IUPUI Campus Bulletin 2014-2016

IUPUI 2014-2016 » Schools » nursing » Academic Policies & Procedures

 

Policies & Procedures

Please refer to School of Nursing policy for detailed information and processes.

Completion of Degree Requirements

The School of Nursing must receive notices of removal of Incomplete and Deferred grades, special credit grades, and independent study course grades no later than three weeks before the end of classes in the student's last semester prior to graduation.

Professional Liability Insurance

Indiana University provides liability insurance to each nursing student while in the clinical setting, provided that the student is enrolled in clinical course work. Students not enrolled in clinical courses are not covered by liability insurance and will not be allowed into the clinical courses.  Students who are employed in a health care facility should check with their employer regarding liability insurance requirements. IU School of Nursing does not cover students beyond classroom and/or clinical settings.

Criminal Background Checks

Students currently enrolled in the IU School of Nursing will be required to submit a national criminal background check upon admission and will be required to renew it annually. It is the responsibility of each applicant and student to pay the fee for the screening directly to Certified Background. Each year, students will be required to submit their request for an updated national criminal background check report (Policy H_03).

Deadlines for renewal:

• Spring admits will be required to submit annually an updated criminal background recheck by November 15th of the following year.
• Fall admits will be required to submit annually an updated criminal background recheck by August 1st of the following year.
• Summer admits will be required to submit annually an updated criminal background recheck by April 15th of the following year.

An updated national criminal background check will also be required for any student being readmitted or transferring to the program.

CPR Requirements

Current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is required. Students must be certified through an approved course or instructor. The approved courses are American Red Cross Professional Rescuer and American Heart Association Health Care Provider.. The School of Nursing Office of Student Services office may offer a CPR course. CPR training must include:

• Infant
• Child
• Adult
• Individual rescue
• Two-person rescue
• Automated external defibrillation

Current CPR certification must be maintained throughout the student’s entire nursing program. Evidence of certification must be filed with your campus’ School of Nursing prior to beginning the clinical experiences. Students must also file evidence of recertification prior to entering the second year of the major. Students must have current CPR certification on file in order to participate in clinical settings.

Health Requirements and Insurance

Immunizations are required to protect both students and patients. Additionally, clinical agencies and the School of Nursing also require additional immunizations. Evidence of receipt of all immunization requirements should be in the form of a signed statement from the healthcare provider or copy of titer results from an approved provider. Students who do not have proof of all required immunizations will be administratively withdrawn from all nursing classes. Refer to the Center for Academic Affairs for a complete and current list of the required immunizations (all immunizations are at the student's expense).

Students with Disabilities

Students with physical, mental, or learning impairments are encouraged to consult with counselors from the Adaptive Educational Services for assistance in meeting degree requirements. Students with disabilities must meet all academic and technical skill requirements of their program. Programs for academically disadvantaged students are available on all IU campuses. Students on the IUPUI campus can seek additional information at IUPUI Adaptive Educational Services (317) 274.3241.

Writing Competencies

Writing competency is an expected outcome of the nursing program, and the University. In an effort to prepare students well in this area, faculty members have developed the following writing criteria to be used in assessing all student writing:

1. The writing has a focus
2. The writing should be organized with an introduction, purpose, sense of audience, thesis, and conclusion
3. The writing shows development, organization, and detail; the writing reveals the student's ability to develop ideas with balanced and specific arguments
4. The writing is clear
5. There is coherence within and between paragraphs
6. The writing reflects critical thinking, linking the specific to the general
7. The writing follows APA requirements regarding sentence structure, punctuation, spelling, grammar and referencing unless otherwise specified by the faculty.
8. The writing demonstrates original work, and where ideas or materials of others are used, appropriate credit is given to original sources
9. The writing demonstrates a reflection of Evidence Based Practice when appropriate.
10. The writing demonstrates the use of professional literature resources and WEB sites

Confidentiality

In general, information stored on computers is considered confidential, whether protected by the computer operating system or not, unless the owner intentionally makes that information available to other groups or individuals. Indiana University will assume that computer users wish the information they store on central and campus shared computing resources to remain confidential. IU computing centers will maintain the confidentiality of all information stored on their computing resources.

Technology and Information

School of Nursing students must be able to send and receive e-mail, and send and receive attachments. They should be comfortable using a Web browser to access Oncourse, the University's learning management system, and to navigate the course environment and use the tools included in their courses. Students should use appropriate Internet etiquette in online communications. They should be able to search for and access nursing-related materials on the Web, and to return to those sites later by using stored Web addresses. Students should be able to competently use Microsoft Word and PowerPoint to create and appropriately format written assignments and basic presentations. They should be able to differentiate between scholarly and popular sources of information on the Web and to evaluate sources for general reliability and trustworthiness. To update skills, students have many opportunities for both classroom and online learning sources through the IT Training & Education, http://ittraining.iu.edu/.

Students participating in Web-based courses and/or those using Adobe Connect Web-conferencing should have consistent access to computers with appropriately configured software and reliable Internet access at sufficient speeds (see http://nursing.iu.edu/about/facilities/index.shtml for specific information). The University officially supports both Macintosh- and Windows-based computers, but some software such as SAS is not available for Macintosh computers. Students can download applications by logging in with their IU Network ID and password to http://www.iuware.iu.edu/. Students are expected to install and maintain up-to-date virus detection software to prevent spreading harmful viruses and malware to faculty and other students when sharing files.

Use of Social Media

IUSON faculty, staff, and students must adhere to the IU and IUSON policies and procedures and HIPAA obligations related to patient privacy, confidentiality and code of conduct at all times when using the Internet and social media sites. IUSON policies toward the use of social media are guided by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. In the event that a violation of the social networking policy has occurred, the student’s case will be handled according to the IUSON process for dealing with academic misconduct as outlined in the IUPUI Bulletin and IU Code of Student, Ethics Rights and Responsibilities. Students who violate the policy are subject to disciplinary actions which may lead to dismissal from the program. (Policy F_09)

Formal Communication

The School of Nursing recognizes students' Indiana University / IUPUI e-mail address as the only official means of formal communication via e-mail with students. All students are required to have Indiana University / IUPUI e-mail accounts.

Transportation

Clinical practice learning experiences are varied in setting and are located within the surrounding communities of Indianapolis, Columbus, and Bloomington. Students are expected to travel to and from all clinical experiences, are responsible for providing their own transportation, and are expected to carry the appropriate insurance. The School of Nursing is not liable for any traffic violations or auto mishaps occurring during student commutes.

Additional Requirements

Students may be asked to submit to random drug screens anytime throughout their program in compliance with contract requirements of clinical agencies where students are placed. Positive drug screens may prevent a student from participating in clinical learning experiences. Lack of participation could constitute course failure and potential for dismissal from the program.

Last updated January 2014