4.1 Academic Integrity
The University expects all members of the academic
community to behave with academic integrity. Academic misconduct is any
attempt to misrepresent one’s performance on any exercise submitted for
evaluation. This includes but is not limited to, cheating, fabrication and
falsification, multiple submissions, plagiarism, abuse of academic materials,
and complicity in academic dishonesty. Infractions known by any person should
be brought to the attention of the faculty member to whose course it pertains.
Infractions may result in actions including, but not limited to, counseling,
reprimand, grade of F or grade reduction for either the work in question or
for the course.
Conduct
Faculty and students are responsible for maintaining a
professional atmosphere in the classroom, laboratory, and clinical setting.
This includes, but is not limited to, arriving on time; being respectful of
faculty, guest speakers, agency staff, preceptors, and classmates; and
actively participating in the learning process. Activated cell phones and
pagers are not allowed in the classroom, laboratory, or clinical
setting.
Any faculty member has the right to remove any student from
the classroom, laboratory, or clinical area if, in the faculty member’s
judgment, the student is being disruptive, presents an unprofessional
appearance or in any way is a threat to patient safety or comfort.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined as intentionally or knowingly presenting the work of another as one's own (i.e., without proper acknowledgement of the source). The sole exception to the requirement of acknowledging sources is when the ideas, information, etc. are common knowledge.
4.2 Accommodations Due to Disability
Students with disabilities who seek reasonable
accommodations in the classroom or other aspects of performing their coursework
must first register with the UNF Disability Resource Center (DRC) located in
Building 10, Room 1201. DRC staff members work with students to obtain required
documentation of disability and to identify appropriate accommodations as
required by applicable disability laws including the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA). After receiving all necessary documentation, the DRC
staff determines whether a student qualifies for services with the DRC and if
so, the accommodations the student will be provided. DRC staff then
prepares a letter for the student to provide faculty advising them of approved
accommodations. For further information, contact the DRC by phone (904)
620-2769,
email, or visit the
DRC website. It is the
student’s responsibility to request this memorandum from the Disabled Services
Program of the requested accommodations and to deliver this to the faculty
involved at the beginning of each semester.
4.3 Appeal Procedure
Students who wish to appeal a grade or program decision
affecting them should follow this procedure. The purpose of this procedure is
to provide a mechanism for handling appeals at the School of Nursing level.
- Any problem regarding a course should first be discussed
with the faculty member involved.
- Any problem regarding a program decision should be discussed
with the academic advisor.
- Following the discussion with the instructor or advisor, if
not satisfied, the student can pursue the matter with the Director of the
School of Nursing.
- If the student wishes formally to appeal the matter, the
student should use the attached form to outline the problem and submit it to
the Director
- The Director will formally review the problem. In case of a
grade appeal, the School of Nursing Director will convene the School of Nursing
Appeals Committee. This committee will be composed of three nursing faculty not
involved in the course and two student representatives. The committee will act in
an advisory capacity to the Director.
- The matter in question will then come before the committee
in a scheduled meeting. Both the faculty member and the student will be
notified of the meeting time and place. Each will have the opportunity to
appear separately before the committee. After hearing both sides, the committee
will submit a written recommendation to the School.
- The Director, after reviewing the committee's report, will
make a decision on the matter. This decision will be forwarded in writing to both
the instructor and student.
- If the student wishes to pursue the matter after the
Director’s decision, she/he should refer to the UNF Academic Appeals Process in
the UNF Student Handbook.
4.4 Attendance
Students are expected to be present for all classes, laboratory
and clinical experiences, other learning experiences, and examinations.
Students who have extraordinary circumstances preventing attendance should
explain these circumstances to the course instructor prior to the scheduled
class or clinical lab, or as soon as possible thereafter. Instructors will then
make an effort to accommodate
reasonable requests. A grade penalty may
be assigned for the late assignments, including tests.
