Alverno College prepares women for lives of personal and professional distinction and meaningful engagement with the world. Alverno extends this mission by offering graduate and adult programs to women and men. Inspired by its Catholic, Franciscan and liberal arts heritage, the College intentionally creates an inclusive community that engages students in active and collaborative learning and fosters academic excellence.
The Undergraduate Nursing Program of the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions at Alverno College’s mission is to prepare proficient, devoted nursing professionals who are grounded in science to promote the well being of diverse populations in global communities. Our essential focus is to design student-learning opportunities to guide the education of unique individuals, highlighting personal and professional development of practitioners who are prepared for leadership and life-long learning.
The vision of the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions Nursing Program is to develop professionals with global influence through innovative education.
The purposes of the Undergraduate Nursing Program of the School provide direction for the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions as well as a means of evaluating the level of attainment of its goals at any given time. The purposes are consistent with those of Alverno College, namely, creating a community of learning, creating a curriculum, creating ties to the community, and creating relationships with higher education.
The Alverno College JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions believes the focus of our work is the learner’s personal and professional development. We prepare a nursing professional who is compassionate, ethical, proactive, proficient, and dedicated to lifelong learning in our diverse and ever-changing global communities.
An ability-based curriculum underlies the art and science of nursing education. Founded on the liberal arts, the curriculum integrates human connection, science, and technology to promote health and intervene holistically to human responses. Through innovative learning experiences, we assist the learner to cultivate, apply, and transfer comprehensive knowledge, skills and abilities that lead to reflective nursing practice.
Alverno faculty and staff believe education goes beyond knowing to being able to do what one knows. Sensitive to unique learning needs, nursing faculty commit to performance-based, multidisciplinary educational practice including public criteria, feedback, and self-assessment. Developmental and varied experiences contribute to learning and increasing professional competence.
The teaching/learning process is a collaborative partnership among learners, educators, health care systems, and the broader community. Educators and learners are mutually responsible to take ownership of, and actively engage in, learning experiences. Curricula continually evolve to incorporate current theory, research, science, standards, and evidence–based practices.
As accomplished educators, learners, researchers, practitioners, and socialized professionals, Alverno faculty serve as role models of lifelong learning. Our goal is to promote a process of teaching and learning that provides guidance to students in the development of career goals and advancement of nursing practice.
All Students
Within the nursing courses, you develop skill or ability in social interaction, problem solving, and valuing in decision-making at the advanced levels of those abilities as well as the other Alverno abilities. Both clinical experiences and class content are designed to assist you, the learner, to apply abilities with individuals, families, and groups across the developmental span and in a variety of health care settings.
Clinical practice necessitates that you care for a variety of individuals in various settings. These practice experiences are designed so that you have diverse experiences in meeting the health care needs of individuals, families and communities in contemporary society. For prelicensure students, clinical nursing experiences occur in the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions Center for Clinical Education (CCE), acute care, extended care and community health settings beginning in the second year of the curriculum. For RN-BSN students, clinical experiences occur in the CCE and the community. You are expected to provide nursing care that reflects the principles outlined in the most current edition of the American Nurses Association’s (ANA) Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, Guide to the Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements: Development, Interpretation, and Application, and Guide to Nursing’s Social Policy Statement: Understanding the Profession from Social Contract to Social Covenant and the American Association of the Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) Essentials of College and University Education for Professional Nursing.
Within the context of the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions Undergraduate Nursing Program’s mission, the faculty has developed outcomes for you to achieve in the baccalaureate program in nursing that are derived from Alverno’s institutional outcomes, the ANA’s Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, ANA's Guide to the Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements: Development, Interpretation, and Application and Guide to Nursing’s Social Policy Statement: Understanding the Profession from Social Contract to Social Covenant and the American Association of the Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) Essentials of College and University Education for Professional Nursing. Faculty members use these documents to underpin the development of the curriculum and to structure clinical practice experiences and judgments.
The outcomes of the curriculum are:
Alverno’s nursing curriculum is designed to meet the complex demands of health care and is, therefore, rigorous. It requires your investment of time, energy, and commitment. While designed for full time study, we realize that your many responsibilities may make part-time study more feasible. We urge you to consider your plan carefully and to choose the course of study that will lead to your greatest success. For many students, part-time study is the best strategy for optimal success as it allows for the in-depth study and integration of the theories and abilities you need to become the professional competent nurse you and we desire you to be. Please discuss your specific situation with your Advisor. Whichever plan you choose, your faculty and the Alverno staff are here to support you.
Prelicensure Students
A major goal of advising at Alverno College is to assist you to become a self-directed learner in your professional studies. Prelicensure students will be working with two individuals who will serve as advisors to you throughout your program of studies. They will provide academic information, assist with planning your program of studies and act as a counselor or referral agent for other concerns. It is important that you take advantage of this valuable resource that is available to you.
