VOCATIONAL
NURSING PROGRAM
STUDENT
Welcome to North-West College’s Vocational Nursing Program. We’re glad
you chose to attend our college. You have embarked on a journey that will
change the rest of your life. The faculty and staff will help you achieve your
goals but you are the one that will choose to succeed. You must spend
your time focused on your education in order to do well. The Board of
Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians accredit our program. If
you have any problems/concerns please discuss them with your instructor,
the Director of Nursing, or the Campus Director.
The desire to succeed comes from within you. You must do your part and study, attend class and clinical and achieve the objectives of each. After completion you will need to take and pass the National Examination for Vocational/ Practical Nurses (NCLEX) in order to obtain your license. We will provide you with the information you need to know but we cannot make you learn.
Always Believe In Yourself!
SCHOOL EXPECTATIONS
As you enter the nursing profession our goal is to help you learn what you need to know. One measure of student professionalism is getting your required documents to the appropriate office on time and completing your assignments on time. Another measure is your appearance. We enforce our school dress code because presenting a professional image during your training period prepares you for your career. We expect you to be on time, clean, neat and mentally and physically prepared to learn and perform. You never know when a prospective employer may visit the campus.
Dishonesty of any type in the program, including cheating on examinations or plagiarizing materials, will result in a grade of F and may be cause for suspension or dismissal. Plagiarism includes passing off or attempting to pass off the ideas or writing of another person as one’s own.
Homework is part of the learning process. It may consist of reading chapter(s) in your book(s), working in a workbook, writing a paper or doing a project, what ever the instructor feels is beneficial to your learning. It is expected that all homework assigned will be completed and will be included in your final grade. Each instructor will inform you when it is due and where to turn it in. It is your responsibility to obtain this information, including assignments missed due to your absence.
NCLEX APPLICATION POLICY
NCLEX applications are sent to the BVNPT by the DON after the student has completed all required program hours and passed the online comprehensive exit exam. There are two separate fees needed to submit this paperwork. One is a $75.00 Board application fee which the College pays immediately when the DON sends the application. Once the student becomes eligible to take the NCLEX, the student is responsible for paying the $200.00 NCLEX application fee, which is payable online or by phone. If the student takes the NCLEX within 90 days of their graduation date the College will refund the student the $200.00 NCLEX application fee.
We strongly recommend that you take the State Board Exam within 90 days after your graduation. The more you delay the date of the exam, the higher the risk that you will fail. You are investing your time, effort, and money into becoming a nurse; your main goal should be to achieve your LVN license as soon as possible and to start your new career! Your post-graduation plan MUST be to keep studying, reviewing, and practicing on NCLEX-based questions until the date of your exam!
ADMISSION CRITERIA
Entrance requirements will include, but are not limited to, taking the entrance exams and obtaining the required score. Applicants must be a High School graduate or have a GED. They will also be required to have a personal interview with the Director of Nursing or designee.
Entrance Exams:
Each applicant must take the Scholastic Level Exam (SLE). It is a test of problem-solving ability. It contains 50 various types of questions that must be completed without the aid of a calculator or other problem-solving device. An applicant has only 12 minutes to solve the questions and the exam will be taken from the applicant in exactly 12 minutes. Since none of the applicants can solve all the questions in 12 minutes, 21 is considered the passing score to be allowed to proceed to the next exam.
After passing the SLE, each applicant must then take an online entrance test for nurses. We are currently utilizing the Pre-admissions Exam (PAX) administered by the National League of Nursing (NLN).
The diagnostic information from the online entrance test is the following:
1. Provides an objective measurement of applicant’s critical reading ability.
2. Evaluates applicant’s level of success with basic mathematics, the math necessary to function in the academic courses and also in the career following college.
3. Determines applicant’s effective speed and comprehension in reading college level material.
4. Provides diagnostic information about applicant’s basic academic processing skills.
The applicant must meet or exceed the school’s standard scores, composite percentile score of 50 or higher, to pass the online entrance test.
Each applicant under consideration will have a personal interview with the Director of Nursing. The candidate must complete a physical screening as outlined on the “Student Health Notice” which includes screening for immunity to certain communicable diseases. This is a requirement of our clinical affiliates. Candidates must meet the physical requirements of a nursing program as defined in the attached policy.
