 This manual was developed following guidelines outlined in the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) publication: Dumas, M.A, (Ed) (2000). Partners in NP education: A preceptor manual for NP programs, faculty, preceptors, and students. Washington, DC: National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties. This handbook was developed by Carla Dieter, Ed.D., CNP, Assistant Professor at South Dakota State University. Table of Contents
Criteria for Grading Clinical Progress
Course Syllabi
Course Schedules
Forms
The master’s degree program is fully accredited by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) accreditation arm, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. Program Purpose The purpose of the graduate program is to prepare nurses for advanced practice in nursing administration, clinical practice, or education. Program Objectives 1. Prepare graduates who demonstrate evidence based practice and lifelong learning. 2. Prepare advanced practice nurses who serve South Dakota in the delivery of primary health care, nursing administration, or nurse education. 3. Prepare advanced practice nurses for leadership roles in health care. Student Outcomes The graduate of the Master of Science in Nursing Program will: 1. Incorporate knowledge and theories from nursing
and other supportive disciplines into advanced nursing practice. Admission Requirements In addition to the requirements for admission to the SDSU Graduate School, the College of Nursing requires: 1. A baccalaureate degree in nursing from an accredited program with an upper division major in nursing including: a. An approved physical assessment course or physical assessment content integrated into undergraduate course work; b. A community health nursing course; 2. TOEFL Score of 560 if applicable. 3. Completion of an approved course in statistics (containing both descriptive and inferential statistics) within the six years prior to enrollment in first core nursing course. 4. A Junior/Senior grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 grading scale; 5. A minimum of 1500 hrs of nursing practice as a registered nurse in the two years prior to enrollment in the first nursing core course as verified by employer(s); 6. Licensure as an RN in South Dakota prior to enrollment in the first graduate nursing core course; 7. Coverage by professional RN liability insurance (1 million/3 million) prior to enrollment in the first graduate nursing core course; 8. Demonstration of logical thinking and writing skills in the preparation of a one page goal statement. This statement must detail goals for the next five years and explain why a master’s education in nursing is necessary for fulfilling those goals; 9. Computer literacy, including word processing and Internet capability. The list of specific computer hardware and software requirements is located as a link on the College of Nursing homepage and here. 10. ACLS certification is required of all students in the FNP specialization in the first semester. CURRICULUM Introduction Students in the Master of Science in Nursing program are required to complete between 40 and 54 semester hours of credit depending on the chosen specialization and the coursework, project or thesis option. Plans of Study vary for these alternatives. Departmental Comprehensive Written Examinations and a Graduate School final oral examination are required of all SDSU graduate students. Specializations All students select a specialization of
Full and Part-Time Study Students may select either full-time or part-time study at the Brookings campus. The length of the program for full-time students is five semesters for the FNP specialization and four semesters for the other specializations. Students may choose to take the program over three years at two courses per semester or over four years at one course per semester at the other sites. The Internet program, the Rapid City program and the Sioux Falls program are all four year programs. Students who wish to change from full time to part time or from part time to full time must request the change in writing to the department head Class Absences Attendance at all classes is a university
expectation. All students are held accountable for attaining the course
outcome criteria despite absences. Students are required to notify the
course faculty member of all absences prior to the absence or immediately
thereafter in the case of an emergency. Students hold the responsibility
for making up missed content and are required to submit proposed plans to
make up the missed class activities no later than the next class period
unless granted special permission in writing from the faculty member of
record. After review of the plan, the faculty member has one week to take
