Undergraduate (BSN) Nursing Practicum Manual:

Section 7: Practicum Policies

Students in Walden University’s nursing programs are required to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), as well as all field experience site-specific policies and procedures related to privacy and security of health-related information. Students enrolling in graduate field experience courses are required to complete annual HIPAA training and to have a certificate of completion on file in CastleBranch prior to being approved for practicum.

Important Note: Walden University is not a “Covered Entity” or a “Business Associate” (as those terms are defined under HIPAA). Therefore, students must refrain from disclosing protected health information (PHI) to Walden University, since any disclosure of PHI to Walden University would constitute a HIPAA violation. The College of Nursing Faculty develop teaching/learning materials (e.g., assignments and logs) carefully, so they do not inadvertently lead students to share HIPAA identifiers or PHI.

Walden University is fully committed to creating and maintaining a safe environment and academic community for all students, Faculty, and staff. View “Walden University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination and Procedures for Students, Faculty, and Staff Reporting of Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Discrimination, or Other Related Reports” section on the Student Safety/Title IX page.

Walden University Student Handbook (under “Student Conduct and Responsibilities”), for detailed policy information including the Code of Conduct.

Professional Competence

Refer to Section 3, “Student Expectations and Responsibilities” of the Walden University Student Handbook (under “Student Conduct and Responsibilities”) for the Student Professional Competence Policy, reflecting academic standing, problem behaviors, inappropriate and/or unprofessional conduct, and critical behaviors.

Nondiscrimination and Non-Harassment Policies

Refer to the Code of Conduct in Section 3, “Student Expectations and Responsibilities,” of the Walden University Student Handbook, under the heading “Student Conduct and Responsibilities,” which includes Walden’s nondiscrimination and non-harassment policies. Additional policy information, regarding sexual misconduct, sexual discrimination, or other related reports, is available from Walden’s Student Safety/Title IX page.

Students will abide by the nondiscrimination and non-harassment policies of the site and Walden University. If no such written policy exists, then the Walden policies must be adopted by the site.

Technical Standards Necessary for the Successful Completion of College of Nursing Programs

Walden University’s College of Nursing programs are designed to educate nurses for today’s professional environment by developing the skills of reflection, independent learning, and enhanced critical thinking. These standards will enable students to graduate from Walden’s programs and better equip them to fulfill their roles, develop leadership skills, and stay current in their field throughout their career. All students must be able to consistently demonstrate, with or without accommodation, the ability and fitness to perform nursing skills and professional behaviors in a manner to not jeopardize well-being and safety for patients, field sites, or themselves.  

Establishing professional relationships is a requirement for student success as well as professional practice. Students enrolled in the College of Nursing's programs must demonstrate positive professional relationships and complete active physical tasks both within and outside the classroom setting. This is especially important when working with other practitioners and patients in a professional setting during field experience Therefore, the following list of technical standards is provided to clearly establish the level of capability required to successfully complete College of Nursing programs of study and to encourage current and prospective students to self-assess their qualifications for the program.  

Walden University is committed to providing equal access to qualified students with disabilities. A qualified student is a student with a disability who, with or without reasonable accommodation, meets the technical standard requirements for participation in College of Nursing programs and activities. A reasonable accommodation is a modification or adjustment to an instructional activity, equipment, facility, program, or service that enables a qualified student with a disability to have an equal opportunity to fulfill the requirements necessary for graduation from the nursing program. College of Nursing applicants and students who require disability-related accommodations to meet program requirements are encouraged to contact the Office of Student Disability Services at  disability@mail.waldenu.edu or 855-229-0848 at the earliest opportunity to receive support. 

A student in the College of Nursing must meet technical standard requirements, with or without accommodation, in the areas outlined below (examples are not all-inclusive).  Students must master the outlined essential and technical skills, produce positive academic outcomes, and conduct themselves within the guidelines of the Walden University Code of Conduct and in compliance with applicable professional practicum regulation.  Students who are not able to meet the technical standard requirements, produce positive academic outcomes, and socialize in the value structure of the profession, with or without accommodation, are encouraged to speak to their student success advisors regarding a potential educational path where such technical standard requirements and professional standards are not essential to patient safety and care. 

Students are advised that their success in their chosen program may be dependent on an ability to meet these technical standards.  

Motor and Mobility Function

Students must be able to perform the following functions:

• Observe patient condition and responses to health and illness.
• Coordinate both gross and fine motor muscular movements, maintain equilibrium, and functionally use the senses of touch and vision.
• Maintain stamina and physical ability required to participate in classes and activities that are part of the curriculum.
• Execute movements sufficient to communicate effectively in a written format.
• Obtain and interpret data from assessment techniques, such as observation, palpation of anatomical structures, percussion, noting surface characteristics, assessment of tone, temperature, depth, and other diagnostic procedures.
• Travel to clinical education sites.
• Push, pull, stoop, kneel, bend, carry equipment, lift, and operate assessing medical equipment as required for individual practicum experiences to achieve learning outcomes. 

