Experiential Learning Requirements
Experiential Learning “supports students in gaining hands-on learning that helps them transition to employment”[1]. Experiential Learning can take the form of co-operative education, degree work placement, clinical/field placement, fieldwork/simulation labs, capstone/applied research projects, and service learning.
The status of clinical/field placements and co-op work terms will be subject to public health directives and the reopening plan. Students may complete their placement requirements at sites that are permitted to open, either onsite, following appropriate health and safety protocols, or remotely. Students will be asked to read and sign a Student Informed Consent form in order to ensure that they understand their rights and the potential health and safety risks. Similarly, employers and/or placement hosts will be required to complete an Employer/Placement Health and Safety Site Checklist.
If workplaces are not permitted to open, placements and work terms may be completed remotely where feasible. In programs where placements or unpaid internships can not be facilitated through alternative/distance models, students will be allowed to complete these components at a later date.
Work Integrated Learning
Field Placement or Clinical Placement
Placement facilities are arranged by a clinical placement officer. Communication between students, faculty advisors and placement supervisors are encouraged; however, students are not to seek out their own clinical placements.
During this program, you may have day shifts or evening shifts. Shift rotations are not negotiable, and will be dependent on the agreement with each hospital. Clinical Placement shifts may occur on any day of the week, other than academic class days.
Placements within the GTA will be secured by the Clinical Placement Office and you may travel up to 2 hours one way, using public transportation to your assigned clinical site. For the small group of students who live outside of the GTA, there are placements in the GTA. However, we will be piloting a Workplace placement project for only this group. These placements must be in Ontario and meet the criteria and learning outcomes for clinical experience.
Each student on placement will have a faculty advisor who will support him/her during placement, visit as required (minimum one visit) and assign the final grade using the evaluations received from the placement supervisor and other assigned course work.
To be successful in clinical or field placement, students are expected to perform skills in accordance with the College of Nurses of Ontario’s Fact Sheet – Requisite Skills and Abilities for Nursing Practice in Ontario. This document can be accessed online: http://www.cno.org/globalassets/docs/reg/41078-skillabilities-4pager-final.pdf
Students are also required to meet the College of Nurses of Ontario Competencies for entry-level Registered Nurse practice.
Faculty will be available for consultation as requested throughout the student’s placement experience.
Centennial has decided to provide our BScN and Bridging to University Nursing students with as much in-person clinical placement experience as the pandemic circumstances will permit. It is important for us to teach nursing’s psychomotor skills and give you the opportunity to practice new competencies, to increase your clinical judgement and high-level care decisions required working in acute-care and community settings. Clinical is a foundational course building your ability to meet the program’s vocational outcomes to graduate and successfully take your College of Nursing (CNO) licensure exam. This is an important step toward your transition onto the role of Registered Nurse.
The pandemic has exacerbated long-standing staffing and retention issues in the long- term care (LTC) sector. The many unexpected retirements and burn-out of nurses in the acute care sectors has led to severe staffing shortages in all areas of healthcare.
This will result in increasing requirement for well-trained nurses throughout Ontario. Institutions are continuously reviewing the Infection Control and Prevention guidelines for staff and health studies students, based on rapidly changing science and evidence. This environment requires Centennial to be extremely flexible within the limited clinical placements. During this pandemic, clinical placement offerings may change unexpectantly and we understand that this may be frustrating.
Provincial guidelines indicate that it is acceptable to have in-person events associated with nursing programs for clinical courses or nursing labs. The Ministry of Health recognizes the importance of students in health care and there are now exemptions to many of the initial restrictions for field placements/clinical placements for students.
Although we have secured additional clinical placements sites than last year, we currently have a reduced number of options for placements in the GTA, smaller group sizes and on-going changes to directives. Students who are off model route or schedule will need to work with the Placement Officer as placements cannot be guaranteed.
Your Health for the Clinical Setting
Centennial will work with you, the healthcare institution and the community to ensure that you are provided with:
• Sound Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) education based on current evidence-based principles.
• Faculty who will help ensure you meet your program requirements while taking all steps to help ensure the health and safety of the population that is supported by the placement.
• Placement partners who take all appropriate health and safety precautions to ensure the safety of all staff, students and clients in clinical settings.
• Pre-placement health clearance checks (including COVID vaccinations as available) before attending clinical. Nursing students are now part of the priority list for obtaining vaccinations. A letter from the school is available if required.
• All required PPE is provided by the clinical sites and Centennial Health Studies labs
Outbreaks
Successful completion of clinical courses requires time spent in in-person placement. This approach allows us to balance the need for maintaining your safety while providing you with meaningful clinical experiences.
• You will not be assigned to a COVID positive client
• You may care for Patients Under Investigation (PUIs). Clinical Instructors will determine if a PUI is suitable for the student assignment and support the student.
Should a clinical placement site experience a COVID-19 outbreak, you will continue to attend practice on that unit as long as the hospital IPAC team and your Clinical Instructor have deemed it safe to do so.
The Student:
1) Must provide evidence of current immunization, flu shots and completion of health record as required by the Ontario Public Hospital Act, ministry guidelines and placement agency policies. Note: The appropriate medical form will be available to students, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all (original)documentation is brought to your appointment with the Requisite Nurse through Paramed
2) Must complete Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Health Care Provider(HCP) Level “C” certification/re-certification on a yearly
3) Must obtain vulnerable person’s police check before entering into a clinical The vulnerable person’s police check cannot expire during a clinical semester.
4) Must have mask fit testing. (This is offered at Centennial College throughout the year, or can be obtained from your workplace).
- Ministry of Colleges and Universities. (2020). Graduate and Employer KPI Surveys 2020-2021 Cycle Operating Procedures. ↵