4.5 Course and Faculty Evaluations
Students evaluate each faculty member
as well as each course in the School of Nursing every semester using a variety
of tools. Students are encouraged to take time to fill out the evaluations
completely, honestly and accurately, for the results from each course are
carefully reviewed by the faculty member involved for the purposes of
self-improvement and as part of on-going course improvement. The results are
also reviewed by the Director of the School of Nursing as a part of the annual
evaluation of the faculty member's instructional performance and are used in
promotion and tenure decisions at UNF. 4.6 Credit Transfer Policy
Students
are allowed to transfer no more than 6 credit hours into the program. These credits
must have been earned no longer than 5 years prior to enrollment in the program
with the exception of the pharmacotherapeutics course which must be within 3 years
of enrollment.
NGR
courses taken at UNF as non-degree status may not be transferred into the
program.
4.7 Evaluation and Grade Determination
Assignments
All course assignments are due at the beginning of class on the
date due, or if the date due is not a class day by 5:00 p.m. in the School of
Nursing office, stamped by time clock, unless otherwise determined by the
specific course faculty. The instructor for the course may individually grant
acceptance of late coursework without penalty. It is the student's
responsibility to request such an exception
prior to the due date. If permission to submit coursework late has not
been individually granted by the respective faculty member, 5 points will be
deducted for the first 24 hours overdue and an additional 5 points (for a total
of 10 points) will be deducted for assignments overdue more than 24 hours. No
assignments will be accepted more than 7 days late without special permission
from the respective faculty member in the course for which the assignment was
due.
Calculation of Grades
The final
grade for each student will be the result of the faculty’s judgment about how
well the student met the course objectives. The following guidelines will be
utilized in making that judgment:
| Grading Scale |
| A |
92-100 |
| A- |
90-91 |
| B+ |
88-89 |
| B |
82-87 |
| B- |
80-81 |
| C+ |
78-79 |
| C |
75-77 75 is the minimal passing grade |
| D |
60-74 |
| F |
<60 |
All performance objectives are
stated at the minimum level meaning they are stated with the expected standard
of achievement of a graduate student entitling him/her to a “C.”
Each lab and clinical nursing
course has a theory and practice component. A satisfactory (S) or
unsatisfactory (U) grade is given for the practice component. A grade below C
in the theory or U in clinical practice results in a failing grade for the
course.
In order to achieve
a passing grade in a course in which tests are a portion of the course grade,
the minimum test average must be 75. If and only if, the minimum test average
of 75 is achieved, will the other course grades will be counted toward the
final course grade. Regardless of the other grades achieved in the course, a
student achieving less than a 75 test average will have failed to successfully
complete the course, and will be given a grade of D (if between 60 and 74) or F
(if < 60). If the learner fails to achieve the minimum average of 75% on
written examinations, other course assignment grades will not be added
together and the course grade will be that grade achieved on the written
examinations.
Clinical Evaluation
Clinical
experience will be evaluated based on achievement of course and program
objectives through faculty observation, verbal communication with student,
written work, and agency staff reports, using a School of Nursing
clinical evaluation form. Faculty reserve the right to alter clinical
experiences, including removal from patient care areas, of any student to
maintain patient safety and to provide instructional experiences to support
student learning.
A rating of
satisfactory represents satisfactory performance and a rating of unsatisfactory
represents unsatisfactory performance. All areas will be evaluated. Regardless
of theory grade, a student receiving an unsatisfactory evaluation in the
clinical component of a course will be assigned a course grade of F.
Exams
All students must notify the course faculty in advance when
they are unable to attend a class. If an exam was scheduled for that time
period, the student must speak directly with the respective faculty member to
arrange a makeup date. All makeup exams must be taken prior to the next class
session. If students do not notify course faculty of their absence prior to the
scheduled examand arrange for a makeup date, the grade for the exam
will be an “F”. At the discretion of the course faculty, alternate forms of an
exam may be used for a make-up exam and late points may be deducted. In the
case of computerized exams, points may also be deducted, at the faculty’s
discretion, for going over the time limit on the exam.
