Clinical Experiences

The Exceptional Performance Report may be issued by the clinical faculty to a student:

• whose behavior or performance in the clinical area exceeds the expected clinical standards for the course.
• whose performance or behavior in the clinical area has shown great improvement yet does not exceed the expected standards for the course.

The decision to award the Exceptional Performance Report is at the discretion of the clinical faculty. Two copies of the award should be made. One copy is placed in the student’s academic folder and one copy given to the student.

The Incident Report may be issued by the clinical faculty to a student:

• whose preparation/performance in the clinical area does not consistently meet the expected clinical and course standards.
• who fails to implement safe care as evidenced by lack of knowledge, poor judgment, omission of procedures or commission of errors.
• has unsatisfactory clinical attendance

This report will be completed by the clinical faculty and reviewed with the student prior to the next clinical laboratory. A plan for problem remediation will be developed by the student and faculty member. Both parties will sign the Incident Report. Two copies of the Incident Report will be made. One copy is placed in M:\Offices\Academic Services\Divisions\STEM and HSPW\Nursing\Incident Reports and one copy given to the student. If the student becomes inactive, the Incident Report will remain in the student’s inactive file.

Prior to beginning the course:

1. The student who desires a change in clinical laboratory section should submit a written request, including reason for request, to the department chairperson. The chairperson will make the decision and inform the student and faculty.
2. Students who have had an association (for example as a staff member, as a patient’s family member, or as a patient) with a local psychiatric inpatient unit or community program should not be assigned to that site for psychiatric clinical experience. Students are advised to discuss this policy further with the Department of Nursing Chairperson to facilitate appropriate clinical placement.
3. Students may not attend clinical laboratory or observation sites on a unit where they are currently employed. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the Department of Nursing office if a conflict of this nature exists.

While the course is in progress:
The student who desires a change in clinical laboratory section should submit a written request, including reason for request, to the course coordinator. The course coordinator will inform the teaching team and the department chairperson of the student’s request in a timely fashion. The teaching team, in consultation with the Department Chairperson, will decide if the change will be made, assign the student to another section if a change is indicated, and inform the student of the decision.

A Clinical Performance Appraisal (CPA) is completed for the student in each clinical nursing course. The faculty will meet with the student to discuss the appraisal.

In order to achieve a satisfactory clinical grade, the student must meet the standard on at least the minimum number of criteria (as identified by the faculty for each individual course), including all of the criteria highlighted as critical with an asterisk (*). Failure to Meet Standard on the minimum number of criteria per course requirements on CPA by the end of the course will result in a clinical grade of “Unsatisfactory”. A student may achieve a grade of no higher than C- for the course.

Failure to Meet Standard on any of the critical elements (* item), by the end of the course will result in a clinical grade of “Unsatisfactory” and will receive an F in the course and will result in immediate dismissal from the program. Failure to meet these critical items at any point during the course may result in immediate dismissal from the program.

1. Releasing Information
   Under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (1974) (The Buckley Amendment), faculty are prohibited from releasing student performance information (such as grades, clinical performance evaluation, references) unless the student gives specific written permission. Confidentiality prevents the release of student performance information over the phone.
2. Clinical Performance References
   Students must sign permission before faculty divulge information about student performance. A student’s written request for a reference will meet the requirement of the law, but does not waive the student’s right to see the reference. The student must sign specific permission to waive the right to see the reference.