All prelicensure students will initially be assigned to and work with a professional advisor who will discuss the academic program of nursing studies and assist you with planning for your course of studies. Along with the orientation program planned for new students, your advisor will help you become familiar with the Alverno learning process.
When you begin your intermediate nursing courses, you will be transferred to a nursing faculty advisor. Faculty advisors have offices in Christopher Hall. A schedule identifying weekly office hours is posted on the advisor’s office door or can be obtained from the Nursing Office (Room 218A). If you are not able to reach your advisor, a message can be left:
In the message, please identify yourself and the nature of your inquiry. Indicate a phone number where you can be reached, or an e-mail address, and a schedule of times you are available. Your advisor will contact you. It is recommended that you meet with your advisor during regularly scheduled periods of the semester. To efficiently complete these tasks, come prepared to discuss any issues, problems, or concerns. Advisors may request a meeting with you to discuss your progress in response to mid-semester progress reports or being placed on altered student status. Remember that your advisor’s role is to guide you in your academic nursing program and serve as a mentor in your adjustment to the professional nursing role.
Required meetings with your Advisor
RN-BSN Students
All RN-BSN students will be assigned to and work with a faculty advisor who will discuss the academic program of nursing studies and assist you with planning for your course of studies. Along with the orientation program planned for new students, your advisor will help you become familiar with the Alverno learning process. Your advisor will inform you of the processes for when and how to contact her.
Prelicensure Students
For prelicensure students, awarding of prior learning credit for nursing courses is based on a person's knowledge and demonstration of knowledge of theory and critical thinking appropriate to the nursing profession. Most likely, this will come from credit-bearing courses completed successfully in other academic institutions. Any student interested in transferring credits from other academic institutions should contact a member of Academic Advising who will advise you on how to submit your request to the Undergraduate Nursing Admission and Advancement Committee (UGNAA). The UGNAA Committee will determine your eligibility for transfer credit.
For more information, or to arrange an appointment with an admissions Advisor to further review your individual situation, call Academic Advising at 414-382-6029 or email nursingadvising@alverno.edu.
RN-BSN Students
RN-BSN students are awarded 70 credits upon admission for work completed in an associate degree or diploma nursing program. The only course in the Alverno RN-BSN program that may be met through transfer credits is Probability and Statistics if the previous course meets criteria and has been taken in the last five years.
Prelicensure Students
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services will approve student nurses to sit for the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) examination after it completes a review of the student’s courses. The JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions will assist students with the application process by completing Form F-62696 through the Nursing Office. In order to have gained the knowledge and meet the requirements of the CNA examination, students must have successfully completed an acute care (hospital) clinical course.
All Students
The Center for Clinical Education (CCE) is located on the first floor in Alexia Hall (AX 108). The CCE includes both the Clinical Simulation Center (CSC) and Clinical Learning Center (CLC). The CCE incorporates the equipment and resources needed to learn clinical nursing therapeutic interventions. Clinical sessions, simulated clinical assessments, psychomotor skill validations, and physical assessment practice sessions for students are conducted in this area.
Equipment and supplies needed to learn and practice psychomotor skills, interactive and computer equipment for student and faculty use, along with instructional materials related to specific nursing skills, theory, and physical assessments are all located within the CCE.
The CLC is generally open during the academic year from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays; 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays of Weekend College (WEC). The CLC may close earlier than the posted times if students have not indicated that they will be using it. You will be given information about this in your courses. Times for RN-BSN students will be established as needed.
The CCE is staffed with persons who supervise student activity during the times it is open. BSN-prepared Registered Nurse (RN) Monitors are available at selected times to oversee practice sessions, assess student validation sessions, and assist in student learning activities as identified.
Please see the information in Section II for the policies and procedures related to the CCE.
As you know, your personal and professional development is the central mission of everyone at Alverno. To assure this, the College has also identified purposes that include creating a community of learning and a curriculum. Your communication about your perspectives on your learning and your meaningful participation in activities that relate to the program’s policies and governance are essential if Alverno is to achieve its purposes. Opportunities for participation and communication include:
All Students
Every student has the potential to receive Honors at graduation because of the foundational belief of the faculty that "Scholarship is not an end in itself, but is an integral part of the total life experience" (Alverno College Honors Committee). Alverno does not have an Honors program as such. You may not fill out an application to apply for Honors nor may you take special courses or do additional projects, etc., other than what is required of everyone who is a student at this institution. What the faculty has put in place is a process of recognizing student performance that consistently exceeds criteria and reflects scholarly and service excellence as defined by the faculty.
The criteria for Honors are centered around two broad categories – scholarly work within the major and support areas of study, and application of that scholarship in the service of others. The excellence of scholarly work and the service application of that work are noted in the demonstration of several key characteristics. These include: independence, integration, mastery, habituality, resilience, commitment, creativity, enthusiasm, influence, and awareness.