4.8 Fit for Duty
The following shall be grounds for disciplinary
action set forth in this policy: being unable to practice nursing with
reasonable skill and safety to patients by reason of illness or use of alcohol,
drugs, narcotics, or chemicals or any other type of material or as a result of
any mental or physical condition.
In enforcing this policy, the School of Nursing
shall have, upon a finding that probable cause exists to believe that the
student is unable to practice nursing because of the reasons stated in this
policy, the authority to have the student leave the clinical site and issue an
order to compel the student to submit to a mental or physical examination by a
physician. If the student refuses to comply with such order, automatic
administrative withdrawal from University courses will occur. Students affected
by the provisions of this policy shall at reasonable intervals be afforded an
opportunity to demonstrate that they can resume the competent practice of
nursing with reasonable skill and safety to patients.
If deemed
competent, the student may apply for readmission to the program.
4.9 Health Policy
General
- Upon entry into the School of Nursing, all students who
will be involved in patient care activities while in their graduate program must
submit the Health Examination Form, signed by a licensed independent health
care provider, before final acceptance to study in the School of Nursing.
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- Upon entry into the School of Nursing, all students who
will be involved in patient care activities while in their graduate program
must also provide documentation that the following immunizations have been
received:
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1) Varicella immunity (protection against Chicken Pox) |
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Student’s
positive serological titer must be provided. It is the
student’s responsibility to provide documentation of progression on the
series and the positive titer.
If the titer is negative, the varicella
vaccine (a series of 2 immunizations 1-month apart) must be received, with
another titer 4-6 weeks after the second immunization. If the titer remains
negative, no further immunizations or titers are required.
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2) Hepatitis B immunity
(protection against Hepatitis B)
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Students who have not previously
completed the series of three injections must initiate the series upon
acceptance into the program, with the first injection in the series prior to
the first day of classes, and complete the series during their first year in
the program. Final immunity will be documented by a positive serological
titer. It is the student’s
responsibility to provide documentation of progression on the series and the
positive titer.
If the initial titer is negative, the complete
series of three immunizations must be repeated according to the CDC schedule
with a second titer 4-6 weeks after completion of the third immunization. If the titer remains negative, no
further immunizations or titers are required.
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3) Tuberculosis |
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All
students taking clinical nursing courses are required to have satisfactory
evidence of a non‑reactive response to a skin test for TB on an annual
basis. It is the student’s responsibility to submit written documentation
of the result for inclusion in the student file. In the event of a reactive
response to the test, documentation of medical follow-up must be provided. NOTE:
Students who have a prior history of a positive reaction should submit
documentation of a negative chest x-ray rather than undergoing repeat skin
testing. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that the nursing
office receives a copy of new Tb skin test results prior to end of the
semester before which the Tb test will be out of date.
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- All
nursing students involved in patient care activities are required to receive
seasonal influenza vaccinations annually. Based on dates of vaccine
release/local availability, a date will be established annually by which
vaccination must be accomplished. Students will be advised of this date.
Students not vaccinated by this date will be prohibited from any further
clinical experiences until the requirement is met. Exception: Allergy to any component of the vaccine, or
any other contraindication to vaccination, which is documented in a student’s
health record. If institutions with which the University of North Florida
affiliates for student clinical experiences establish more stringent
requirements, those requirements shall supersede this policy.
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Critical Incident and
Accident Reports
Incident and accident reports are very important
for students and for the safety of the patient. If at any time during lab or
clinical practice, some type of accident or unusual situation occurs the
student should document the accident or incident as per the agency protocol.
The supervising faculty will counsel a student who receives a critical incident
report that is indicative of unsafe practice. The faculty member and student
together should also write a brief summary of the incident (on a “green sheet”
to be placed in the student’s clinical file.