HEALTH CLEARANCE
All students must have immunization records on file before they can attend clinical. This must be done before the start of Term 1. There will be a copy in the student file in the nursing office and the original will be in the administrative file. Instructors will be given a list of students who are missing any of the required lab work. The school is required by our clinical facilities to have copies of the actual lab results if these are used as proof of immunization.
Students must have a yearly TB skin test or a chest x-ray every two years (requirements may differ depending on the clinical facility used; see your Director of Nursing for more information). The clinical facilities and the Department of Health Services require this in order for our students to be present at the facilities.
If a student becomes pregnant during the program, in order for her to continue in the program, we require a note from her OB physician stating her due date and that she may continue in the nursing program with no restrictions.
The nursing program does not have any status other than full time with no physical limitations. DRUG SCREENING POLICY AND PROCEDURE
Our clinical facilities may require students to submit to a urine drug screening. Failure to comply with this requirement will lead to suspension and/or termination from the program. Further instruction will be provided by the Clinical Coordinator at your campus. The school may send you to a designated testing facility at the expense of the student, or the clinical facility may test you themselves. Non-compliance will result in immediate termination. The possession, sale or use of illegal narcotics or alcohol on campus grounds or possession of a weapon is strictly prohibited. Students found violating this will be asked to leave the grounds and will be terminated.
CREDIT GRANTING POLICY
Transfer credit will be granted to those applicants who have successfully completed courses at an accredited school which are comparable to the courses taught in this nursing program. The courses must have been completed within the past five years. Competency-based credit will be granted for knowledge and/or skills acquired through experience. Credit will be determined by written and/or practical examinations. This will be discussed during the interview with the Director of Nursing prior to the start of
classes. The student may waive credit if they so desire.
The request must be made to the school at least two weeks prior to the desired entrance date. Official, sealed transcripts from the previous school attended must be presented at the time the request is made. The Director of Nursing and the Campus Director must verify approval of courses and/or competency.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The vocational nursing program consists of four terms. Each term includes 166 hours of theory instruction and 240 hours of clinical experience, for a total of 664 hours in the classroom and 960 hours “hands–on” clinical practice. The topics covered in each term are as follows:
TERM 1
Fundamentals Geriatrics Rehabilitation
Growth and Development Psychology
Anatomy and Physiology Pharmacology
TERM 2
MED/SURG 2 – Diseases, Disorders and Drugs associated with: Pain Management Perioperative Nursing Oncology Muscular/Skeletal System Respiratory System Gastrointestinal System Lymphatic System
Immune and Communicable
TERM 3
MED/SURG 3 – Diseases, Disorders and Drugs associated with: Cardiovascular System Integumentary System Endocrine System Renal/Genitourinary System Reproductive System TERM 4
MED/SURG 4 – Diseases, Disorders and Drugs associated with: Neurosensory (includes Geriatrics)
Team Leading
Professional Development Obstetric
Pediatrics Mental Health
EXPECTED STUDENT BEHAVIORS
♦ Attend class regularly, arrive on time and never leave early without having previously
informed the instructor.
♦ See the instructor during office hours rather than trying to engage in conversations
about your performance and assignments as the instructor is entering, leaving or on break.
♦ Ask questions, solicit clarification and make contributions related to the topic being
presented in class.
♦ Be attentive in class. Do not eat, drink, chat, apply make-up, do homework, or chew
gum in class. Do not fall asleep in class. Be polite, gracious and considerate at all times.
♦ Complete all work, turn in assignments that follow academic guidelines and take the
time to produce a product that looks professional and reflects pride in your work.
♦ Considerate students do not, in any way, interfere with the learning environment of
classmates by engaging in juvenile behavior. The right to be in a professional program requires both civility and maturity. Threatening the welfare of any faculty, staff or student may be grounds for termination from the nursing program.
♦ Be sure to sign in. Do not sign in for another student!
♦ Talking to another student during lecture, quizzes or exams is not allowed. It is very
disrespectful to the instructor and other students and can be grounds for termination.
The instructor has the right to rearrange classroom seating at any time! NO cellular phone calls during class time or in the clinical areas.