one or more of the following actions: Excused Absences There are activities that are regarded as College of Nursing approved events for excused absences from nursing classes, labs or practical. In order to be an excused absence, students must be attending these events either in conjunction with their participation in the organization, as a class assignment, or as a professional board or committee member. Students must arrange in advance with the course faculty member to request an excused absence from class and/or lab or practicum experience to attend approved events. The student is responsible for any missed course content. Such events include but are not limited to the following: the South Dakota Nurses' Association Convention or board meetings; Nurses' Day at the Legislature; Sigma Theta Tau Research Day or regional and national research meetings; wellness or health events on campus which are sponsored as University events; the Ethel Austin Martin Nutrition Forum; South Dakota Rural Health Conference; South Dakota Environmental Health Association, South Dakota Public Health Association. Events not included in this list will be reviewed on an individual basis by the Graduate Nursing Department Head in the context of this policy. Absence from non-nursing courses are regulated by the department in which the course is offered. University policies pertaining to absences, trip permits, and travel must be followed. Academic Dishonesty South Dakota State University has taken a strong and clear stand regarding academic dishonesty and plagiarism. The consequences of academic dishonesty range from disciplinary probation to expulsion of the student. The full policies are found in Chapter One of the SDSU Student Code (01:10:23:01 - 01:10:23:04) in the SDSU Student Policy Manual. Any student charged with academic dishonesty or plagiarism may appeal the ruling of the faculty by following the appeal procedure described in Chapter Two of the Student Policy Manual (Academic Appeals and Classroom Standards). For further information contact the office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Admin building 230, (605) 688-4173. Clinical Setting Selection 1. Faculty members select practicum sites and preceptors based on feasibility of achieving specified learning outcomes. 2. Student input into selection of a clinical area or facility may be solicited for some courses. 3. In order to obtain specific clinical experiences to meet course objectives, students may be required to travel to clinical settings in a variety of geographic settings. Students should be aware of the possibility of direct and the indirect expenses associated with travel. 4. In order to maximize learning outcomes, students may be required to travel to clinical sites the evening prior to clinical to assess patients, review medical records, or use the medical library facilities connected with the clinical agency. Specific Policies for Students in Clinical Facilities 1. Professional apparel that meets agency guidelines is expected. Conservative and professional dress clothing and a lab coat are the norm. No jeans or shorts or running shoes or bare midriff or low cut clothing are allowed in an agency or agency library. 2. The student will work within the policies of the agency and maintain a constructive relationship with the agency. 3. The student is required to supply health information to facilities as requested, such as those required by Veteran's Administration Hospitals or Indian Health Service Hospitals. 4. The student must wear a name pin which identifies her or his status as a South Dakota State University graduate nursing student. Pin size is an individual choice; however, pins should be ordered with white letters on a blue background with the following designation: Full name, RN The graduate student name pin is worn only when the student is participating in or involved in experiences related to the graduate student role. The pin is ordered through the Departmental Secretary in Graduate Nursing. The first pin is free. Second or lost pins are paid for by the student. 5 .The student is responsible for her or his individual costs related to clinical experiences. This includes transportation and may also include overnight hotel and meal costs. General Guidelines Regarding Clinical Practicum 1. Participation in approved clinical experiences at the required number of hours for each specific course; student must be prepared, active, informed, accountable, and professional. 2. Demonstration of effective and appropriate communication skills. 3. Demonstration of effective and appropriate documentation on client’s records, dictation, and clinical logs, including correct spelling. 4. Participation in clinical post-conference (online or in class) 5. Availability to meet with preceptor and clinical instructor for site visit. 6. Completion of clinical logs documenting variety of experiences using the required system. 7. Two clinical conferences with instructor (midterm & final). 8. Completion of personal/professional objectives along with self-evaluation of progress. Attendance at Clinical Experiences Students are to negotiate acceptable hours with the preceptor prior to starting clinical practicum. The student is expected to accommodate the preceptor's availability and schedule. Students are expected to treat the agreed upon clinical hours as they would a place of employment. If the student is to be absent for a scheduled clinical day due to illness or emergency, the preceptor should be notified prior to the beginning of the clinical day. The student should negotiate the procedure for contacting the preceptor in case of absence prior to starting clinical practicum. Make-up hours are then to be negotiated. Students also must contact the faculty member promptly. Students are required to keep a log of completed clinical hours and have the preceptor sign the log verifying time spent. Specific intervals required are set by each course. If the student is not attending clinical as scheduled, the faculty member needs to be notified promptly. Graduate Student Health Requirements Students are not required to be immunized with Hepatitis B vaccine. However, if an institution where clinical experience is scheduled requires the Hepatitis B immunization, the student must provide proof of immunization. Criteria for Grading Clinical Progress Faculty Role Faculty assume the ultimate responsibility for the