Policies & Procedures
Undergraduate Policies
Practicum and Clinical Absence Policy
Students are required to participate in all regularly scheduled or substituted clinical practicums. Clinical practicums are defined and indicated as: practicum/clinical/simulation/Inter-Professional Education/laboratory experiences as they strive to meet course objectives/outcomes. Failure to complete all regularly scheduled or substituted clinical practicums places the student at risk for not meeting course objectives. Students absent from more than 20 percent of scheduled clinical practicums will either receive a failing grade, be allowed to withdraw according to IUSON Policy VI-A-12, or take an incomplete according to University policy as dictated by the timing and circumstances surrounding the absences.
- Students are responsible for notifying clinical faculty prior to a scheduled clinical practicum when there is an illness or personal crisis preventing them from safely and effectively participating in the learning experience. Designated notification method (e.g., phone call, email) and time (e.g., at least one hour prior to the scheduled experience except in the case of emergency) will be published in course material and may differ from course to course. Texting may be initial notification, but a mandatory email through Canvas to confirm an absence is required. Clinical attendance is not allowed if student has symptoms of a communicable disease in the past 24 hours.
- Students are also responsible for notifying the appropriate agency contacts (e.g., preceptor, person(s) on the clinical unit and/or other care settings) by the published, designated, notification method and time if they will be unable to safely and effectively participate in the learning experience.
- During the practicum orientation, course faculty will inform students of expectations regarding notification method (e.g., phone call, email), time (e.g., at least one hour prior to the scheduled experience except in the case of emergency), and excusable circumstances for absence from a clinical practicum.
- Students who do not notify course faculty and appropriate agency contacts as outlined in procedures one and two may fail the course and receive a grade of “F”.
- Students, who are absent from a required, regularly scheduled or substituted clinical practicum must contact course faculty within 24 hours of the absence to determine the consequence of the absence. If the clinical course schedules make-up days, these will be listed on the practicum schedule and students are instructed during orientation that these days are to be kept open as needed for clinical make-up. These clinical make-up days are not alternative options for regularly scheduled, clinical days. Clinical make-up days are intended for illnesses, snow days, and unexpected circumstances that may occur preventing students and/or faculty from safely and effectively participating in clinical. Nursing-related job interviews and/or professional conference attendance may be considered an excused absence at the discretion of faculty.
- Course faculty will determine the most appropriate consequence of missing required, regularly scheduled or substituted clinical practicums according to published course expectations. Faculty will determine and schedule substitute-learning opportunities for students who are absent. Consideration for this option is defined by course objectives/outcomes, student learning needs, and available resources.
- Students must be on time to the assigned clinical unit. On time means that students are fully prepared at the designated facility location and start time, as determined by the clinical faculty. Course faculty will determine the most appropriate consequence in regards to clinical tardiness. Excessive tardiness (2 occurrences) may result in a documented absence and could result in failure of the clinical course.
- In accordance with Title IX, all absences associated with pregnancy and/or childbirth will be considered excused. In addition, students incurring severe illness and/or injury (e.g., severe injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident, cancer treatment) will also be considered excused. Ordered military duties and jury duty will be considered excused. In these circumstances, students may be assigned an incomplete if hours are not made up in the current semester. Students who are assigned an incomplete will have one year (from the time of absence) to complete all required hours.
- Students will not be able to make-up unexcused absences, which will result in a course failure. Examples of unexcused absences include, but are not limited to, non-compliance with immunization policies, job commitments, planned trips, or taking the day off. If a student has a special circumstance for requesting an excused absence from a clinical day, the student is responsible for contacting the clinical faculty and course leader within the first week of the semester. The clinical faculty and course leader, with input from department leadership, will discuss the situation and decide whether the absence will be excused or unexcused.
- Missing clinical orientation may result in the student needing to withdraw from clinical if there are pre-requisites to clinical that cannot be replicated (e.g., computer training only offered on orientation day).
Please refer to School of Nursing Policy AFS-22.
For more details, please see IUSON Box site for policy https://iu.box.com/iuson-policies.
Last updated April 2020