Honors is not something that one can complete in the context of a single course, project or activity. Rather, it is a process that one engages in with each and every learning activity, with each and every opportunity to put that learning to work in service to self and others.
The process of selecting honors graduates begins early each semester when the Academic Affairs Office requests nominations of students from the academic departments. The major area of study recommends students.
In the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions, nursing students who have failed a course are not considered for Honors’ nomination. However, any nursing student who has passed all courses successfully is reviewed for evidence of scholarly and service excellence that demonstrates the Honors characteristics. If there is sufficient evidence of academic excellence and service, a statement of nomination, which cites specific evidence of how the student has met the criteria for graduation with Honors, is completed by faculty. This written statement is sent to the Honors Committee for review and decision. The Honors Committee notifies the Vice President for Academic Affairs that it recommends that the student's diploma be awarded with Honors.
"Scholarship is not an end in itself, but is an integral part of the total life experience" (Alverno College Honors Committee). If you believe in the truth of that statement (as your faculty does) then you will realize that in no small way, each and every diploma that is awarded to a woman graduating from this institution is indeed awarded with honor and recognition of a job well done.
If you have further questions about the Honors process, contact your Nursing Advisor.
Prelicensure Students
Before graduation, all Alverno students complete the general education requirements in the liberal arts.
A student who meets the admission criteria of the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions is listed as Undeclared Nursing (UNN) and will become a declared nursing major (N) after she successfully completes AC 120 or 121 or 122 or 123 or 124, QL 156, CM 125, FSS/LA series, SC 119 plus lab, SC 120 plus lab, CH 213 plus lab, BI 231 plus lab, PSY 110, FSS 125/LA 230, N 120 and N 125 or N 126, and AC 205.
Current students should request to change their major to nursing by meeting with a professional Advisor.
All Students
Your Alverno email is an official way the college uses to communicate with you. This includes all instructor communication. You are expected to read your Alverno email regularly. All official communications from the College and/or the School of Nursing and Health Professions will come through email.
You are expected to consistently demonstrate behavior reflective of professional nursing behaviors in all contexts, at the College and in public environments.
You will be responsible for arranging the necessary transportation for the clinical experiences in health care agencies and the community. Evening or weekend experiences may be required in some of the clinical rotations.
You are responsible to know and follow the Undergraduate Nursing Student Handbook, Policies and Procedures. You will sign a form acknowledging your accountability.
It is important for you to continually monitor your progression through the nursing program of studies. All nursing courses have prerequisites and are organized in the developmental order in which they are to be taken. Prerequisites for courses can be found in IOL and in Appendix A of this handbook.
Tuition for students who are Nursing majors (N) is published each year and can be found on the Alverno College website at https://www.alverno.edu/academics/resourcesforstudents/businessoffice/tuition/index.php. Nursing tuition is charged for any term (Summer/Fall/Spring) following a students’ official acceptance as a Nursing major (N). If you are a Nursing major (N) and are not taking any Nursing (N) courses, you will still be charged Nursing tuition.
All Students
APA format is the expected writing style for all nursing course written work. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association can be purchased as a reference text.
This section of the handbook outlines specific policies of the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions. The purpose of these policies is to establish professional standards that govern your progression in the Undergraduate Nursing Program. Therefore, academic policies and procedures of the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions may differ from the general college policies. Requirements and responsibilities for clinical experiences and placements are also identified. Health care agencies used for clinical placement may have policies that differ from Alverno’s. Nursing faculty will identify these differences at the time of your orientation to the agency.
If you wish to have a nursing policy waived, you must submit a written petition to the Undergraduate Nursing Admission and Advancement Committee providing rationale for your request. Decisions of the committee are final. Assistance with the procedures is available from your nursing advisor, clinical instructor and members of the Undergraduate Nursing Admission and Advancement Committee (see General Information, section III).
Failure to comply with policies and procedures may result in warning or dismissal.
POLICY:
When you enroll in a course, you are accountable for all course requirements.
Attendance is required in all classes and clinicals. Faculty expect you to attend classes on time. Consistent lateness may be considered an absence. Active participation in discussion, laboratory work, and clinical practice is also required. Missing class or clinical time may jeopardize your ability to meet course outcomes.
When circumstances involve a classroom or clinical absence, you are responsible to communicate directly with the instructor prior to the scheduled beginning of the theory session or clinical practice. If your absence is related to a death, you may be required to provide a copy of the death notice.
If your attendance has not been regular, you demonstrate consistent tardiness, you have missed the first class meeting and/or clinical orientation, or you have not met the expectations regarding communication, faculty may decide that you are ineligible to continue attending a course.
If you choose to drop the course, it is your responsibility to 'officially drop' the course by contacting the Registrar's Office and your instructor. You are always encouraged to communicate with your advisor if you are considering dropping a course.
You and clinical faculty have the professional responsibility to determine appropriate action when health problems are present which jeopardize the safety of the client or yourself. A statement of health status from your health care provider may be required to continue in the course.