evaluation of the student. Faculty employ several methods including making site visit(s) to observe the student in actual patient care situations as well as interactions with staff and preceptor. Additionally, regular review of student's clinical logs documenting the student's clinical experiences and supportive evidence from the clinical preceptor are utilized. Preceptor Role While the faculty member assumes ultimate responsibility for the formal written evaluation, the preceptor's input will provide supportive evidence for the ratings. The "Preceptor Evaluation of the Student" Tool will provide a framework and serve as a guide in collecting objective and subjective data about student performance. The preceptor's primary role is teaching. In the teaching process, the preceptor will observe the student in practice and fit those observations into the evaluation framework. The preceptor is in a position to collect data that gives evidence of student competence. Also, the preceptor has the opportunity to support professional practice standards and the credibility of SDSU College of Nursing. The preceptor's observations of the student's performance should be compared with practice standards, validated with faculty, and shared with the student. The student's response to your day to day feedback also becomes a part of your evaluation data. Preceptors need to remember that they do not fail students or stall a student's progress. Instead, the student's performance either meets or fails to meet criteria. As a general rule, preceptors are asked to fill out the "Preceptor Evaluation of the Student" form midway through the student's hours and near the end of the completion of hours. Preceptors are encouraged to contact the faculty at any time with any questions or concerns. Graduate Department Head SDSU College of Nursing Box 2275 Brookings, S.D. 57007 605-688-4114 email:
Carla Dieter, Ed.D., CNP Assistant Professor SDSU College of Nursing Box 2275 Brookings, S.D. 57007 W: 605-688-4897 H: 605-693-3123 email: Carla_Dieter@sdstate.edu
Karen Pawelek Instructor SDSU College of Nursing Box 2275 Brookings, S.D. 57007 W: 605-688-5884 email: Kren_Pawelek@sdstate.edu
Patricia Shaver Instructor SDSU College of Nursing Box 2275 Brookings, S.D. 57007 W: 605-688-6708 email: Patricia_Shaver@sdstate.edu
Shirley Roddy Instructor SDSU College of Nursing Box 2275 Brookings, S.D. 57007 W: 605-688-5389 email: Shirley_Roddy@sdstate.edu
Preceptor & Site approval and verification of current contracts All preceptors and clinical sites must be approved by the clinical faculty prior to a final agreement with the preceptor. The preceptor must have a minimum of one year clinical practice. The preceptor's credentials to practice in the state of the clinical practice site and a brief CV must accompany the students' request for preceptorship unless this current information is on file. Contracts with the preceptor and the clinical agency must be in place prior to the student being on site for clinical. Communication with preceptors Faculty should contact the preceptor prior to the onset of student clinical experience. Information that should be shared includes: course requirements; level of prospective student; time and method of regular communication; expectations of the preceptor; method(s) of student performance evaluation. This information can be through written or verbal communication. Faculty will also communicate with the preceptor at the time of the site visit. Additional communications as necessary should be conducted. Preparation of student Faculty are responsible for verifying that students meet pre-clinical requirements prior to entering the clinical setting. This includes verifying that the student has completed pre-requisite course work, holds a current state RN license, has current malpractice insurance, and is appropriately certified in BLS or ACLS as required by the course level. Methods to orient the student to their responsibilities include, but are not limited to, verbal and written communication. Orientation materials can include this document. Site visits & facilitation of clinical activities The faculty, in conjunction with the student, identifies an appropriate preceptor. In addition, the faculty member will make scheduled visits to the clinic site. The date and time are confirmed with the student. It is the student's responsibility to inform the preceptor of the date/time of the visit. Purposes of the site visit include observation and evaluation of the student in actual patient care situations as well as student's interaction with staff and preceptor. Additionally, it provides the faculty member, the preceptor and the student an opportunity to discuss the student's progress. Faculty meetings with students Faculty will have regularly scheduled meetings with students to discuss their progress. Clinical logs will be reviewed on a weekly basis. Communication with student Faculty will have regularly scheduled meetings with students to discuss their progress. Clinical logs will be reviewed on a weekly basis. Evaluation of student The course syllabus and clinical evaluation forms include the requirements and evaluation criteria for successful student performance. Evaluations by the faculty member with input from the preceptor are important components of the student performance. Open communication between the faculty, preceptor and student is essential. Faculty assume the ultimate responsibility for the evaluation of the student. Faculty employ several methods including making site visit(s) to observe the FNP student in actual patient care situations as