Health Science Education Department
Immunization & Health Maintenance Policy
2011-2012
STUDENTS MUST KEEP A COPY OF ALL THEIR DOCUMENTS!
All students are required to follow the Immunization & Health Maintenance Policies, as stated in the
Nursing Program Policy Manual. All students must submit completed forms and documents by the
appropriate deadline or their registration in the program will dropped. After being dropped, if the
student is accepted for re-entry, there will be fees that will apply to re-register.
Deadline Dates for Health Maintenance Record and ALL required documents:
PNAD Option – May 17th, 2011
First Year Generic Nursing Students –
Early Admission June14, 2011
Late Admission August 9, 2011
Second Year & Continuing Generic Nursing Students- July 12, 2011
Background Check
All students upon entering the Nursing Program for the September Semester must
go to the Adam Safe Guard website and purchase a student background check.
This must be completed no later than 3 weeks before the deadline date for turning in all Health
Maintenance documents. No student will be cleared for clinical without a background check.
If a student background check will be older than 3 years before they graduate they must
purchase a new one. This applies to students who have left the program temporarily for
academic, health, or person reasons.
Use the following procedure to obtain the Background Check:
 Go to www.adamsafeguard.com
 Click on student background check on the left side of the web page
 Find Raritan Valley Community College Dept of Nursing and click on this link
 Follow directions on the web page to fill out appropriate information & pay for
the background check service (the fee is $60.00+).
Diagnostic Testing
Each student is to have the following lab work done by their personal physician:
hemoglobin, hematocrit, comprehensive metabolic profile and urinalysis (NOT A URINE
DIPSTICK IN OFFICE). The physician MUST fill in the values of each test on the “Student
Health Maintenance Record” AND provide a copy of each lab to keep in the students’ file.
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Influenza
1.
In accordance with many of our clinical facilities, a flu shot is mandatory annually during
the fall semester.
a. There is a separate form each student (1st year, 2nd year, and Continuing and
PNAD students) will need to get filled out after receiving a flu vaccine.
b. All current nursing students with clinical assignments must comply with the
Center for Disease Control (CDC’s) recommendations for seasonal flu
immunization by November 1, 2011 in order to continue their clinical rotations
at their respective clinical agency. The following documentation form must be
submitted to Nadine Larson, Nursing Student Services Specialist in H 200.
c. Contraindications include allergies to eggs or components of the vaccine.
Hepatitis B
1. Documented immune titer (Hep B Antibodies) is required.
2. If student has not previously completed a vaccination series, the course of vaccination
requires 3 doses at 0, 4 weeks and 4-6 months.
3. The first 2 doses are required before the deadline of form submittal. Subsequent doses
must adhere to the above schedule. (Titer must be done 6 weeks after vaccination
complete). If titer is negative for antibodies, a second Hepatitis B series is required.
Documentation of the re-titer is required.
4. Contraindications include mercury or yeast allergies and/or reactions to components of
vaccine.
5. If student declines the HEP B vaccine series a medical reason must be listed on the
declination statement.
Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR)
1. Documented immune titer is required.
2. Persons born before 1957 may be considered to have natural immunity and therefore do
not need a MMR vaccine but, a titer is still required.
3. Students can be considered immune to measles only if they have physician documentation
of:
a. Serologic laboratory evidence of MMR immunity; an immune titer is acceptable in lieu
of documentation of immunization.
b. Immunization with live attenuated MMR vaccine or any vaccine combination containing
MMR antigen that was administered both after 1968 and after the first birthday.
Additionally, a second dose is required. (Titer must be done 6 weeks after vaccination
complete)
4. Neither a personal nor a physician certified history of disease is acceptable evidence of
immunity, although a positive titer is acceptable.
5. Doses #1 and #2 must be 4 to 8 weeks apart if starting new MMR immunization or if titer is
negative.
6. Contraindications to MMR vaccine include anaphylactic reactions to gelatin or neomycin,
pregnancy and/or altered immune status
Varicella
1. Documented immune titer is required for all students.
a) Persons with history of the active disease should have it documented on the health
maintenance record by a health care provider.
b) Persons who received the varicella immunization series should have it documented on
the health maintenance record by a health care provider.
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c) Anyone who presents with a weak titer must receive the varicella immunization
series, and have a titer drawn 6 weeks later to check immunity status.