Unless it is an extreme emergency, students are not to answer pages or phone messages until break, lunch or after class. Cell phones and pagers are not to be turned on in the clinical area.
In case of an emergency, the person is to call the school and speak to the Director of Nursing or another staff member and they will notify the instructor to tell you what the concern is.
THIS IS A NO SMOKING CAMPUS. NO SMOKING IS ALLOWED IN THE CLASSROOMS, BATHROOMS, STUDENT LOUNGE or CLINICAL SITES. This includes the walkways surrounding the classrooms. Smoking is permitted outside the facilities, away from the entrance of the building. On campus smoking is only to be in the parking area using your car’s ashtray. Please dispose of smoking materials properly. Do not throw cigarette butts on the ground.
Children and/or guests of enrolled students are not allowed to stay on campus, in the parking lot or in classrooms during class hours, this includes the student lounge.
The possession, sale or use of illegal narcotics or alcohol on campus grounds or possession of a weapon is strictly prohibited. Students found violating this will be asked to leave the grounds and will be terminated.
DRESS CODE
The following standards have been established as appropriate professional grooming and dress requirements. Students not adhering to this code WILL NOT BE PERMITTED to attend classroom or clinical assignments. We sincerely trust that you will cooperate in maintaining the high standards that have been set by the school. Students who do not cooperate will be sent home to dress in proper attire. Students must be in uniform whenever they are on campus.
UNIFORMS
During scheduled school hours (theory and/or clinical) students are expected to wear the school uniform, white shoes, white socks and student ID tags. Uniforms and shoes must be clean and neat. NO jeans, sweat pants, stretch pants, T shirts or shorts of any description are permitted. Clothing must not be too tight or too loose as this is considered unprofessional. Uniform pants must not be too long. They need to be hemmed so they just touch the top of the shoe. If any type of shirt is worn under the uniform, it must be white. No other color is acceptable.
Low-heeled, closed, white, leather shoes are to be worn. Only white socks are acceptable. NO sandals, thongs, slippers, canvas tennis shoes, clogs, mules or boots of any description are permitted. Acceptable jewelry includes a watch with a second hand, a wedding band or one simple ring, and one pair of stud earrings. NO acrylic nails or brightly colored nail polish are permitted. Nails are to be clean, short, and neat in length. NO extreme hair color or styles are permitted. NO heavy scents, colognes or perfumes permitted, as this may be offensive to classmates, patients, and others. Hair must be off the uniform collar both in the classroom and in the clinical area. NO ponytails are permitted. If a beard or mustache is worn, it must be neatly trimmed. NO tongue or visible body piercing is permitted. *Please Note: the clinical facility that you are assigned to may have additional grooming requirements. Examples that may exclude you from clinical facilities include, but are not limited to: tattoos, body piercing, including spacers, and/or fake eyelashes.
All students are expected to be properly groomed daily; this includes bathing, brushing your teeth, and using deodorant.
Instructors and staff are required to monitor and supervise student compliance with the College’s dress code at all times. If you have any questions, please see your instructor. Repeat violations will result in suspensions, terminations, or removal from the program.
PROGRESS REPORTS
The monthly progress reports (didactic reports) are the primary evaluation and tracking tool for the student’s academic progress. This report includes the students exam average and overall progress. Clinical evaluations are done every month and are based on performance and attendance.
DISMISSAL
Students will be dismissed from the College for dishonesty, consistently failing grades (after an appropriate probation period), chronic insolence, chronic agitation, unsafe clinical performance and unexcused absences. After being placed on probation; continued unacceptable behaviors will lead to termination. Misconduct, cheating, drug or alcohol violation, or weapon violation will lead to instant dismissal. You must pass each term to go on to the next. If you are dismissed from the nursing program, you may be eligible to restart the program at the discretion of the program and campus directors. However, if you are dropped or terminated from the program a second time, you will not be allowed to re-start the nursing program at any of the North-West College campuses.
