Practical Nursing Program Standards for Professionalism
Professional Appearance, Uniforms and Grooming Guidelines
As a Practical Nursing student in the Professional Practice setting your clients and their families see you as a member of the health care team.
Students are expected to adhere to the professional appearance policy of both Mohawk College and those outlined by their Professional Practice setting. Please note that each Professional Practice setting has its own uniform/professional appearance and/or footwear policies that are also to be followed.
This policy outlines the professional image expectations for students in the clinical practice setting and is based on principles for professionalism, infection control, personal safety, and role identification. If an agency has requirements not covered by this policy, students must conform to agency requirements. Consideration may be made for individual dress that is specific to cultural or religious beliefs. Inappropriately dressed students may be asked to leave the clinical area. Any time away from professional practice will be considered an absence.
Neatness, cleanliness, conservative makeup, jewelry, and safety considerations all help to create a look of competence, commitment, and professionalism. It is your responsibility to maintain this appearance. Therefore, in clinical practice situations, students are required to ensure that abdomen, back, chest, shoulders, and upper thighs are fully covered through all range of movement while providing patient care.
Uniforms
- Students in the Practical Nursing program are expected to wear ciel blue scrubs. Students have the option to purchase uniform tops with their program embroidered on them or purchase a program uniform badge to sew onto their uniform top. Uniforms and badges can be purchased from the McMaster University Health Sciences bookstore.
- Directions for patch application: Apply the PN Practical Nursing patch to the left shoulder of ALL Scrub Tops. Secure with same color thread as border. Patch should be placed and equal distance between the shoulder seam and the bottom of the sleeve. If the scrub top does not have a shoulder seam, the patch should be placed an equal distance between the top of the shoulder and the bottom of the sleeve.
- All badges must be visible in the Professional Practice environment, some agencies may also have their own agency specific badges that are to be visible during Professional Practice.
Lanyards
- Lanyards holding ID badges must have a quick release mechanism to prevent risk of choking/injury.
Personal Hygiene
- No perfumes or colognes should be used to promote a scent-free environment.
- Personal hygiene is important, including use of deodorant or antiperspirant.
Hair
- Hair should be neat, clean, and off the face.
- Long hair to be tied back and off the collar/shoulder.
- Clean-shaven to meet N95 fit testing requirements.
Fingernails & Eyelashes
- Fingernails must be clean and neatly trimmed.
- Nail embellishments and polish are not permitted.
- Artificial nails and gels are not to be worn.
- Artificial eyelashes or eyelash extensions are not permitted.
Jewelry and Tattoos
- Jewelry must be kept to a minimum.
- Bracelets and rings with stones are not permitted.
- A plain wedding band is permitted.
- Small stud(s) only for any visible body piercing.
- Tattoos that depict violence, pornography, gang, or racial messages must be covered.
Shoes
- Students must wear a separate pair of shoes for professional practice, as regular street shoes are not permitted due to policies related to infection control.
- Footwear must be in good condition, have an enclosed toe and heel, no mesh or holes, low to medium heel, and slip-resistant soles as per Occupational Health and Safety requirements.
- Shoes must be a solid colour with limited designs or logos.
References:
- Footwear – Assessment Checklist : Occupational Health and Safety Answers Canadian Government of Canada http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/prevention/ppe/footwear_assessment.html
- Guide to the Occupational Health and Safety Act. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/pubs/ohsa/index.php
Travel & Transportation
Students are responsible for their own travel and costs to clinical placements. Clinical placements may occur at locations that are not accessible by public transit. Students should expect to either have access to a car or the ability to supply their own transportation when attending clinical placements in our catchment area that includes Hamilton, Brantford, Halton, Haldimand, Dunnville, Burlington, Niagara, Norfolk, and surrounding regions.
Medication Administration
The program tracks actual and near-miss errors in interventions and medication administration. In addition to completing necessary agency documentation, the student and clinical supervisor also complete the Medication/Intervention error or near miss form. (Appendix H)
Non-Academic Requirements (NARs) and Health and Safety Passport -HSTrax
Placements are a component of the Practical Nursing program. All students are responsible to complete and submit their Non-academic Requirements (NAR) prior to starting Professional Practice. Information regarding what is required in order to complete your Non-academic Requirements (NARs) is located under MyMohawk > Academics > Preplacement Services channel (Preplacement Services). Please pay attention to the submission deadlines listed. Students are required to complete the tasks as required in order to attend Professional Practice. It is the student’s responsibility to assure that all of their NAR items are up to date for the entire semester that they are completing Professional Practice.
Any student who has not completed all of their NAR is not supported to attend placement.
- Attendance at Professional Practice placement while NAR are not complete is considered to be Academic Dishonesty and will be treated as such. (see Academic Integrity Policy).
- Students with incomplete NARs by start of placements each term will have their agency placements cancelled and be asked to withdraw from their respective Professional Practice courses.
Mandatory Professional Practice Attendance
Professional Practice is essential to learning in the PN program. All Professional Practice hours are mandatory and as such, completed hours of attendance in clinical courses are tracked each semester. Missing Professional Practice time may jeopardize a student’s ability to be successful in meeting course objectives.
Process to report Professional Practice absences:
Students who will be absent from Professional Practice are to notify their instructor and the agency (unit) where they are practicing in a timely fashion. Please review what is required with your instructor and agency as each site may have different expectations.
Liability for Illness or Injury in Professional Practice
As a mandatory portion of your Non-academic Requirements (NARs), Practical Nursing students must fulfill unpaid training or work experience consent forms, WSIB Declaration.
If illness or an accident resulting in personal injury (e.g. needlestick injury, fall, actual or near miss, violence in the workplace) occurs during the unpaid training/placement program, the student must immediately:
- Seek first-aid or emergency services if needed. Follow agency/workplace procedures;
- Notify the f clinical instructor and/or placement preceptor.
- Notify the Professional Practice Coordinator.
- Complete an agency specific incident report and provide a copy of this report to the Professional Practice Coordinator (if possible)
- Complete and submit the Mohawk College Accident/Incident Report form
Conflict Resolution
Conflict between students and professional practice clinical instructors are often related to differences in expectations, personality, learning styles, or when feedback is negative. Clarity in communications and awareness of the tendency for problems to escalate can be used to maintain a productive relationship. When issues arise, the following steps should be followed to resolution of the problem:
The student is encouraged to bring the problem to the attention of the professional practice clinical instructor. The professional practice instructor and the student should attempt to resolve the issue informally.
If the problem has not been resolved informally, the student and professional practice clinical instructor should both document the nature of the complaint, the steps taken to resolve it, and the outcome. The student should submit the complaint in writing to the Clinical Manager
ALTERNATIVELY, the student may contact the Mohawk College Dispute Resolution Coordinator to discuss how best to proceed under the Mohawk College Student Complaint Procedure.
If the problem has still not been satisfactorily addressed with, the Clinical Manager will refer the problem to the Associate Dean who will proceed to address the complaint according to established procedure.
Learning Activities
Attendance will be recorded weekly by the professional practice faculty and also by the student using HSPnet.
Participate in evaluation and feedback activities, including:
- Learning plan (Appendix D)
- Thinking Like a Nurse (Appendix F)
- Peer Feedback (Appendix G)
- Midterm and Final Self Evaluation of the professional practice experience (Appendix B & Appendix C)