PROCEDURE:
POLICY:
Throughout your studies at Alverno College, you are exposed to a variety of learning styles. In some classes faculty require students to complete assignments in small group work sessions, while in other cases they may require you to complete work on an independent and individual basis. Both experiences can be stimulating and rewarding. However, when submitting work for your courses, you need to remember that you have a personal responsibility to complete work in accordance with the instruction of your teacher and sound academic principles. This means standing behind your work as a contributing member of a team when collaborative work is required. It also means standing behind your work as the individual who thought it through and carried it out when independent work is required.
When you are required to consult with professionals outside the College or undertake research in order to gather information necessary for the completion of an assignment, you need to make reference to the resources used. Whenever you refer to secondary sources, whether for direct quotation or paraphrasing, you must supply clear documentation within generally accepted academic standards. In other words, when you use another’s thoughts in the exact words or with some words changed around, the source must be indicated.
Work required to be completed independently does not meet the above requirements if it is more the work of someone else than that of the person who claims it. To claim work that is essentially someone else's constitutes misrepresentation. Failure to document sources of information constitutes plagiarism. When such cases come to the attention of faculty, a department or school, faculty committee will review the situation and make a recommendation to the department or school, regarding the necessity of disciplinary action. After the committee reviews the situation, they may recommend to
the Committee on the Status of Students that the student receive an unsatisfactory in the course for which the work was required, an assignment of a new equivalent assessment, dismissal from the College, or other disciplinary action.
The following additional policies will be applicable to all nursing majors:
In your role as a professional nursing student, personal integrity and accountability are expected when caring for clients in clinical agencies and the community and when completing assignments and assessments for nursing courses. Failure to demonstrate personal integrity and accountability will be considered misrepresentation.
Reporting care/treatment of a client as given, when in fact it had not been given, or failure to report a known situation that could affect client outcomes will be constituted as a serious personal integrity issue. Similarly, reporting attendance at assigned course experiences, volunteer work, and/or community/agency observations, when in fact attendance did not occur, will also be constituted as a serious personal integrity issue. Immediate investigation will be initiated which could result in dismissal from the nursing program.
PROCEDURE:
POLICY:
The Alverno College JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions is committed to fostering the development of professional nursing students in providing safe, quality health care. The Alverno College professional nursing student will be exposed to a variety of clinical practice areas, including but not limited to hospital and community settings. In clinical courses, all faculty require students to provide direct care to clients. At any time in the client care process, potential and actual errors can occur. Reporting of these errors is fundamental to error prevention. In 2000, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report To Err is Human: Building a safer health system suggesting that preventable adverse events in the hospital were the leading cause of death in the United States. Since then, health care systems and
secondary education facilities have become committed to preventing errors. The IOM report emphasized the importance of error reporting by using systems to “provide information that leads to improved safety.” Reporting of a potential error (near-miss), which is an error intercepted prior to reaching the client is as important as reporting actual errors that have reached the client. Reporting of near misses can provide valuable information for reducing errors. Analysis of near-miss and error reporting data can lead to an understanding of gaps in the system that may eventually cause client harm.
As an Alverno College professional nursing student, you will participate in near miss and error identification and reporting in an effort to ensure safe and quality care is being provided to clients. This data will be used in the quality improvement process to identify the root cause of the incident. As patterns emerge from the data analysis, potential Undergraduate Nursing Program and/or clinical agency changes will be pursued in an effort to ensure the Alverno College JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions students are providing safe, quality client care. In the event that a clinical error was deemed to be intentional or negligent by the professional nursing student, further disciplinary action will occur based on the Professional Behavior Policy.
References
Institute of Medicine. (2000). To err is human: building a safer health system. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Near-Miss Procedure:
Adverse Event/Error Procedure:
The CCE is a resource for study, practice, and demonstration of professional behaviors as identified in course outcomes. Therefore, you are expected to demonstrate responsible behaviors especially when participating in performance demonstrations and psychomotor skill validations. You will be expected to be prompt when completing skill validation appointments and required demonstration and/or practice sessions. Further description of expectations, resources, and guidelines for behaviors are provided to you in selected courses.
POLICY:
Attendance at all practice or validation activities for which you have signed up is expected. If you are unable to attend the session, you may cancel your appointment in the online scheduling system if it is more than 12 hours in advance. For cancellations less than 12 hours in advance you will need to call the CLC. Patterns of frequent “no show/no cancellation” or “less than 12-hours notification of cancellation” will be tracked by your instructor.
Non-professional behaviors will be reported to your course instructor via a Behavior Incident Form. Course faculty will hold a meeting to discuss the incident and create a Contract for Future Behavior with the student. Failure to follow the terms of the contract or to demonstrate responsible professional behaviors may result in loss of access to the CCE and jeopardize your success in the program. A copy of the Behavior Incident may be sent to the Dean.
Children who are not part of a validation demonstration ARE NOT allowed in the CCE at any time.