well as interactions with staff and preceptor. Additionally, regular review of student's clinical logs documenting the student's clinical experiences and supportive evidence from the clinical preceptor are utilized. Evaluation of clinical site and preceptor Faculty will complete a regular review of each preceptor using information from the faculty and student evaluations. These documents will be used for continued approval or removal as a preceptor. Roles The preceptor's primary role is teaching. Preceptors assist the student to integrate and apply knowledge from their foundational courses incorporating the information in the assessment and management plan. Preceptor's also stimulate clinical decision making through questioning the student regarding their observations and reasoning. This process assists the student to reflect and describe their assessment and recommend differential diagnoses, diagnostic testing, and treatment plans. Additionally, preceptors assist the student to become more accurate and complete in their documentation of pertinent information. The preceptor has the opportunity to model interpersonal relationship skills with colleagues, patients and families including interactions involving patient and family education. Preceptors can model behaviors to navigate the organizational system such as experiences with managed care and interagency referrals. Furthermore, the preceptor models the role of a health care provider and an interdisciplinary team member. Communication with Faculty While preceptors are encouraged to contact the faculty person at any time, preceptors should contact faculty as soon as possible for situations involving a student's unsafe practice, unethical conduct or any changes in the preceptor's availability to precept. Any agency concerns should also be related to the faculty member. Additionally, preceptors will have the opportunity to discuss student progress with the faculty member when site visit(s) are made. Communication with student Preceptors are encouraged to provide regular feedback to the student including brief discussions of the student's daily performance, as well as midterm and final evaluations. Preceptors are encouraged to relate concerns to the student at the time of occurrence in order for the student to rectify any concerns as soon as possible. Evaluation of student While the faculty member assumes ultimate responsibility for the formal written evaluation, the preceptor's input will provide supportive evidence for the ratings. The "Preceptor Evaluation of the Student" Tool will give a framework to use as a guide in collecting objective and subjective data about student performance. The preceptor's primary role is teaching. In the teaching process, the preceptor will observe the student in practice and fit those observations into the evaluation framework. Ppreceptors are in a position to collect data that gives evidence of student competence. Also, preceptors, have an opportunity to support professional practice standards and the credibility of SDSU College of Nursing. Observations of the student's performance should be compared with practice standards, validated with faculty, and shared with the student. The student's response to your day to day feedback also becomes a part of the preceptor's evaluation data. Preceptors need to remember that they do not fail students or stall a student's progress. Instead, the student's performance either meets or fails to meet criteria. As a general rule, preceptors are asked to fill out the "Preceptor Evaluation of the Student" form midway through the student's hours and near the end of the completion of hours. Preceptors are encouraged to contact the faculty at any time with any questions or concerns. Documentation of Credentials A curriculum vitae or resume for each preceptor is required to be on file. Documentation of preceptor license and credentials to practice is important to assure the quality of providers who mentor students. These documents must be available to the visiting accrediting bodies during program evaluation and renewal. It is important for students to recognize their role as a student NP and his/her responsibilities to the clinical site and preceptor. The student can optimize their clinical learning experience by following these guidelines. Selection of Preceptor Students have input into the selection of their clinical preceptor. Students can suggest a preceptor to the clinical professor based on the practitioner's past experience with NP students from the program, recommendations from faculty, geographic need, preceptor specialty/subspecialty, and reputation of the preceptor. All preceptors and clinical sites must be approved by the clinical faculty prior to a final agreement with the preceptor. The preceptor must have a minimum of one year clinical practice. The preceptor's credentials to practice in the state of the clinical practice site and a brief CV must accompany the students' request for preceptorship unless this current information is on file. Interview with Preceptor The student should set up an appointment to meet with the preceptor prior to beginning clinical hours. The student should go to the meeting prepared with a resume, written clinical objectives, clinical calendar form to negotiate clinical hours for the semester, copies of RN licensure, liability insurance, and CPR/ACLS certification. The student should discuss with the preceptor the patient population in their practice and the most common clinical problems that s/he can expect to encounter in the clinical site. This will help the student prepare