Financial Responsibility for
Health Care
All students and faculty will be expected
to assume responsibility for their own health care except for emergency care
during the hours engaged in clinical experience. In the event that a student or
faculty member of the School of Nursing should become ill or suffer an injury
in the course of their activities while at a clinical agency, the agency shall
initiate emergency medical care. However, the clinical agency assumes no
financial liability for medical care provided by the clinical agency or others.
The student and not the University or the clinical agency will be responsible
for expenses incurred. Students are strongly encouraged to have personal
health care insurance.
Safety Tips from the UNF
Campus Police Department
- Stay alert and tuned in to your
surrounding! Look and listen.
- Trust your instincts. If something or
someone makes you uncomfortable, leave.
- Send the message that you are confident
and know where you’re going.
- Avoid places or situations that put you at
risk.
- Avoid “predictability.” Varying your
routine or route may decrease your vulnerability to crime.
- Carry a purse close to your body.
- Avoid short cuts through wooded areas or
alleys.
- Avoid parking in isolated areas.
- Keep your vehicle in good running order.
The two most common vehicle problems are “out of gas” and a “flat tire.”
- Check/look inside the vehicle BEFORE
getting in.
- Have the key “in hand” that gets you
inside the vehicle (this is especially true if the ignition key and door lock
key are different)
- When driving, lock your vehicle’s doors.
Above all else, if you are a victim, contact
the local police department.
4.10 Incomplete Grades
An incomplete grade may only be
given to a student who is progressing satisfactorily in a nursing course and who, for valid reasons, as
determined by the faculty member, did not complete the work of the nursing
course within the term. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the
course faculty to request consideration of an incomplete grade. This request
must be made prior to the last day of class. (See UNF catalog – incomplete
grades).
An
incomplete grade may be assigned at the discretion of the instructor as an
interim grade for a course in which the student has: (a) completed a major
portion of the course with a passing grade, (b) been unable to complete course
requirements prior to the end of the term because of extenuating circumstances,
and (c) obtained agreement from the instructor and arranged for resolution of
the incomplete grade.
Written assignments for
completion of course work shall be mutually agreed upon by the student and
instructor. An incomplete grade report form is filed with the date by which the
“I” grade must be removed. The School
of Nursing requires that
an incomplete grade in a clinical nursing course be removed prior to registering
the next clinical nursing course.
It is the student’s
responsibility to be alert to the withdrawal date each semester. An incomplete
(I) will NOT automatically substitute for a withdrawal. After the withdrawal
date, a student may petition to receive a W/P or W/F by completing a petition
form provided by the Student Records Office. The form requires approval
signatures from the faculty member for the respective course, The Nursing
Advisor and the Chairman of the School
of Nursing.
The final grade for each
student will be the result of the faculty’s judgment concerning the degree to
which course objectives were met.
4.11 Licensure & Certification
Nursing License
All
graduate students are required to maintain an active licenseto practice nursing in the State of Florida. This is an
admission requirement for the MSN program. In addition, students should bring
their nursing license to the first class of all clinical courses for approval
from respective faculty responsible for the clinical course. Students are
responsible for documenting renewal updates with faculty during the semester
itself.
CPR Certification
Cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) certification is required for all students enrolled in
clinical nursing courses. This certification must include one and two rescuer
CPR, Infant and Child CPR, and the use of the
automated defibrillator device (AED). Students must submit a copy of
their certification to respective faculty responsible for the clinical course
in order that verification is on file. If verification is not submitted upon
course enrollment the student will not be permitted to attend any clinical
practice.
Students
are required to maintain current certification throughout clinical course
enrollment. In order that ongoing verification can be recorded and updated,
students must submit a copy of certification renewal to the respective clinical
faculty.
Background Check
The UNF School of Nursing requires a background
check on all entering students through Certified Background Checks.com, a
background check service that allows students to purchase their own background
check. The results are posted in a secure, tamper-proof environment online with
access only to the student and the School of Nursing. The background check is repeated on an
annual basis while the student is enrolled at UNF. It is the student’s
responsibility to make sure that this is done.