Behavioral/Emotional Function

Students must be able to perform the following functions:

• Maintain emotional and physical endurance in a high-stress, fast-paced setting.
• Tolerate physically – and mentally-taxing workloads, and function effectively under stress without exhibiting disruptive behavior in patient care and academic settings. 
• Provide self-care and manage personal stress to effectively care for patients in keeping with academic and professional practicum guidelines. 
• Maintain mental acuity and professional demeanor in stressful environments or during impending deadlines.
• Maintain mental acuity and professional demeanor sufficient to complete timed written and/or oral examinations and laboratory practical assessments within established time limits, especially when speed of performance or speed of decision making is a critical component.

• Respond to challenging situations in a respectful and professional manner, accept responsibility and accountability for one’s own actions, and act in a manner that minimizes any disturbance which might impact patient care and / or the academic learning process. 

Critical-Thinking and Cognition Skills

Students must be able to perform the following functions:

• Analyze and synthesize data from a variety of sources.
• Put research findings into practice.
• Exhibit a positive, interactive response to feedback.
• Use sound judgment and apply safety precautions, as appropriate.
• Refrain from allowing the use of behavior- or mind-altering substances to impede professional functioning, includes prescribed or illicit substances.
• Critically think through complex problem solving for positive patient outcomes. 
• Demonstrate higher-level cognitive abilities, including:
  • Rational thought
  • Measurement
  • Calculation
  • Conceptualization
  • Analysis
  • Synthesis
  • Organization
  • Memory
  • Application
  • Clinical reasoning
  • Ethical reasoning
  • Sound judgment

Interpersonal and Professional Skills

Students must be able to perform the following functions:

• Demonstrate respectful, mature, and professional relationships with individuals and groups from a variety of social, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds.
• Recognize and problem-solve challenging professional relationships in a respectful manner, with ability to know when to seek out assistance prior to escalation. 
• Actively participate and contribute to group projects. 
• Consistently display integrity, honesty, empathy, caring, fairness, respect for self and others, diligence, and dedication. 
• Promptly and accurately complete all assignments and responsibilities by provided due dates. 
• Develop mature, sensitive, and effective relationships, not only with patients but with all members of the university community and other healthcare teams.
• Tolerate emotionally and mentally demanding workloads. 
• Identify potentially violent or abusive situations with patients in order to safely withdraw from the interaction.  
• Function effectively under stress, and proactively make use of available resources to help maintain both physical and mental health.  
• Adapt to changing environments, display flexibility, and be able to learn in the face of uncertainty.  
• Take responsibility for themselves and their behaviors.  
• Demonstrate awareness of ethical actions always as published by the University and professional nursing standards.  
• Respect the privacy and confidentiality needs of others.  
• Prioritize the welfare of patients, preceptor schedule, and academic schedule over self-interest when providing professional services.  
• Maintain flexible and open attitude towards change, new ideas, and new ways of learning. Accept constructive feedback openly and professionally.  
• Fulfill obligations promptly, consistently, reliably, and according to expectations of program faculty, academic leadership, and preceptors.  
• Maintain a professional appearance (including hygiene and attire) appropriate for the setting where you are representing Walden University as a student

Communication Skills

Students must be able to perform the following functions:

• Communicate effectively in verbal and written form in any applicable setting, including communications with university Faculty and staff, other students, and other healthcare professionals.
• Elicit, convey, and clarify information in a timely manner.
• Complete written work at a professional level in a timely manner.
• Document patient/client assessment/evaluation, intervention plans, and progress notations succinctly and in a timeframe similar to clinical constraints.
• Achieve basic technical competency required to function in the classroom and professional setting, including functionality in word processing, email, and use of the internet.
• Describe effectively perceived changes and nonverbal communication.
• Ability to speak, hear, and observe to elicit information from patients and team, describe changes in the patient, and perceive nonverbal communications.   
• Demonstrate verbal language capabilities sufficient to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients, patient families, and teams regarding plan of care.   
• Demonstrate sufficient writing and reading capabilities for record keeping, professional health care team interactions, and patient/family interactions.  
• Respect the autonomy and beliefs of others and refrain from imposing one’s own personal beliefs on others.  
• Act with an awareness of how personal actions affect others.  
• Communicate information truthfully and accurately.