GRADES
Grades are calculated for each exam based on the student’s performance. All grades are based on what each student earns and are not marked on a curve. The percentage of correct answers corresponds to the letter grades as follows:
100% - 90% = A = 4.0 89% - 80% = B = 3.0
79% and below = F = Not Passing
The grade point average (GPA) for the term is an average of all exams, the grade on the comprehensive and any other special projects for that term. Each area will be assigned a percentage of the final grade. The final GPA breakdown of each term (Terms 1 through 3) is as follows:
Exams 50%
Online computerized testing 15%
Quizzes and Projects 5%
Comprehensive 30%
In the fourth term, all tests and assignments are graded equally to calculate the GPA.
Exams missed due to absences must be made-up on the students first day back to school.
Only one test per term may be made-up. The highest possible score on a make-up test is
80%. This includes online exams. There are NO make-up exams on any midterm or
REMEDIATION AND PROBATION POLICY Academic Remediation
Students are expected to have cumulative GPA of 80% and above throughout the program. If a student gets two consecutive failing grades or the cumulative GPA is below 80% during any time within the program, the advising process starts. The instructor will start advising the student after the class lecture hours. Advising
involves the discussion between the instructor and the student regarding the grades, methods that the student uses to study, time dedicated for studying, concentration in the class, and the external problems that are distracting the student.
The instructor then refers the student to the Director of Nursing with the instructor’s findings from the advising and the recommendation from the instructor. The DON will advise the student based on the recommendations of the instructor to find the best solution to improve the student’s academic performance.
North-West College has dedicated days for remediation. Thus, the DON will assign the student to the earliest available day with the instructor for remediation. The
priority is to have the student assigned with the same instructor who is lecturing the course. If this is not possible then the student will be assigned to a different instructor. The remediation will focus on the weaknesses that the student has based on the
advising assessment and the instructor’s remediation.
Students will be responsible to attend the assigned remediation time, expected to be fully cooperative with the instructor and will be accountable for the outcome. After two sessions of remediation, the student is expected to show improvement in the exams and achieve passing grades. Failure to show academic improvement will lead to putting the student on Academic probation for 30 days. The student will be advised again by both the instructor and the DON and the advising will proceed until the end of the probation period. Failure of the student to achieve passing GPA despite the remediation and the probation will lead to termination from the program.
Clinical Remediation
Clinical evaluations are completed every month by the clinical instructor. Clinical evaluation is graded as P for pass or NI for needs improvement or F for fail. Student will begin the advising process for any of the following reasons:
• Failed the clinical evaluation.
• Graded as NI for two consecutive times.
• Failed to report to the health facility on time for two consecutive times.
• Failed to submit the care plan or the case study on time.
• Has caused an incident that jeopardized the safety of the patient.
The clinical instructor will start advising the student as soon as possible. Advising will involve the discussion between the student and the clinical instructor regarding the reasons that making the student not passing the clinical evaluation. (If a serious incident has happened then the clinical instructor will immediately notify the Clinical Coordinator and/or the DON to take the appropriate action). The clinical instructor will refer the student to the clinical coordinator and/or the DON with the findings and recommendations. The Clinical Coordinator and/or the DON will advise the student again and assign the student to the skills lab for remediation based on the advising findings and recommendations. The remediation will be on the scheduled day in the skills lab with an instructor assigned by the Clinical Coordinator and/or the DON.
The student is expected to pass the clinical evaluation after two remediation sessions. The student will be responsible to attend the remediation sessions on time and will be accountable for the clinical outcome. If the student failed the clinical evaluation, despite the clinical remediation, the Clinical Coordinator will refer the student to the DON and the student will be on Clinical Probation for 30 days. The remediation will proceed until the student shows clinical improvement. Failure of the student to pass clinical evaluation despite the remediation and the probation will lead to dropping the student from the program.
Behavioral Remediation
Please refer to pages 7 and 8 for expected student behaviors and dress code.
For the first violation of the behavior or dress code policy, the instructor will advise the student, write down on an incident report form and report it to the DON. The instructor will remediate the student by reminding him/her of the college policies. For the second violation, the instructor will refer the student to the DON who will discuss the incidence in depth with the student. A written warning letter will be issued signed by the student, instructor and the DON. The DON personally will advise and remediate the student. For the third violation, the DON will drop the student from the program.
The possession, sale or use of illegal narcotics or alcohol on campus grounds or possession of a weapon is strictly prohibited. Students found violating this will be asked to leave the grounds and will be terminated immediately.
