Field Experience Policies - College of Nursing and Health Sciences

The College of Nursing and Health Sciences (CONHS) and its Office of Field Experience (OFE) are committed to delivering robust support to CONHS students in preparation for and throughout their field experiences, promoting continuous compliance with all relevant requirements or regulations. Field experiences, which encompass external experiences or externships, are mandatory components for specific CONHS programs. The term "field experience" is inclusive of clinical, practicum, or practice immersion experiences.

Registration of Field Experience Courses

Students must obtain OFE approval prior to entering each field experience course. Students are advised to review the relevant programs’ field experience handbook for detailed requirements and instructions.

OFE Approval Process

To gain approval, students must submit the following documents to the Office of Field Experience by the appropriate deadline:

Approved health and safety documents submitted through Complio.
Preceptor or mentor documentation and approval.
Active affiliation agreement.
Fulfillment of any additional requirements stipulated by the field experience site.

Upon submission, these documents will undergo review in accordance with the respective program handbook. Review times may vary.

Maintaining OFE Approval

To uphold approval status, students must adhere to the following guidelines:

Maintain current health and safety documents. OFE, through Complio, sends notifications to students 60 days before document expiration and provides reminders every 15 days leading up to expiration.
Preceptor/mentor documents, such as licenses, must be current. OFE reaches out in advance to preceptors for upcoming expirations. Preceptors/mentors are subject to periodic re-review.
Active affiliation agreements must be maintained. OFE reaches out in advance to affiliate/field experience sites for upcoming expirations.
Fulfillment of any additional requirements stipulated by the field experience site.

If a student intends to change their field experience site or preceptor, they must communicate this to the OFE in advance and by the appropriate deadline to allow for processing, review, and approval.

Late or Incomplete Documentation Notice

Late submission of documentation or information may lead to clinical restrictions or delays in course progression. Failure to provide complete, up-to-date documentation, including health and safety, preceptor, and affiliate documents, may lead to clinical restrictions or delays in course progression. While OFE makes all reasonable efforts to renew preceptor and site documents, if a delay occurs, this may result in clinical restrictions or delays in course progression. Students are responsible for all costs associated with repeat courses. All components of each requirement must be received by OFE. Students may be asked to assist in facilitating the submission of these documents.

Code of Conduct Notice

Students who do not comply with the OFE requirements set forth in this policy are subject to Code of Conduct referral.

Health and Safety Requirements

Health and safety requirements are mandated by agreement with the clinical sites in which a student may be placed. Therefore, USU cannot make exceptions to waive any health and safety requirements. Students that refuse to provide appropriate health and safety documentation, or request medical waivers (subject to approval), by the appropriate deadline will be responsible to find and secure their own clinical placement experiences that meet the appropriate standards. Students must communicate with the OFE prior to reaching out to any clinical site, as there may be pre-established procedures to be followed for that facility. Students must provide documentation from the clinical site (owner, director, CEO) stating that they approve the student to do clinical hours within their facility without documentation of these health and safety requirements. Documentation will be verified by the OFE prior to each rotation.

Commencement of Clinical Hours

Students must initiate clinical hours within the first week of each clinical course. Failure to meet this requirement may necessitate withdrawal, reapplication, and course retake.

Address Updates

Students must promptly notify the OFE of a change of address immediately as this may impact clinical placement. A student who moves to a state in which the program is not offered will not be able to complete the program.

OFE Placement Support Services

Students are responsible for identifying clinical placements and preceptors and must actively partner with the OFE to facilitate placements that align with student preferences within the scope of the program requirements.
Students must submit a minimum of three qualified preceptors with valid contact information at least 6 months prior to the start of each clinical course. Students should submit this via the Preceptor Form or Interest Form.
Should the preferred placements not work out, OFE will assist students in obtaining a placement. Priority for placements will be given to students who submit all required documentation by the appropriate deadline(s).
In a case where a preceptor is unable to fulfill their requirements due to reasons outside of the student’s control, the OFE will make every reasonable attempt to assist the student in finding alternative placement to complete the hours. If this is not possible, the student may need to withdraw, retake the course, and all associated clinical hours will be lost and need to be repeated the following term. Students will be responsible for all costs associated with any repeat courses.
Every reasonable attempt will be made to obtain a placement in the student's geographical area. Students must be willing to travel to any site in their state at their own expense to complete the clinical requirements. Travel time is not an appropriate reason to deny a clinical placement.
Students are expected to accommodate preceptor and site schedules.
Out of respect for those providers that have agreed to precept students at their clinical site, students that have accepted a clinical placement provided by the OFE, as requested, must complete all hours associated with that placement. Failure to do so will result in referral to the Code of Conduct Committee and may impact future placement opportunities being extended. Students may deny placements provided by the Office of Field Experience should they desire to self-place for a rotation. If an offered placement was declined or not accepted within 24 business hours, excluding holidays, students must provide their own placement for that clinical rotation by deadline.
Clinical site/preceptors may require interviews or additional requirements and the student must follow through with these expectations and appointments. Should these expectations or appointments not be met, students must provide their own placement for that clinical rotation by deadline.

Clinical Site Fees

USU does not cover preceptor or clinical site fees. Students are responsible for negotiating payment directly with their selected preceptor/site or placement service. If a student opts to utilize a placement service, students are responsible for communicating the respective preceptor/mentor and field experience site requirements to the placement service agency.