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Title of Policy/Procedure: Graduate Nursing Clinical Clearance Requirements
Approval Responsibility (Title & Name): Chair, Department of Graduate Nursing
Approved by (Title & Name): John Gonzalez
Last Date of Approval: 1/7/2022
Communication Requirement and Date: Graduate Nursing Students, Graduate Nursing Faculty,
Clinical Coordinators, Post on Website and the clinical management software
Date for Next Review: 1/7/2022
Official SharePoint Location Name and Path:
Comments: Overview of Clinical Course Clearance Requirements
Overview
The University of Texas at Arlington CONHI contracts with clinical agencies to provide
experiential learning experiences to graduate nursing students in the MSN Education, MSN
Nurse Practitioner, and DNP programs. To ensure student and public safety, UTA has developed
minimal clinical clearance requirements to which students must adhere, to enter the clinical
setting. These requirements are integrated into the affiliation agreement with each clinical
agency, which underscores the need for student compliance with clinical clearance
requirements.
Policy
1. All Clinical Clearance Requirements are listed and tracked in the clinical management
software.
2. Students must be compliant with all clinical clearance requirements within 60 days of
being admitted to a graduate nursing program. Compliance must be maintained
throughout the entire program.
3. Noncompliance with any of the clinical clearance requirements, at any time during the
program, will result in one or more of the following.
a. A clinical hold placed on the student’s account which will prevent the student
from registering for the next semester.
b. A delay in starting a clinical course.
c. A denied clinical placement.
d. Removal from the clinical setting.
e. Failure in a clinical course.
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4. All registered nurse licenses of all UTA graduate nursing students must be
unencumbered by their respective state Board of Nursing (BON) to participate in all
graduate clinical nursing courses. It is imperative that any student whose license
becomes encumbered by any BON must immediately notify the Chair of The
Department of Graduate Nursing. Students with an encumbrance on any state RN
license will not be permitted to enroll in a clinical course or will be removed from a
clinical course.
5. Students under investigation by any board of nursing, for any reason, must report this
information to the Chair of The Department of Graduate Nursing or their designee as
soon as they are notified of the pending investigation. Pending board of nursing
investigations may prohibit students from enrolling in a clinical course and/or
completing clinical hours. These cases are evaluated on an individual basis.
6. Vaccine and TB requirements are developed by the Department of Graduate Nursing to
comply with CDC guidelines and to meet most clinical agencies requirements.
7. Clinical agencies may develop additional requirements with which graduate nursing
students must also comply.
8. Graduate nursing students requesting clearance for a clinical course must comply with
the Department of Graduate Nursing's’ minimal vaccine and TB screening requirements.
Noncompliance will result in the student’s clinical site being denied and their clinical
course start date being delayed until the next semester.
9. Graduate nursing students will not be exempt from any clinical clearance requirement
when their respective agency does not require an item which is required by the
Department of Graduate Nursing.
10. The Department of Graduate Nursing recognizes and honors that medical
contraindications to vaccines may prevent a student from obtaining one or more
vaccines. Any student with a medical contraindication must complete the medical
declination waiver, have it signed by their provider, and upload the completed form to
the clinical management software.
11. The Department of Graduate Nursing recognizes and honors that a student may have an
exemption for one or more vaccines for reasons of conscience, including religious
beliefs. Any student claiming an exemption for reasons of conscience must present a
signed and notarized affidavit from the Texas Health and Human Services. This includes
students who reside in and outside of Texas.
a. The process for requesting an affidavit for exemption is found at:
https://www.dshs.texas.gov/immunize/school/exemptions.aspx
b. Upon completion the student must submit the form to their clinical coordinator
and upload it the clinical management software.
12. Exemptions to vaccines, medical or otherwise, are only good for admission to the
university. Students who file a medical declination waiver or exemption for reasons of
conscience must still conform with each of their clinical agency’s requirements.
13. All students must complete a FERPA release. Upon verifying that the FERPA release has
been completed by the student, the clinical coordinator will notify the student’s clinical
agencies that they have filed a medical declination waiver or exemption for reason of
conscience. The clinical agency shall be informed of all vaccines which the student has
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not received and will be asked if they will allow the student into their facility without the
respective vaccines.
14. The clinical agency has the final determination on whether a student who has filed a
medical declination waiver or exemption for reasons of conscience may complete
clinicals in their facility. Should the clinical facility decline to have a student, the self-
placement request will be denied. The student will not be allowed to enroll in the
clinical course and their degree plan changed to start their clinical course next semester.
15. Unfavorable results on a criminal background check (including pending charges) or a
urine drug screen, at any time during the program, will result in one or more of the
following:
a. A clinical hold placed on the student’s account which will prevent the student
from registering for the next semester.
b. A delay in starting a clinical course.
c. A denied clinical placement.
d. Removal from the clinical setting.
e. Failure in a clinical course.
16. Students are required to read and follow the CONHI Substance Abuse Policy found in
the MSN/PMC Student Handbook and in the DNP Student Handbook.
17. Students are responsible for paying all clinical clearance requirement costs. This includes
but is not limited to the cost of vaccines, titer testing, TB testing, CPR, ACLS, PALS, NRP,
criminal background check, and urine drug screen.