COMPUTERIZED TESTING SYSTEM
Computerized testing is a valuable resource integrated into our teaching plan to prepare students to pass the State Board Exam (NCLEX) after their graduation.
Each student will be registered for computerized testing with NLN prior to enrollment. Upon registration each student will be provided with a user name and password and then, by utilizing any computer with internet access, the student will be able to make use of the following:
9 Online practice examinations in specific nursing content areas: Fundamentals, Maternity, Medical-Surgical, Mental Health, Nutrition, Physical Assessment, Pediatrics and Pharmacology.
9 Review remediation materials provided online.
In addition, each student will be assigned to take the following nationally standardized, web-based exams (using on-campus computers only). These exams will help students become familiar with computerized testing and will be part of the students’ grades:
Term 1
Fundamentals of Nursing Anatomy & Physiology
Term 2
Nutrition
Term 3
Physical Assessment Pharmacology Adult Health Nursing
Term 4
Maternal Health Child Health
Mental Health Concepts Critical Thinking Test
Diagnostic Readiness Test (DRT)
Exit Assessments:
PN Comprehensive Examination
Exit assessments will be required for all students. Each student must pass these assessments in order for the DON to sign the student’s NCLEX application. These assessments are a reliable indication of how students will do on the NCLEX and they are taken very seriously.
In preparation for the exit exam students are provided with a one day live review course and access to an online Question Review Bank (QRB). The online QRB contains over 3000 NCLEX style questions. Students are registered for this
ATTENDANCE POLICY
The attendance policy is designed to ensure that North-West College graduates the highest quality nurse. When a student is absent from theory or clinical, they miss information that is part of the total learning experience. Every absence impacts on the gathering of pieces of information that allow a nurse to make educated decisions based on knowledge learned. The decisions you make regarding your patient care can result in a positive outcome or a negative outcome.
Federal funding, which most students are utilizing, requires that absences and attendance be closely monitored, therefore accurate records will be kept.
There are no “excused” absences.
Students are allowed only four absences per term, including Theory and Clinical; on the
third absence, the student is automatically (without written notification) placed on
probation until the end of the term; on the fifth absence from a term, the student will be terminated.
Note that absences counted are for both theory and clinical.
All hours missed in theory and clinical must be made up prior to the end of the term.
Excessive absences are grounds for termination from the program as it can impact your grade and make you clinically unsafe. It is the responsibility of the student to notify the instructor and the school if they are going to be absent. Students must call the school and leave a message before their scheduled start time otherwise the absence will be counted as a “no call, no show”.
In case of “no call, no show”, the first offense will result in a written letter of warning and will be placed on attendance probation. The second offense will warrant a meeting with the Director of Nursing and probable suspension/termination from the program. The student must also notify the instructor if they are going to be tardy.
THEORY CLASS ATTENDANCE POLICY
Students missing 1 to 30 minutes of any theory class session will be marked as tardy.
Students will be considered absent if they are tardy more than 30 minutes, or leave class more than 30 minutes before the end of the session. This includes returning late from lunch or any break. Excessive tardies will be called to the attention of the Director of Nursing, and may be considered grounds for probation and/or termination.
Theory Makeup
Objectives must be completed for the lecture missed and turned in within one week.
Credit will be given based on how thoroughly each objective has been completed. It is the student’s responsibility to actively seek out any work that they may have missed due to an absence.
It is within the right of any instructor to assign additional work to any student who has
missed more than one day of theory or has not completed missed objectives within one week of an absence. For example, if a student is absent in October and is trying to make-up the hours in December, the teacher will assign five objectives for every theory hour that has been missed. Also if a student misses a day in October and a day in November the teacher may assign objectives and a 5 page paper for the second absence even if the student has already made up the first absence.
The hours given for the make-up reflect the hours put into each project. The total
possible hours of make-up are presented to the student prior to the agreement. Then the student is given hours up to the total agreed upon based on the quality of the work, i.e. if the student is required to write a five page paper to make up six hours and they turn in a two page paper they will not get credit for all six hours.