4.12 Pass/Fail Course Grading
School of Nursing courses offered as pass/fail are
subject to the following:
- Pass/fail grades will be issued for thesis, project,
and/or clinical components of courses.
- Passing grades are not calculated into the grade point
average.
- Thesis or and projects will be offered on a pass/fail
basis.
- Once a non-lecture course is designated as a graded or
pass/fail course, it will remain in that form regardless of the faculty member
teaching the course or the semester offered. The grading designation for any
non-lecture course will be communicated in the syllabus in writing during the
first week of the semester.
- A grade of “fail” in a pass/fail graded course is
considered a course failure equivalent toa “D” or “F” grade in a graded
course and is subject to progression policies related to the specific program
of study.
4.13 Posting Grades
Grades
are generally posted via Blackboard courses. Grades will not be given out over
the phone or via electronic mail.4.14 Professional Dress and Behavior
Each student is required to
adhere to the following dress code. Students will not be allowed in a clinical
practice area when in violation of these guidelines.
General
Whenever a student is assigned to a
clinical area the student is representing UNF and its faculty, and is expected
to adhere to the following professional dress code. It should be noted that any
part of the attire that draws attention to the self is, in general, considered
in questionable professional taste.
Dress Code:
Students are expected to arrive at the
clinical site in appropriate attire and ready to work [i.e., long hair should
already be pulled back, hair dried; ID badge should be clearly visible, etc.].
Students not adhering to the professional dress code will not be allowed to
remain in the clinical setting. NOTE: Some clinical agencies have dress
codes that are more restrictive than those listed below. In those cases, the
more strict code will apply.
- UNF Laboratory
coat: White; clean and pressed
- UNF student ID
badge with name, RN, University of North Florida, Nurse Practitioner Student
[or Clinical Nurse Specialist Student, or Clinical Nurse Leader Student, or
Nurse Anesthesia Student]
- Professional street
clothes are to be worn underneath the laboratory coat. No sweats, sneakers,
jeans, shorts, culottes, tee shirts, halter tops, tank tops, or ill-fitting
clothes are acceptable in any setting.
- Jewelry: Watch that registers minutes and seconds. No dangling
or brightly-colored jewelry is permitted including necklaces, bracelets, etc.
No facial jewelry (rings, studs, etc.-including the tongue) may be worn while
in any clinically-related experience. Small stud-type earrings are permitted,
and are limited to no more than 2 per ear. No hoops, bars or
dangling earrings of any kind are permitted.
- Hair: Appropriate length and style for
administration of safe nursing care. Hair longer than shoulder length must be pulled
back and secured so that it does not have the potential to fall forward while
providing patient care; hair should be out of the eyes and off the face; hair
should not be unruly or unkempt; hair must be dry.Facial
hair (i.e. moustache/beard), if present, is to be well-groomed and clean.
- Nails: Appropriate length for
administration of safe nursing care. Fingernails should be trimmed (no longer
than 1/8" beyond fingertip) and well-groomed. No nail polish, artificial
nails, overlays or nail wraps are permitted.
Lack of discretion in
using/beepers in class, lab and clinical is considered a violation of
professional behavior. Cell phones are to be turned off. Non-emergency phone
calls are strictly prohibited.
Behavior Code:
Students in nursing and other health professions curricula
are held to standards of conduct that both differ from and exceed those
usually expected of university students. Consequently, nursing students are
required to demonstrate clinical competency, including reasonable skill and
safe practice and professional behavior and dress, in the care of patients and
to adhere to the standards of acceptable conduct outlined in the American
Nurses Association Code of Ethics, and the Florida Nurse Practice Act. Students
may be removed from the classroom, laboratory and/or clinical experiences at
any time in a course for unsafe or unprofessional behavior.
Clinical experiences are designed with
specific goals in mind. Students are expected to come to the clinical
experiences knowing what those goals are and having made appropriate
preparations to be able to fully participate in the experience. This includes
having done appropriate readings and any written work required by the course
faculty.
