Requirements for Clinical, Internships, and Practicum Courses

• Some Bouvé programs require courses with clinical, internship, or fieldwork components. Such components are offered at affiliated hospitals, clinics, schools, medical facilities, or other institutions and involve contractual agreements with these institutions or sites. 
• Some Bouvé programs have cooperative education requirements. Students secure co-ops through a job search process and are employees of an institution while on co-op. Co-op students are subject to the policies, procedures, and requirements of their employers. 
• The university is affiliated with numerous clinical sites across the country and around the world. Depending on the program, students may be required to travel outside of Massachusetts to complete clinical courses. Students are responsible for any costs associated with transportation and/or housing.
• Evaluation for clinical courses will be based on established guidelines and policies that students will receive prior to and/or during the clinical component. Periodic performance evaluations will take place during the course of the academic term. See specific program clinical policies and procedures, handbooks, or course syllabi for details.
• In order to enroll students in university-sponsored accidental injury insurance, elements of students’ demographic information (including date of birth, address, and phone number) will be communicated via a university-contracted third-party clinical database to Risk Services and to the company providing the coverage. In addition, programs may use elements of a student's demographic information in the process of site onboarding. Students may refer to the university privacy policy and contact their program director or clinical placement office for more details. 

Student Conduct

• Students assigned to an institution or site for instruction are expected to adhere to the rules and regulations of that institution. Failure to adhere to these rules may result in dismissal from that institution or site.
• Students should be aware that, while participating in any form of clinical practice, they continue to be under the jurisdiction of the university. Any breaches of conduct committed by a student in a clinical setting that would be a violation of the university Code of Student Conduct or relevant unit-specific Professional Code of Conduct shall also be considered a cause for disciplinary action against the student.
• All students are required by federal and state law to respect the confidentiality of the patients’ and/or students' records under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and/or Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, respectively, to which they may be privy. This includes, but is not limited to, patient/student identity and identifiers, diagnostic tests performed, medical history, special needs, and medications prescribed. For more information, students should contact their on-campus clinical education coordinator and/or clinical education site coordinator.

Health Clearance, Background Check, and Training Requirements  

• Evidence of health clearance is required for experiential courses (including clinicals, internships, and practicums) in their field of study. All students, regardless of age, must have a current physical exam, tuberculin test, and documentation of immunity on file at University Health and Counseling Services and provide such documentation to their on-campus clinical coordinator/clinical placement office as requested.

• Students must meet the health clearance requirements of their academic program and any site-specific requirements prior to entering the clinical setting. This means that students must make arrangements for their physical exams and immunizations months before they are scheduled for a clinical course or rotation. Students who do not present the appropriate health certification will be prohibited from attending a clinical course or rotation until satisfactory evidence is provided. Students who do not meet site-specific requirements may not be able to pass a clinical course and risk their ability to complete the degree program. 

• Some programs use clinical clearance software packages (such as Exxat, Complio, or CastleBranch) to ensure compliance with health clearance requirements. In these cases, students are responsible for software account fees. Fees will be paid by the student directly to the software company. 

• More specific guidelines are available from UHCS in 135 Forsyth, online at UHCS, or from the individual program’s clinical placement office. Guidelines are updated periodically, and students must meet the most current guidelines or they will not be allowed into a clinical area.

• School of Nursing students must provide evidence of health documentation utilizing an immunization tracker in order to ensure that documents are updated on a yearly basis. All fees required for the immunization tracking will be paid by the student directly to the tracking service. 

• In preparation for clinical education experiences, all students will complete on-site training in universal precautions and safe practices offered by the Office of Academic and Research Safety or training vetted and approved by the Office of Environmental Health and Safety and offered by their program. Students must also complete an annual online refresher course in blood-borne pathogens exposure.

• Students may be required to complete background checks/drug screening prior to engaging in clinical, internship, or fieldwork courses as outlined in this catalog.  

Policies for International Students 

• Students in F-1 visa status must consult with the university’s Office of Global Services before enrolling in clinical, internship, practicum, off-campus directed study, or capstone courses in order to discuss proper documentation for these curriculum requirements (see also F-1 Curricular Practical Training).

• Graduate international nursing students must have a current U.S. nursing license.

The healthcare professions represented by the programs in Bouvé College require more of their members than simple mastery of technical knowledge and skills. Equally important is the ability to earn the respect and confidence of those who seek medical care. The nearly universal existence of codes of conduct and standards of professional ethics and behavior in these disciplines is evidence that certain types of conduct are expected in order to promote this respect and confidence. Fundamental to most of these codes is an understanding that healthcare professions require individuals who conduct their activities in a manner that reflects a total concern for the well-being of the patient. Violations of ethical conduct may be grounds for dismissal from the program. Students are expected to learn and practice the conduct that is appropriate to their professions and promotes the physical and mental well-being of the patient.