PROCEDURES:
POLICY:
The 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires that patients have the right to control who will see their protected, identifiable health information. Only the patient and those individuals who the patient has authorized have access to their information. Penalties for violating HIPAA can include civil or criminal penalties, with fines up to $250,000 and 10 years imprisonment. All students must comply with HIPAA requirements, whether in course-related or work-related/other settings.
PROCEDURE:
POLICY:
You must comply with the prerequisites of your courses as indicated in IOL and in Appendix A of this handbook. Selected courses not completed concurrently must be taken in a specific sequence and usually completed within one year of each other.
POLICY:
Current certification for CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) for health care providers is required for all students entering clinical nursing courses. Certification may only be obtained through the American Heart Association (BLS for Healthcare Providers). CPR certification from other vendors or in other categories will not be accepted. On-line re-certifications through the American Heart Association with a practice / performance component are the only acceptable on-line option for CPR. Certification must be current at the start of the semester and not expire at any point during the semester. Recertification through the American Heart Association is required biannually (every two years).
Failure to provide current CPR certification documentation by the due date will result in a hold on your registration. Once documentation of current certification is obtained, the hold will be removed, and the student will be allowed to register for the courses.
PROCEDURE:
PRELICENSURE STUDENTS
From the beginning of your program of studies you have been moving toward graduation and a challenging lifetimecareer. Preparing for graduation can be a very exciting and rewarding time.
POLICY:
To be eligible for graduation all required courses (or their equivalent) must be successfully completed.
Ability requirements for graduation include 40 ability level units:
PROCEDURE:
The delivery of nursing care occurs in multiple environments that could have high health risks. Therefore, a health status that contributes to a safe environment for the client and students is the minimal expectation of the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions at Alverno College. The following health requirements were determined in collaboration with the clinical agencies with which the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions contracts for clinical practice.
The JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions strongly recommends that you carry health insurance to cover any unforeseen incidents. If you are not already covered, you may wish to explore coverage available through the College. Student Affairs has this information. Should you decide not to carry health insurance coverage, you will be required to sign a waiver.
POLICY:
It is your responsibility to submit accurate and timely health information to CastleBranch.com as part of AC 205 or the first course of entry into the Nursing or RN-BSN curriculum. Students will receive specific directions on how to upload information. Failure to comply with the student health policies will result in exclusion from clinical sites, being dropped from the course, or a hold on your registration for the next semester.
When health problems/behaviors are present that jeopardize the safety of client or yourself, you and/or instructor have the professional responsibility to determine appropriate actions. An updated statement of health status from your health care provider is required with any change in your health status.
Immunizations
Current immunizations are required according to the guidelines of the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta and the Wisconsin Division of Health and Social Services.
Submit valid documentation for the following to CastleBranch.com.
Additional health requirements including immunizations may be required for clinical practice in selected health care agencies.
PROCEDURES:
POLICY:
The purposes of the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions Drug Screen Policy are to comply with regulations of area health care agencies, to provide optimal care to patients, and to support the profession’s zero tolerance position related to illicit use of substances. You must abide by the drug screen policies of each health care agency in which you are assigned for clinical practicums, therefore the most stringent of those policies will be the expectation for all students.
You will submit authorization allowing the laboratory designated by CastleBranch.com, the company selected to oversee drug testing for the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions, to collect and test a urine specimen for the presence of illicit drugs and verify the results through CastleBranch.com. Initial screening will occur when you enter the major or the first nursing course for transfer and RN-BSN students. Random screening may be required at any time. In addition, you may be subject to testing per agency affiliation agreement and/or for cause, such as, slurred speech, impaired physical coordination, inappropriate behavior, or pupillary changes. Test results are confidential with only the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions administration notified.
Failure to submit to a drug screen, attempting to tamper with, contaminate, or switch a sample will result in your not being allowed to meet course outcomes for clinical practicums, and therefore, removal from the Undergraduate Nursing Program since these behaviors violate professional standards.
If you test positive for one or more illicit drugs, you may not continue in clinical practicums and, therefore, cannot meet the academic outcomes for clinical courses. If you test positive due to a prescribed drug, you must follow the directions given by CastleBranch.com for documenting that the drug is prescribed. All test results will be communicated to the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions administration and shall remain confidential.
PROCEDURE:
POLICY:
Congruent with current Wisconsin state law and statues, the Alverno College JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions requires that you complete a disclosure statement and submit to a Caregiver Background check prior to admission in courses with clinical placements. Under law, clinical agencies must prohibit placement of a student in their clinical environment if the student's background check reveals criminal records cited as restrictions or “bars” to employment or educational experiences in health care environments. Clinical agencies can also prohibit placement based on their own criteria regarding criminal background information. The existence of a criminal record does not automatically preclude admission to clinical placement environments. However, each criminal record will be reviewed as
to its relationship to the listing of crimes that do constitute restrictions or bars. Criminal backgrounds may also be an issue for eventual licensure and/or employment as a nurse in health care settings.