**A COPY OF EACH TITER RESULT IS NEEDED FOR THE STUDENTS’ FILE
Tetanus and Diphtheria/Tetanus-Diphtheria-Pertussis
1. A tetanus and diphtheria (Td) booster is required within the last 10 years if the student has a
documented history of receiving a primary series of diphtheria and tetanus (DT) or
diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DPT) in infancy. Students under age 65 years of age are
strongly advised to receive a Tetanus-Diphtheria-Pertussis (Tdap) booster if they are due for
a booster and NEVER had one (a Tdap vaccine).
2. If never immunized against tetanus or diphtheria, the student should receive two doses of
Td adult, four to eight weeks apart and the third dose six months to one year later (0, 4-8
weeks and 6-12 months). One of these doses should be substituted with Tdap for students
less than 65 years of age. The first dose is required before deadline of form submittal.
3. Contraindications include a history of neurologic hypersensitivity reaction following a
previous dose and/or allergy to any components in vaccine.
Two Step PPDs/Tuberculosis Skin Testing
1. All students in PNAD, 1st Year, and 2nd Year programs are required to have 2 PPDs
2. Mantoux/PPD/TST must be done at the time this form is submitted. Tine or Monovac test is
not acceptable. Persons with a history of having the BCG vaccine must be retested with a
PPD. Results of initial TB test cannot be more than 6 months old.
3. PPD test must be assessed within 48-72 hours after placement and measurement of the size
(in mm) of induration noted. Then a 2nd PPD test must be placed 1-4 weeks later and
assessed within 48-72 hours after placement, the area is to be measured in mm and
documented.
4. If a positive PPD test occurs follow the following procedure:
a) A follow up chest x ray is required and documentation is required.
If chest X ray is negative, INH (Isonazid) prophylaxis must be taken for
everyone under age 35.
b) If chest X ray is positive, clearance from the health care provider or TB center
must be obtained to continue in the nursing program.
*Tuberculosis testing for PNADS should be done in early May 2011 and Generic 1st and 2nd
year Nursing Students can do theirs between May and early June 2011.
PPDs are done yearly. A two step PPD done 4/01/11 and 4/08/11 is NOT acceptable
because it will not be valid through the entire Spring 2011 semester.
Malpractice Insurance
All students entering the program for the September 2011 Semester must purchase their
Malpractice Insurance policy no later than July 15th.
The policy date will go from on or about May 15th 2011 – May 15th 2012.
The only form of proof of having a malpractice insurance policy is to submit a copy of the
malpractice insurance declaration page. No internet/email receipts of payment will serve as
proof of being insured.
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Drug Screening
Urine drug screening will be done 4-6 weeks prior to the start of clinical rotations. Urine
drug screening must be done at the designated Labcorp location provided by
Ann Pyzik, Department of Health Science Education Administrative Assistant in Room H-220.
No other Labcorp location drug screening will be accepted and students
must complete the drug screening test during the 2 week window identified, once the testing
dates have been released to students.
All students will use the following procedure for drug screening:
1) Obtain the chain of Custody form & available hours for the designated Labcorp location
from Ann Pyzik in Room H -220 one week before going to Labcorp. You will not be able
to pick up the form any sooner.
2) Please note that this is the only Labcorp location performing Occupational Urine Drug
Screening. No other drug screening report will be accepted.
3) After you have completed the occupational urine drug screening Labcorp will provide
you with a receipt with your specimen number – please keep this on hand. If Labcorp
does not send results to RVCC Nursing Department, we will need to specimen number
to track the results.
NOTE: The Urine Drug Screening is NOT part of your Health Care Provider’s routine physical exam.
CPR Certification
All students must provide a copy of a valid BLS/Healthcare Provider CPR card from the
American Heart Association. No other CPR providers are accepted. CPR certification cannot
expire within a semester. Letters showing a class was attended or skills checklists are not
acceptable as documentation of certification. A copy of a CPR card with the expiration date
and student’s name is the only documentation accepted.
PNADs should have CPR valid from May 2011-May 2013, and Generic Nursing Students May
2011/June 2011 – May 2013/June 2013.
All students who do not understand/have questions regarding the health maintenance requirements
should contact the Nursing Department Student Services Specialist. Email is the fastest and easiest way
of contact. All documents must be turned in together at once to be accepted. Partial documents
handed in will be returned to the student until all documents can be handed in together.
Raritan Valley Community College
Nadine Larson
Nursing Student Services Specialist, Room H200
P.O. Box 3300
Somerville, NJ 08876-1265
Nlarson2@raritanval.edu
908-526-1200 ext. 8610
Fax 908-429-1125
01/11/2011:nml
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