair: Hair which does not clear the collar should be tied back; students should take measures to ensure that bangs and facial hair do not contaminate clean/sterile fields.

During Clinicals

Clinical/Lab Attendance

1. Clinical/Lab attendance is mandatory.

2. Unexcused absences will not be accepted. The composite course grade will be lowered by one (1) grade level for each unexcused absence (i.e., A to A-). Excused absences are those defined in the exam policy.

3. One excused absence, while accepted, will necessitate a make-up assignment at the discretion of the faculty. Failure to complete the assignment will lower the composite course grade by one (1) grade level (i.e., A to A-). Further excused absences may require an incomplete and will result in an extension of the program.

4. The student is expected to notify the appropriate persons, as identified in specific courses, of an emergency requiring an absence or tardiness prior to the beginning of the clinical/lab experience. The student is responsible to be aware of the specific requirements for each course and to follow those procedures.

5. Habitual tardiness to clinical/lab, defined as more than one occurrence, will result in lowering of the composite course grade by one level (i.e., A to A-) for each occurrence.

Clinical Incident

A clinical incident is any injury, unprotected exposure to a pathogen, or accident which occurs during a clinical practicum/placement. Promoting student and patient safety is the first priority in responding to a clinical incident.

All students are required to carry health insurance. It is helpful if students keep health insurance coverage information with them during clinical practice and if they submit information about coverage along with their health history information.

Students are encouraged to keep notification information current on Cardinal Station so that correct and prompt notifications of family members may be made in the case of serious incidents.

Clinical Incident Procedures

  1. Any injury requiring immediate, emergency care should be treated at the nearest emergency facility. Please notify the faculty member as soon as possible; the faculty member is responsible for contacting the clinical coordinator and then the Office of the Dean as soon as possible to report the incident and to ask for help, if needed, for the student.
  2. When a student is exposed to a blood or body fluid pathogen, the agency clinical coordinator/supervisor, agency employee health, and the School of Nursing administration are to be notified immediately. If an employee health department is available, follow hospital/agency guidelines for immediate treatment. If an employee health department is not available, contact the nearest emergency department for immediate treatment guidelines. Students are responsible for treatment costs incurred.
  3. Institute any necessary treatments that should be carried out on site.
  4. Students should contact their own health care provider or the University Health Services for recommendations for follow-up treatment.

  5. A School of Nursing report and agency incident report must be completed by faculty and the injured party. Copies of both should be given to the injured party, and Office of the Dean. The agency should be provided with a copy of their incident report. The SON incident report should document the date, type of incident, individuals present, response/treatment, notification and documentation sequence and any additional information which may be pertinent.

  6. The incident report will be maintained in a confidential file stored in the Office of the Associate Dean.

Unsafe Practice

Unsafe practice is defined as behavior which threatens, or has the potential to threaten, the safety of a client, another student, a faculty member, or other health care provider in the clinical placement.

Unsafe Practice Procedures

  1. A request for investigation of a SON student's fitness for the practice of nursing may be instigated by any person, This request is submitted to the Associate Dean for the involved clinical program. Removal of a student from clinical due to immediate or imminent concerns about unsafe practice automatically warrants further investigation.

  2. The Associate Dean will review the request and supportive evidence. If the request is based on actual behavior or observations and is of sufficient concern, the Associate Dean will either (a) recommend direct administrative action to the Dean of the SON or (b) request a review for Fitness for Practice. The purpose of the review is to provide additional information to guide the administrative decision regarding student placement and progression in the clinical setting.

    Until a decision is made by either of these two routes, the student will not be allowed to attend the clinical practicum or experience.

  3. In the event of a review for fitness for practice, the Associate Dean will constitute a Review Committee chaired by the Associate Dean, and comprised or two additional faculty members plus one alternate. Typically, the additional committee members are drawn from the SON Committee on Admissions, Progression and Graduation.

  4. The Review Committee will receive all available information about the report; this typically includes a written report of the practice concern, specifically the name of the student, the behavior that allegedly affects the respondent's fitness for practice, and the name of the individual submitting the request.

  5. The Review Committee, through its chairperson, shall notify the respondent by mail, certified, return receipt requested, within five business days of receipt of the complaint.

    Such notification shall contain:

    • the practice concern as articulated in the investigation request and a copy of the "Unsafe Practice: Procedures for Addressing Potential Concerns"

    • The date, time and place of the Review Committee deliberations and names of Committee members

    • The right of both the complainant and the student to address the Review Committee and to present witnesses and documentation to support their position

    • a statement specifying the respondent's right to bring an advisor who may not speak on behalf of the respondent; the right to ask questions regarding the complaint and documentation; and the right to a closed and confidential hearing

    • the right to submit a written request for an extension of time in appearing before the Review Committee no later that 48 hours prior to the scheduled deliberations.

    • a statement specifying the student's right to follow CUA procedures for appealing academic sanctions.

    • a statement that the proceedings will be audio-taped

  6. The Review Hearing will obtain any additional information which they deem important either prior to the hearing or after the hearing.
  7. Upon completion of the hearing and collection and analysis of all pertinent information, the Review Committee will present the Dean with a written analysis of the available information and a recommendation regarding the disposition of the complaint.
  8. The timeline for this recommendation may vary depending such factors as the need for additional information and the time in the semester; however, the written report should be as close to 5 business days as possible.
  9. The Dean will then make a decision regarding the disposition of the complaint and notify the student in writing of the outcome.
  10. The student has the right to follow the published University procedures in the event of course failure or program dismissal.
HIPAA Compliance

All students are expected to comply with the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) as applied to clinical education and to meet the requirements articulated in the SON Academic Announcements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Will I be covered under HIPAA once I begin my clinical practice upon graduation?

A. Nurses will in most instances be working for covered entities that are required to comply with HIPAA

Q. Am I covered by HIPAA now as a student?

A. Students, while not covered per se under HIPAA, are bound by state law on the confidentiality of medical records. In addition, the terms of certain affiliation agreement bind the School of Nursing by contract to advise students that the medical record privacy policy of the clinical placement site must be respected.

Students are also bound by moral and ethical obligations to maintain confidentiality.

Protection of IIHI is a core component of caring for patients. Patients who fear that personal information will be shared are less likely to share it. This can lead to ineffective care, or even worse, care which may harm the patient.

Q. What about case notes written after a case management meeting, or a discharge planning meeting? Is this IIHI?

A. This would be covered under the broad definition of individually identifiable health information under HIPAA. If you have any doubts about whether information is covered under HIPAA, treat it as covered information. Psychotherapy notes are accorded special privacy protections under HIPAA. Ordinarily, written client consent is required before psychotherapy notes can be disclosed to anyone.

Psychotherapy notes are defined in the regulation as "notes recorded (in any medium) by a health care provider who is a mental health professional documenting or analyzing the contents of conversation during a private counseling session or a group, joint, or family counseling session and that are separated from the rest of the individual's medical record." Excluded from the definition of psychotherapy notes are medication prescription and monitoring, counseling session start and stop times, modalities and frequencies of treatment furnished, results of clinical tests, and any summary of the following items: diagnosis, functional status, treatment plan, symptoms, prognosis, and progress to date.

After Clinicals

Clinical Evaluation Procedures and Documentation

A clinical evaluation of student performance will be done at the completion of each clinical rotation by the clinical instructor. This evaluation is reviewed with the student and signed by both the student and the instructor. The student's signature does not indicate agreement, only that the student has received the evaluation. Students may add comments. The student receives a copy of the evaluation and the original is kept on file.