IV.NURSING PROGRAM Policies

1. Clinical course requirements

• CPR certification: The clinical agencies require all students to be certified in CPR (adult/child and AED).
• Malpractice Insurance: Malpractice insurance in an amount no less than $1,000,000.00 per occurrence and $3,000,000.00 per aggregate is required.
• Health Clearance: Students must be free from addiction to drugs, alcohol or other behavior altering substances;  able to stand, walk, bend, push, grasp and lift without restriction; and have normal sight, hearing and speech (with correction). Prior to registration, students in clinical nursing courses are required to be cleared by the York College Office of Health Services , Room AC-1F01- 718 262 2050). Both the York College Medical Record and Nursing Student Immunization Forms must be completed and signed by your physician.
• Students MUST bring all required documents to Health services by July 15^th for Fall semesters and January 10^th for Spring semesters. If students are not cleared they will not be able to attend clinical courses for that semester.
• Students should obtain information regarding annual physical examination, immunizations/ titers, tuberculosis testing, drug screening and forms from the York College Office of Health Services  Room AC-1F01- 718 262 2050).  Required forms are available: http://www.york.cuny.edu/student-development/health/forms

• Earn a grade of “C” in all of the pre or co-requisite courses.
• Earn a minimum of “C+” in all Nursing Program Courses.
• Students earning less than a “C+” grade in a Nursing Program Course may repeat the course one time and must attain a grade of C+ or better.
• A second earned grade of less than “C+” in any Nursing Program Course will result in dismissal from the program.
• Clinical Performance is graded as pass/fail. Students must pass both clinical and theory components to pass the course.
• Students who are dismissed from the Nursing Program may be eligible to apply for another major in the college.
• Students have the right to appeal the dismissal decision (see Nursing Student Handbook page 21-23- the Appeal Process).All students will be required to fulfill York’s Writing Intensive course requirements.

• Clinical/campus labs: No cuts are permitted. In the event of an extraordinary situation the student must submit proof of the event and an alternative experience will be provided. More than one clinical absence will result in a grade of WU (unofficial withdrawal), which is computed as an “F”.
• Lecture: No cuts are permitted. In the event of an extraordinary situation the student must submit proof of the event and an alternative experience will be provided. More than two lecture absences will result in a grade of WU (unofficial withdrawal), which is computed as an “F”.
• Lateness’s of more than 15 minutes will be calculated as one-half day absence.
• Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class period. The student will be marked absent if he/she is not present when the attendance is taken.
• All assignments are to be submitted on the due date.
• No eating/ drinking in classrooms. All cell phones, pagers etc must be turned off while in the classroom. Participation in class discussion is essential to achieving the objectives of this course. It is expected that each student will engage in critical reading, critical thinking and problem solving.

• Proof of current malpractice insurance, physical exam and health insurance must be on file in the Nursing Program. Students will not be allowed to remain in the clinical setting if documentation is not on file.
• Students are expected to arrive on time and be in proper attire.
• Personal appearance and behavior of students should reflect professional standards as expected by the Nursing Program.
• Uniform: White uniform with the York College Nursing student patch, white hosiery/ socks; white shoes.
• Grooming should reflect an understanding of professionalism, asepsis, and safety.
• York College picture identification badge.
• Students will be removed from the clinical setting without warning for demonstrating unsafe and /or irresponsible behavior.
• York College ID must be visibly attached to shirt or sweater at all times.

• The Nursing Program adheres to the policy and procedures on academic integrity put forth by the City University of New York. For details, refer to York Nursing Student Handbook, York catalogue, and/or CUNY website.

• Students will be expected to participate in mandatory college laboratories on a weekly basis. Students must pass all skills tests to receive a passing grade in the course. Failure to demonstrate competency in selected skills will result in a failing grade for the course, even if the students has a passing grade in the didactic component of the course. Students will have weekly case study/ reflective question assignments that must be brought to the on-campus laboratory each week.

• Clinical laboratory learning experiences will include the provision of comprehensive nursing care to multi-cultural client systems in a variety of settings (Ambulatory care, acute in-patient and long-term care settings). Students are expected to successfully meet the objectives and requirements of both the theory and the clinical laboratory components of the course in order to receive a satisfactory grade for the entire course.
• Weekly nursing care plans will be expected for each clinical laboratory client encounter. Care plans will be graded satisfactory or unsatisfactory based on specific written guidelines. A minimum nursing care plan average grade of “C+” is required for a satisfactory clinical grade.

• Exudative lesions, weeping dermatitis, or other possible communicable conditions should be brought to the attention of the clinical instructor prior to giving care.
• Appropriate barrier precautions should be implemented to prevent skin and mucous-membrane exposure when contact with blood or other body fluids is anticipated.
• Exposure to blood or body fluids must be reported to the clinical instructor, in a timely manner.

• Confidentiality of all information and records related to client care is a patient right in New York State and mandated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
• Students who fail to maintain the patient’s right to confidentiality will receive a course grade of F and will not be permitted to return to clinical site.
• No recorders, beepers or cellular phones are permitted in clinical agencies.

• If a student is injured during a clinical agency experience they must be examined and treated in the emergency room and/or by their private physician.  Health clearance must be obtained from the Office of Health Services before the student can return to the clinical agency.
• Relevant incident reports for the agency and York College must be completed by the faculty and student. Students who have any change in their health status during the semester (due to injury, illness, pregnancy/ childbirth) are required to submit documentation to the Office of Health Services. Students must receive clearance from this Office prior to returning to clinical agency experiences.

• To help students save money in their textbook purchases, CUNY has created a web page and flyer called "How to Save Money on Textbooks."  This resource provides links to websites that sell discounted new and used books, eBooks, open source materials, and rental options.
• The web page and printable flyer can be found at:  http://www.cuny.edu/about/resources/student/textbook-savings.html.  There are also links to this web page from the Blackboard log-in page and the portal home.

1. CLINICAL ADVISEMENT

• Consultation with the Nursing faculty is a crucial step when planning one’s academic program.  Formal advisement is available during the period scheduled by the college.  Please refer to the York College Academic Calendar. Appointments can be scheduled through the Nursing Program secretary.  At other times, individual conferences can be scheduled with the Nursing Program faculty.  To ensure that your advisor has adequate time to answer your concerns, make an appointment.  When you “drop in” for advice, remember that your advisor may have other responsibilities or tasks planned for that hour.
• Placement in Clinical course sections varies each semester based on agency availability. Students who are employed in a health care agency cannot be assigned to that agency for clinical classes. Students who have special needs (i.e., work schedule) must submit a request for consideration in writing to the Director of Nursing Programs no later than December 15 (for spring placement) and June 15 (for fall placement). Every effort will be made to accommodate the request.  However, there are limited clinical agency sites and days available, and students may need to make other accommodations.