CAREGIVER BACKGROUND PROCEDURE:
POLICY:
All prerequisites must be completed prior to entry into nursing courses.
The JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions is committed to assuring all graduates of the program are competent and safe beginning practitioners. Maintaining a high standard of student performance is necessary to progress through this rigorous nursing curriculum. That means that nursing students must commit to studying and successfully passing the required courses. This can be done either part time or full time, but successfully passing courses is critically important.
A student will be dismissed from the Nursing Major if unsuccessful (U or UW) in a combination of two (2) 300-level or higher natural science and/or 200-level or higher nursing courses.
If you are concurrently registered for a theory course and its companion clinical course and drop the theory course, you must also drop the clinical course. Concurrent enrollment or prior completion of the related theory course is required to continue in the clinical course.
PROCEDURE:
POLICY:
If you return to the nursing program after a leave of absence of one semester or more from the nursing curriculum, you must submit a written letter of intent and request to re-enter nursing courses to the Undergraduate Nursing Admission and Advancement Committee. The Committee will review the request and determine whether you may re-enter the program and, if yes, based upon what conditions. The number of semesters on leave will be taken into consideration when determining requirements for satisfactory return to the program.
PROCEDURE:
If you have a leave of absence of one semester, the following steps will be followed:
If you had a leave of absence of two or more semesters, the following steps will be followed:
PRELICENSURE STUDENTS
Accurate calculation of medication dosages is critical to providing safe, therapeutic nursing care.
POLICY:
You are expected to correctly use mathematical skills as you work with course content and functions in your professional nursing student role. To determine your ability to accurately calculate medication dosages, you will take a written medication calculation assessment in clinical courses. The performance requirement is 100 % for all nursing students. You will not be allowed to participate in the clinical environment or pass medications until you have successfully completed the medication calculation assessment. A pattern of failure on the medication calculation assessment may place you at risk for not meeting course outcomes.
If you earn less than 100% on the second assessment, you will be referred by the instructor and must enroll in a course to help you gain math proficiency in terms of medication management.
PROCEDURE:
POLICY:
Courses required in the Nursing sequence may be taken at another institution of higher learning ONLY if prior approval has been obtained. Courses that are approved to be taken off-campus must duplicate approximate credit hours and course content of an Alverno course and you must be able to earn necessary validations without affecting your anticipated graduation date.
PROCEDURE:
POLICY:
Professional behavior is required. Failure to demonstrate professional behavior may result in dismissal from the learning environment. Professional conduct includes:
PROCEDURE:
Faculty members describe specific course expectations in the syllabus, course materials, and course announcements that complement the foundational expectations described in the policy.
The clinical instructor determines the circumstances under which you are no longer eligible to attend a clinical site. The instructor will inform you of the decision and document the circumstances of the decision for placement in your file.
POLICY:
All persons are liable for their own negligence that results in injury to another person or property. As a practicing nursing student, you are in a position of being held liable for your actions and judgments when working with clients. Commissions and omissions in judgments and actions that are the expected duties and responsibilities of a practicing nursing student can result in litigation.
When you are enrolled in the nursing major, you are required to carry professional liability protection each semester you are enrolled. As a requirement of our clinical agencies, Alverno has procured a professional liability insurance policy. Each nursing student is part of this coverage. This coverage will protect you and Alverno any time you are involved with a client or group of clients within the defined role of a student nurse. This policy does not cover the individual outside of the nursing student role at Alverno College.
PROCEDURE:
Undergraduate Nursing Student Handbook, Policies, and Procedures
POLICY:
Each Alverno Nursing student is responsible to secure and maintain current knowledge of the Alverno College Undergraduate Nursing Student Handbook, Policies, and Procedure.
Information and policies are subject to change without prior notification.
PROCEDURE:
Prelicensure Students
POLICY:
The official Alverno nursing uniform with the Alverno patch, are required for clinical practice settings. If you choose to purchase other items than the approved designated uniform pieces, you may incur added expense, as they will not be allowed to be worn in the clinical setting. For your safety and the safety of others, your uniform, including shoes should be clean and in good repair.
All uniforms, scrub jackets, and shirts must be purchased at Galls (see procedure for address).
An Alverno photo ID is to be worn with the uniform.
You are expected to maintain a professional appearance that is respectful of clients and facilitates the safety of the client and yourself in all clinical settings. This includes:
You may be dismissed from the clinical environment for violations of the uniform policy. Absence from the clinical environment may jeopardize your ability to be successful in the course.
You are required to furnish basic medical equipment necessary for client care that you purchase through local medical supply stores or the A-Store. Mark your equipment with your name. Check course syllabus to determine equipment needed for your course.
PROCEDURE:
The JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions’ student conflict resolution procedure exists to assist undergraduate nursing students in the resolution of academic and college related concerns. This procedure is congruent with the Conflict Resolution Policy of Alverno College.
The JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions fully supports and upholds the statements in Building a Community of Learners: A Community Guide and Student Handbook describing “Student Rights and Responsibilities, Complaint and Conflict Procedures and the Student Conduct Process” as approved by the Quality of Campus Life Committee. The Complaint and Conflict Procedures from this material follows.
Complaint and Conflict Procedures
All persons are expected to communicate in positive ways to resolve issues and conflicts. Communication and constructive controversy promote increased learning in a collaborative culture. They encourage better problem solving, creativity and involvement because they influence individuals to view problems and issues from different perspectives and to rethink their response. Constructive controversy is most productive in an atmosphere where individuals
Procedures for Dealing with Conflict Related to Course Work and Campus Life
The following procedures are designed to assist individuals who believe their rights have been violated. Generally, complaints are handled within each functional area. The student should ordinarily attempt to resolve the matter by making an informal complaint with the person involved and if dissatisfied with the outcome, appeal the issue through the department director.
Alverno expects that all members of our academic community act in ways that contribute to a supportive academic environment. You are expected to use your skills in communication, social interaction, and problem solving in positive ways to resolve conflicts with peers, with faculty, or with staff members. You are also accountable for your academic progress using feedback and assessments of your instructors and attempting to resolve conflicts with persons involved.
There may be times when you disagree with various policies or actions taken by a department, individual faculty, or staff member. There may also be times when you wish to share your opinion in a formal way with the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions, individual faculty, or staff member. The following procedures have been established to assist you in resolving problems or sharing viewpoints that may arise:
If the conflict is course related: Contact your nursing faculty advisor and make an appointment to discuss the concern with her. She will assist you in following division procedures for conflict resolution. Write a letter to the Director of Undergraduate Nursing Programs. Carefully describe your conflict, being sure to support it with appropriate documentation. The Director of Undergraduate Nursing Programs will follow the school procedures related to the concern. These may include having you meet first with the Director of Undergraduate Nursing Programs and then with the Dean of the School if necessary. The Dean of the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions will review the concern.
Procedures for Dealing with Conflict Related to Course Work and Campus Life Decisions of the Dean are final in the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions. Students should consult
the Alverno College Student Handbook for further college level processes for concerns that remain unresolved following the Dean's review and decision.
If the issue is one of academic policy scheduling or procedures: Contact your nursing faculty advisor and follow the procedure above.
If the issue is one of your academic progression: Contact your nursing faculty advisor. She will assist you in processing your concern through the Undergraduate Nursing Admission and Advancement Committee of the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions. She will also assist you in following the Nursing Program procedures for conflict resolution cited above, if necessary.
If the issue is a viewpoint, opinion, or concern related to the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions: Clarify and describe your opinion, viewpoint, issue, concern and/or request by writing to the Dean of the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions. Provide supporting documentation, if appropriate. As with any conflict, the conflict resolution procedures cited above are also available to you.
If your conflict is related to a situation outside the classroom or school:
Submit a written description of the circumstances to the Dean of the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions and to the Dean of Students in the college. After an interview with those involved, the Dean of Students may convene a committee to deal with the issue.
POLICY:
Successful progression in the nursing program is based on meeting course outcomes as outlined in each nursing course syllabus and requires a pattern of effective demonstration of abilities in clinical practice, criterion-referenced projects, performance assessments, and objective assessment. If there is an identified pattern of difficulty in meeting these requirements, strategies to strengthen necessary abilities may be required before you are allowed to progress in the program, documented in an individualized learning agreement. You are responsible to fulfill the requirements of the learning agreement.
PROCEDURE:
I. Purpose
The purposes for the Testing Security Policy are to provide: (1) students with direction to avoid academic dishonesty and (2) faculty members with the structure necessary to ensure security of all aspects of the testing process. This policy is not limited to academic cheating on tests, but encompasses all aspects of classroom, clinical, and online learning environments.
II. Supportive Information
III. In the Testing Environment
The proctor has no control over noise made by others. Earplugs are available upon request.
IV. What are possible scenarios of cheating?
V. Student Responsibilities
VI. Professor/Proctor Responsibilities
I. Security measures will begin at assessment construction.
II. Assessments will not be left unattended on the professor’s desk or left open on computer screens when students enter the office. Computer content should be minimized to avoid breach of assessment questions.
III. All assessments will be maintained in the instructor’s locked office and in a locked cabinet.
IV. Assessment security will continue once the assessment has been generated online. Verification of receiving the test results online should be confirmed by the professor/proctor at the time of the assessment.
V. Make-up assessments will not be the same as the missed assessment. Make-up assessments may include essay, short answer, multiple choice and alternate item format questions.
References
Aaron, L., Simmons, P., & Graham-Webb (2011). Academic dishonesty and unprofessional behavior. Radiologic Technology, 83(2), 133-140.