The Office of Field Experience abides by all practicum policies outlined in the Practicum Manuals to confirm the practicum policies and requirements are upheld to ensure all practicum experiences meet the required academic, accreditation, regulatory, legal, and compliance requirements.  Students must review the Practicum Manual to ensure they are meeting all policies and requirements for practicum. 

All exceptions to College of Nursing practicum policies must be formally appealed through the appeal process in Meditrek®. To appeal a practicum policy, students must send an email to the Office of Field Experience at nursingfield@mail.waldenu.edu to initiate the appeal process and follow all directions to complete the appeal process through Meditrek®.   Supporting document must accompany all appeals at the time the appeal is submitted in Meditrek® in order for the appeal to be considered.  Students bear the responsibility to submit all relevant and required documentation supporting the appeal.      

Once the appeal is submitted in Meditrek®, the Office of Field Experience staff will review and verify the submitted documentation.  If the required documentation is not submitted with the appeal, the appeal will be returned to the student and be provided the opportunity to resubmit the appeal within a specific period of time.  The initial review of the appeal will be completed within 7 business days.  Once the initial review has been completed, the appeal may be assigned to the Field Experience Supervisor, Director, Program Coordinator, or Program Director.  Final appeal decisions may take up to 30 days.  Students will be notified via email of the decision.   Students have an option to appeal the decision by submitting a second appeal, which are reviewed by the Associate Dean of the student’s program and considered the final decision.   

During their practicum, students may be vulnerable to any number of difficulties that can pose barriers to a successful learning experience. By the time students reach the end of the program, they are entering the work setting and should demonstrate effective problem-solving skills in many difficult situations. However, students are not expected to resolve practicum problems alone.

With Practicum Site Personnel

If a problem develops between students and their practicum preceptor (or other site personnel), they should consult the practicum course Faculty Member, and then, if needed, they may consult the specialization coordinator.

Significant problems that arise in the practicum setting should be addressed using the process available to employees at the site and as officially documented in the site Affiliation Agreement signed for the practicum experience. The appropriate Walden Faculty or staff member will assist students in preparing any necessary documentation and will closely monitor the progress of the problem resolution, including any grievance process.

The specialization coordinator and/or program director should inform the College of Nursing’s dean about any unresolved issues and must formally document the efforts to resolve the issues presented. The dean will review the efforts to resolve the problem and inform students of other possible recourse options.

With Walden Faculty or Staff Members

Consistent with ethical guidelines, in nearly all situations, students should initially address any concerns directly with the Faculty or staff member involved (e.g., practicum course Faculty Member, specialization coordinator) and attempt to resolve the issue at an informal level, before proceeding to a request for intervention (e.g., from the program director or dean). Failure to address the problem at the program level may delay resolution, as the problem will likely be referred back to the program level.

Note: There shall be no retaliation against any student who identifies a problem or seeks assistance in resolving a conflict involving practicum site personnel, including those students who choose to file a formal grievance. We encourage students to notify Walden as soon as possible to allow for intervention and resolution, if possible.

1. Consult the Appropriate Specialization Coordinator

If a problem develops between students and their practicum course Faculty Member (or other Faculty or staff member), the specialization coordinator will help students determine the appropriate strategy to resolve the problem in an informal manner. The Faculty or staff member and/or the coordinator should fully inform the program director associate dean about any unresolved issues and document all attempts to resolve the issues students have presented. All parties should receive copies of documents memorializing resolution of and attempts to resolve the issues, after such documentation is submitted to and approved by the appropriate dean.

2. Consult the Program Director

If students are not able to resolve the problem with the support and intervention of the coordinator, they should approach the program director to seek guidance and/or intervention. The program director should already have copies of all the documentation of the problem and resolution efforts. The program director will initiate further investigation of the concern. Students may be offered counseling or other support at the program director’s discretion.

3. Consult the Dean

If students are not able to resolve the problem with the support and intervention of the program director, they should approach the dean to seek guidance and/or intervention. The dean should already have copies of all the documentation of the problem and resolution efforts. The dean will initiate further investigation of the concern. Students may be offered counseling or other support at the dean’s discretion.

4. Consider Filing a Grievance

If the dean is unable to facilitate resolution of the problem, students may consider filing an appeal or grievance following Walden University’s grievance procedure. Students should consult the Walden University Student Handbook: Process for Petitions, Appeals, Grievances, and Complaints for guidance on the process of submitting an appeal or grievance.

Note: Filing a grievance may initiate reassignment of one or more of the involved parties for a reasonable period to allow for an appropriate investigation of the situation. The right to confidentiality—both of the complainant and of the accused—will be respected to the extent possible, insofar as it does not interfere with the institution’s legal obligation or ability to investigate allegations of misconduct brought to the university’s attention or to take corrective action when it is found that misconduct has occurred.