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Professional Dress and Behavior

Students must wear attire as appropriate to the immersion setting. Students will always wear their USU official identification badge whenever on-site in the student role. Students must also bring their USU official identification badge during their practice immersions. Students should order this badge as early as possible, and it must be worn to Residency 1 in DNP701. The link to order your USU badge is: https://goo.gl/forms/na0al2HTJtpQD9g32. Students should email reception@usuniversity.edu for assistance with badge orders. All students are expected to present themselves as representatives of United States University’s program. All students are expected to be respectful to faculty, student colleagues, staff, patients, and their families. Reports of unprofessional behavior will result in your being counseled by the Immersion faculty or recipient of the complaint and will be reported to the Program Director. The Program Director or Immersion Faculty may initiate a Code of Conduct review. You are expected to follow Unites States University’s official Code of Conduct policy identified in the University Catalog.

Doctor of Nursing Practice students are expected to be clear of any felony convictions at the time of admission into the College of Nursing and Health Sciences and to remain free of felony convictions for the duration of the program. If the prospective student or enrolled student is charged with a felony, or another undesignated offense either before formal admission or during the program, he/she must notify their Academic Advisor, Clinical Placement Coordinator and Program Director immediately.

DNP Student Professional Practice Immersion Attire

The student should have professional attire for all immersion experiences. Any deviations in dress at immersions will result in an Immersion warning or the student being sent home and placed on Immersion pause. Proper identification MUST be worn at all times in all immersion settings. The uniform and identification requirements of the Practice Immersion agency are to be followed.

You will need to order your name badge in DS 700 so it can be mailed to you at your home of record. The name badge will show your picture, legal first and last name, and “DNP Student.” The name badge must be worn while attending any immersion activity and should not be worn at any time outside the conduct of university immersion and project work.

Professional Appearance

In most Practice Immersion settings, business casual is acceptable and can be interpreted as:

  • Women: wrinkle-free slacks (dress pants), skirts (mid-calf to about two inches above the knee), blouses, shells, cardigans, blazers or dresses, clean low-heeled shoes that cover the entire foot.
  • Men: wrinkle-free dress pants, button down shirts, polo shirts (short-sleeved shirts with a collar), blazers, clean shoes that cover the entire foot.

Do not wear:

  • Denim/jean material
  • Anything that is see-through, short, tight, or shows too much skin.
  • Low neck lines or visible midriffs
  • Flip-flops or sandals. Please refer to and abide by the dress code at your immersion site.

Additional Information

  1. Students must wear their ID whenever they are participating in Immersion activities. Students who do not wear this ID may be asked to leave the facility.
  2. Hair should be short or pulled back and styled neatly. Please refer to and abide by the dress code for your immersion site. Beards or mustaches, if worn, should be neatly trimmed.
  3. Fingernails should be neatly trimmed and free of cracked nail polish. Only clear or neutral nail polish may be used if desired. Acrylic nails or any other nail enhancements are not permitted.
  4. Permitted jewelry includes one pair of studded earrings, a watch, a plain ring band. No other visible jewelry is acceptable, including tongue rings or other facial jewelry. Clear spacers may not be worn in place of facial piercings. Tattoos and any other body art should be covered where possible.
  5. Perfume, scented lotions, after-shave lotion, and heavy makeup are not acceptable in the Practice Immersion area.
  6. Gum chewing is not acceptable.
  7. Clothing worn in non-Practice Immersion setting activities not requiring student uniform should adhere to professional standards as stated in this handbook and in USU’s Catalog under Dress Code.
  8. Students are expected to follow agency guidelines and Practice Immersion faculty directions regarding the appropriateness of cell phone usage in the Immersion setting.
  9. Please remember that students represent United States University. Your appearance must be clean, neat, and professional.