Arhin, A. O. (2009). A pilot study of nursing student’s perceptions of academic dishonesty. A generation Y perspective. The Association of Black Nursing Faculty (ABNF) Journal, Winter 2009, 17-21.
Board of Nursing. (2016). Chapter N7: rules of conduct. Retrieved from https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/admin_code/n/7.pdf
Morrison, S., Nibert, A., & Flick, J. (2006). Critical thinking and test item writing. (2nd ed.) Health Education Systems, Inc. Publishing: Houston, Texas.
National League for Nursing (2018). Test policy and procedures. Retrieved from http://www.nln.org/testing- services/overview/proctors
Simpson, E., & Yu, K (2012). Closer to the truth: electronic records of academic dishonesty in an actual classroom setting. In Ethics and Behavior, 22(5), 400-408.
POLICY:
You are expected to submit assignments, supporting documents, and your self assessments according to the course due dates so that you may receive feedback identifying strengths and areas to continue to develop within a course. Non-submission of assignments according to course timelines may only occur if there has been prior negotiation for extension of the due date. Because we believe that the curriculum and each course is developmentally sequenced, assignments and assessments must be up-to-date at midsemester. A pattern of continued lateness with assignments may result in being unsuccessful in the course.
PROCEDURE:
This section of the handbook identifies the structure and functions of the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions as related to its responsibilities to you as a student in the nursing program. Committee functions, the advising program and student nursing organizations are highlighted with specific identification of associated faculty responsibilities.
The organizational structure of the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions provides the framework for the work of the department in the accomplishment of the goals and objectives of the College and the School.
The Dean of the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions is responsible for the administration of the School and reports directly to the Vice President for Academic Affairs of the College. The Undergraduate Nursing Program Director is responsible for all undergraduate nursing programs and reports to the Dean. Faculty members assume multiple roles and responsibilities to support and assure the effectiveness of the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions.
The Undergraduate Nursing Admission and Advancement Committee is responsible for decision-making regarding admittance and progression in the nursing curriculum. Communications for that committee should be sent to Nursing.AdmissionAndAdvancement@alverno.edu.
Introduction
The faculty of the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions are consistently concerned about your experiences, perceptions, ideas, and viewpoints as a student in this nursing curriculum. Therefore, we create mechanisms for you to provide input to the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions Dean, faculty, and/or committees. The purposes of the mechanisms are to provide for exchange of information and ideas related to the continuous evaluation of the Nursing curriculum.
POLICY:
The Alverno JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and Health Professions shall provide mechanisms for you to provide input and to receive feedback related to the input.
PROCEDURES:
The Alverno College Student Nurses’ Association is a constituent of the Wisconsin Student Nurses’ Association (WSNA) and the National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA). At Alverno, this organization represents all students majoring in nursing. The organization has elected officers, a nursing faculty advisor and is an officially registered organization on the Alverno College campus.
Mission
To organize, represent and mentor nursing students to promote the development of skills that students will need as members of the nursing profession, and to address issues that affect nursing students.
Vision
As a collaborative organization, ACSNA acts as a student advocate in order to advance engagement in the profession of nursing.
The purpose of ACSNA is to provide programs representative of fundamental and current professional interest and concerns and to aid in the development of the student as a whole to help her define her professional role and her responsibility for the health care of the people in all areas of life.
Within ACSNA, there are currently three sister groups: the Black Student Nurses Association (BSNA), the Hispanic Student Nurses Association (HNA), and the Alverno Asian Student Nurses Association (AASNA). Membership in the sister groups is open to any and all nursing students who are members of ACSNA.
The mission of AASNA is to strengthen, educate, and empower individuals of the Asian community for making healthful and lifelong changes for a greater future. The mission of BSNA is to empower, enhance, educate, and serve African American community through advocacy and health promotional activities, and to foster the leadership skills of student nurses and aid in the development of professional abilities. The mission of HNA is to recruit and provide an environment of growth and professional development for nursing students who are interested in leading, educating, and improving the quality of healthcare in the Hispanic community.
There is a membership fee that entitles the student to membership in the local organization (ACSNA). In addition, to maintain active membership in ACSNA, the student must participate in at least one meeting and one event or two events per semester. To maintain active membership in HNA, AASNA, and/or BSNA, the student must participate in one activity each semester per organization she is a member of in addition to her ACSNA requirements. Active members will have all privileges of membership. They include, but are not limited to: having voting privileges in ACSNA elections, any discount available to members, eligible to serve in the WSNA House of Delegates (provided ACSNA member is also a WSNA member in good standing), eligible to serve as an executive officer in ACSNA and eligible to become an active committee member and participant.
There is an additional fee for membership to the WSNA and the NSNA. Benefits of joining the WSNA and NSNA include Imprint, the national magazine published by and for student nurses, discounted rate for annual WSNA conference fee, and there are many scholarship opportunities available to these students.