It will be the responsibility of the student to contact the instructor on the first day returning to
school after an absence in order to schedule a make-up exam. There is no make up for a
missed pop-quiz. Until the exam is made up the grade recorded will be a 0%. Remember the maximum grade on a make-up test is 80% and you are only allowed 1 make-up test per term. The comprehensive exam cannot be retaken. There are no “repeat” exams.
A medical clearance is required to return to class if the student is absent three or more days for a medical reason or the instructor becomes aware of any physical disability.
CLINICAL CLASS ATTENDANCE POLICY
Students missing 1 to 15 minutes of any clinical class session will be marked as tardy.
Students will be considered absent if they are tardy more than 15 minutes. Excessive tardies will be called to the attention of the Director of Nursing, and may be considered grounds for probation and/or termination.
Students can not attend clinical with casts, splints, crutches, slings, etc.
Assignments may be given to the student to compensate for missed time. The assignment will enable the student to meet the daily objectives missed. It will be the responsibility of the student to obtain the make up assignment within one week of returning to school.
Clinical Makeup
Students must make up clinical hours missed in a clinical setting. The student must
make prior arrangements to check for available space. The Clinical Coordinator will give the student a make-up slip to take to the instructor. The student must bring back
their signed make-up slip to receive credit for the day. Note that the clinical
makeup can only be made by physical attendance of the required hours in a clinical setting.
The only options available to make-up time for missed clinical hours are either a
performance evaluation in the skills laboratory or additional time in the clinical area with patients.
Third and fourth Term students may help with remediation of first semester students
that are having difficulty in the clinical setting.
Keep in mind that you may be assigned to clinical sites anywhere within the
North-West College system. It is in your best interest to attend all clinical hours assigned to you. Remember, you will not be allowed to progress to the following term without completing your outstanding hours. Please make note that only a nursing instructor can sign off your hours.
Missing an assigned clinical day will result in an additional absence and an
accumulation of clinical hours.
CLINICAL FACILITY ASSIGNMENT POLICY
Students will be assigned to clinical facilities at the discretion of the Clinical Coordinator and/or the Director of Nursing or designee. The method of assigning the student to the facility may vary from campus to campus. Please see your Clinical Coordinator for more information regarding the method of scheduling used at your campus. Clinical assignments WILL NOT be changed. If you experience extreme circumstances which may require you to request to change your clinical assignment, the final decision to change your clinical assignment rests solely with the Clinical Coordinator, Director of Nursing, or designee. Your facilities are carefully chosen with the best experience for you in mind. You must be flexible and open to the scheduling decisions made by the staff and faculty of the nursing program.
PROBLEM RESOLUTION Grievance Policy
If a student has a concern, problem, or issue regarding their education the chain of command is as follows:
• Theory and/or Clinical Instructor
• Assistant Director of Nursing
• Director of Nursing
• Corporate Nursing Director
• Vice President
• President/CEO
If a student has any concerns regarding financial aid, books, or supplies they are to see the Campus Director for resolution.
If the student is not satisfied with the solution offered by the instructor, the student should present their concern to the Director of Nursing within two working days. The Director of Nursing has an open door policy and can listen to the student at any time during working hours.
If the student is not satisfied with the DON’s action, then the student should present their concern to the Corporate Nursing Director within three working days. The same procedure applies when presenting the unresolved issue to the Vice President and then to the President/CEO.
The student has the right to contact the Board of Vocational Nursing at any time he/she feels that this grievance process has not resolved their educational problem.
Their address is: 2535 Capitol Oaks Drive, Suite 205
Sacramento, CA 95833
916-263-7800
REPORTS
On a weekly basis, each instructor reports verbally to the Director of Nursing regarding the clinical and didactic progress of each individual student. Additionally each instructor turns in a written monthly clinical and monthly didactic summary of student activity in the program (academic progress, drops, attendance problems, leaves of absence, failing grades, transfers, etc.) to the Director of Nursing. Clinical evaluations are done once every month. Cumulative information comes from the grade book, attendance sheets, clinical reports and instructor input. They will be reviewed by the Director of Nursing. The student signs, receives a copy and the original becomes a permanent part of the student’s academic file. Transcripts are produced from these records.