- Students should come to the clinical area
with only whatever books, focus sheets, equipment they need for that particular
experience.
- Students are not to use agency computers,
copy machines, or the like for their own school-related or personal use.
- No gum-chewing or tobacco use while in any
clinical experience.
- No pagers/beepers or cellular phones are
to be taken into any clinical area. These are to be left at home or in the car.
- If a student leaves an assigned clinical
area for any reason, the faculty member must be notified before the student
leaves and immediately upon the student’s return.
- Confidentiality of patient information is
very important. Students, as part of their clinical experiences, have access to
this confidential patient information and are held to all HIPPA regulations.
4.15 Progression
Progression
in the UNF MSN nursing program is based on a particular sequence. Students need
to complete course work in the assigned sequence. All course work must be
completed within four years of being admitted into the program. To progress in
the MSN program:
- All students are expected to
maintain continuous enrollment, either full-time, or part-time (the part-time
sequence is 6 credits per semester).
- If at any point a student must take a leave from
the program, the student must obtain approval from his/her advisor prior to the
leave and once again, prior to his/her return. Permission to return to the MSN
program will be made based on a space available basis provided the length of time
elapsed does not interfere with the ability to progress through the clinical
portions of the curriculum.
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required. If
GPA falls below the required 3.0, the student will be placed on probationary
status. Students may be on probationary status only once during the curriculum.
Students will have one semester to correct the deficiency and be removed from
probationary status.
- No more than two (2) courses
with a C grade will be allowed throughout the curriculum. A grade of D in any
course will be considered a failure.
- A grade of 75% is the minimal
passing grade for all graduate nursing courses.
- A failure in the clinical
portion of any course, at any point, will result in failure of the course.
- A failure in any course may
result in permanent dismissal of the student from the program.
- If at any time a student fails
to maintain the above criteria, such student will not be allowed to continue in
the program.
- Once a student has been
dismissed from the program, the student is not eligible forreadmission.
Likewise,
students are expected to adhere to professional values and behaviors in order
to successfully progress in the program. The faculty reserve the right to
dismiss any student from the program for health, work, and conduct
improprieties including but not limited to: erratic attendance, drug or alcohol
abuse, infringement of confidentiality, dangerous or potentially dangerous
actions, and other examples listed as “unprofessional behavior” in the handbook
sections entitled “Academic Integrity” and “Attendance and Conduct.” 4.16 Software Use
All faculty, staff and students are required and expected to
obey the laws and legal agreements governing software use. Failure to do so can
lead to monetary damages and/or criminal penalties for the individual violator.
Because such violations are also against the University policies and rules,
disciplinary action will be taken as appropriate.
4.17 Student Safety
Clinical experiences by their very nature involve students
in a variety of settings, locations, and communities, as well as with a variety
of patients. Students are expected to exercise good judgment and reasonable
caution in ensuring their own safety during clinical experiences (e.g. lock car
doors, travel with classmates when possible, be aware of security services)
Patient care areas may have the potential for student exposure to hazardous
substances, including radioactive materials. Students who require protective
measures beyond those needed by all staff are to notify faculty prior to any
clinical assignments.
4.18 Writing Guidelines
Students are expected to use critical thinking skills to
gather information, use effective communication skills to convey ideas and
engage in professional writing using the standard rules for organization and
precision in presentation of content and for spelling, grammar, punctuation,
syntax, and reduction of bias in language use. The Publication Manual of the
American Psychological Association (APA) (latest edition) is the required
style for all written work in the School of Nursing. The manual is sold in the
UNF bookstore and is a required text in all nursing courses.
The UNF Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) provides
students with a variety of services, including critiquing writing [ACE does not
provide assistance with APA]. ACE is located in Building2/ Room 2120. They may
be contacted at ACE@unf.edu or by phone at 904-620-2766.
Reference
American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
(2008). Essentials of baccalaureate education for professional nursing practice. Washington, DC: Author.