for the first clinical day. Negotiation of clinical hours Students are to negotiate acceptable hours with the preceptor prior to starting clinical practicum. The student is expected to accommodate the preceptor's availability and schedule. The student's personal and work schedules are expected to accommodate participation in the required number of clinical hours specified by the clinical course. The clinical calendar should be completed and a copy for the preceptor, faculty and student provided. Changes to the clinical schedule are provided in writing to the preceptor and the clinical professor. Preparation for Clinical The student is expected to prepare for the clinical practicum as recommended by the faculty and preceptor. This preparation includes developing individual learning objectives, conferring with faculty and preceptor on areas of weakness that need to be refined, and seeking independent learning experiences that will provide the student with a higher level of self-confidence. The student should discuss with the preceptor the patient population in the preceptor's practice and the most common clinical problems that s/he can expect to encounter in the clinical site. This will help the student prepare for the first clinical day. The student is expected to prepare for the clinical practicum by reading current reference material for the clinical problems most often encountered by the preceptor. Subsequent clinical days preparation should include reading appropriate reference material to expand knowledge regarding clinical situations encountered by the student during the practicum hours. Attendance at Clinical Students are to negotiate acceptable hours with the preceptor prior to starting clinical practicum. The student is expected to accommodate the preceptor's availability and schedule. Students are expected to treat the agreed upon clinical hours as they would a place of employment. If the student is to be absent for a scheduled clinical day due to illness or emergency, the preceptor should be notified prior to the beginning of the clinical day. The student should negotiate the procedure for contacting the preceptor in case of absence prior to starting clinical practicum. Make-up hours are then to be negotiated. Students also must contact the faculty member promptly. Students are required to keep a log of completed clinical hours and have the preceptor sign the log verifying time spent. Specific required intervals for submission of hours to clinical faculty are set by each course. If the student is not attending clinical as scheduled, the faculty member needs to be notified promptly. Resume The student should provide a one to two-page summary of their education, work history and clinical experience. Include clinical and other pertinent courses completed in the nurse practitioner program and previous student NP clinical experiences. Clinical Objectives The student will provide the preceptor with a copy of the course objectives. In addition, the student will provide the preceptor and the faculty with student-specific clinical objectives prior to starting clinical practicum hours. The student should develop their own individual learning objectives reflecting on their strengths and weaknesses. Students will complete a self-evaluation of their objectives on time-lines provided by each individual course. Malpractice Insurance Coverage by professional RN liability insurance (1 million/3 million) prior to enrollment in the first graduate nursing core course. BLS & ACLS certification Successful completion of Basic Life Support (BLS) prior to their first graduate clinical course. Successful completion of an Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) course is concurrent or prior to NURS 765. Licensure Licensure is required as an RN in South Dakota prior to enrollment in the first graduate nursing core course. Licensure as an RN is required in the state where clinical hours will be completed. Multi-state licensure compacts recognized by the Board of Nursing in South Dakota are acceptable. Evaluation of clinical site and preceptor The student's evaluation of their preceptored experience and the expertise of the preceptor is required at the end of each clinical experience. Confidentiality of Information The student will maintain confidentiality while communicating data, plans, and results in a manner that preserves the dignity and privacy of the client and provides a legal record of care. For purposes of accreditation, students will assemble certain information in relation to their participation in the care of patients, but subsequent use of the information will be in redacted form meeting HIPAA Limited Data Set requirements. When recording data to document student experiences, the student will remove any patient identifying data as identified as "Limited Data Sets." Limited Data Sets are Protected Health Information (PHI) with the following twelve identifiers regarding the patient, the patient's employer, the patient's relatives and the members of the patient's household removed from it: 1) name; 2) street address; 3) telephone and fax numbers; 4) e-mail addresses; 5) social security numbers; 6) certificate/license numbers; 7) vehicle identifiers and serial numbers; 8) URLs and IP addresses; 9) full face photos and other comparable images; 10) medical record numbers, health plan beneficiary numbers, and other account numbers 11) device identifiers and serial numbers: and 12) biometric identifiers, including finger and voice prints. Course Syllabi
Course Schedules
Forms
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