SAMPLE:
CLINICAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION NORTH-WEST COLLEGE
VOCATIONAL NURSING PROGRAM
STUDENT NAME: ___________________________ CAMPUS/CLASS NUMBER: _________ TERM: _________ INSTRUCTOR NAME: ________________________ CLINICAL FACILITY: _______________________________ DATES OF EVALUATION PERIOD: _____________________
ATTENDANCE: TOTAL DAYS POSSIBLE: _____________ TOTAL DAYS PRESENT: _____________ DATES ABSENT: ___________________ DATES TARDY: ____________________
RATING: P = Passing N = Needs Improvement F = Failure to meet standards
• Using the rating scale above, place a letter next to each statement. If there are areas that are not applicable mark them N/A.
ACHIEVEMENT OF A PASSING GRADE IN CLINICAL PRACTICE IS BASED UPON MEETING THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA ON A DAILY BASIS.
I. APPEARANCE GRADE
A. Hair off collar, Uniform clean and not wrinkled, shoes and laces clean B. Name tag visible
C. Nails are short, NO ACRYLICS, no or light colored nail polish only
II. REPORTING, OBSERVATION, AND CHARTING
A. Reports patient’s needs, symptoms and changes accurately to the correct person B. Reports to appropriate person when leaving unit and includes pertinent information C. Secures supervision/help when needed *
D. Completes appropriate nursing forms, i.e. medication records, nursing notes, admission assessments, intake and output, procedures, etc.
III. TIME MANAGEMENT
A. Completes assessment and documentation on time B. Goes to break and returns at assigned time C. Assignments completed within stated time limit D. Meets daily objectives
IV. PERFORMANCE OF NURSING SKILLS
A. Aware of daily and level objectives, and works to achieve them
B. Correctly identifies patient and adapts procedures to meet need of patient C Applies knowledge learned in classroom to clinical setting
D. Maintains patient safety and privacy at all times *
E. Checks doctor’s orders
F. Procedures done safely according to standard; *
(Standard = according to skills book, or hospital procedure book)
V. COMMUNICATION WITH PATIENT
A. Introduces self and communicates to patient at appropriate level of understanding B. Explains treatments and procedures. Listens to and reassures patient
C. Is actively involved in patient and family education
VI. JUDGEMENT
VII. PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR GRADE
A. Uses modulated voice when conversing with patients, staff, peers, faculty B. No gum chewing, eating, unprofessional behavior *
C. Relates well and cooperates with the instructor, peers and staff *
D. Independently assists peers and staff
VIII. ADAPTABILITY AND ABILITY TO WORK WITH OTHERS
A. Accepts criticism and suggestions from instructor and hospital staff, is not defensive B. Profits from criticism and attempts to correct mistakes
C. Able to perform at expected level of competence in a new work environment IX. MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION
A. Follows the 6 RIGHTS of medication administration B. Pours medication and calculates dosage accurately C. Uses proper injection techniques, disposes of syringe safely D. Charts medication properly and accurately
E. Check lab results, etc. before giving related drugs F. Checks heparin, insulin, etc. according to hospital policy X. CONDUCT IN POST CONFERENCE
A. Arrives to pre/post conference on time B. Makes appropriate contributions to discussion
C. Shares experiences, if appropriate participates in conference topic(s) D. Turns in homework, case study, care plans, etc. when due *
XI. ATTENDANCE
A. Notifies instructor if going to be late or absent by 6:30 AM *
B. Reports to assigned area on time, prepared to work C. Arrives on time and/or does not leave early D. Attended scheduled clinical days
* = Any violation of these objectives will require a meeting with the Program Director and possible clinical probation.
GENERAL COMMENTS:
FINAL GRADE: Pass Needs Improvement Fail
Instructor’s Signature DON Signature Date
STUDENT COMMENTS:
I have received, read, and discussed the Vocational Nursing Program Student Handbook with my instructor. I understand and will comply with all the information and guidelines as stated in the Student Handbook. I also understand that the Handbook and policies can be changed or updated at any time at the discretion of the Director of Nursing and can be viewed online at:
http://northwestcollege.com/campuspass.htm User Name: Student
Password: Catalog
Student Name: (Print)
Student Signature:
Date: Class Start:
