Colorado Christian
UNIVERSITY
Nursing Student Handbook
2015-2016
Supplement to
CAGS Student Handbook
Effective, April 27, 2015
This handbook is a compilation of the policies and regulations that
govern the College of Adult and Graduate (CAGS) Nursing Program
and is a supplement to the CAGS Student Handbook. All Colorado
Christian University (CCU) Nursing Students are responsible for all
information in the University Catalog, the CAGS Student Handbook
and the Nursing Student Handbook. Failure to read the policies
contained in the Catalog and Handbooks does not relieve the student
of this responsibility.
Revision Date: March, 2015
Table of Contents
SECTION I: INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 5
NURSING PROGRAM ACCREDITATION ........................................................................................................... 5
SECTION II: NURSING PROGRAM OVERVIEW ........................................................... 7
VISION ........................................................................................................................................................ 7
MISSION ..................................................................................................................................................... 7
PHILOSOPHY............................................................................................................................................... 7
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ....................................................................................................................... 11
CURRICULAR FRAMEWORK MODEL ............................................................................................................ 12
NURSING CURRICULAR FRAMEWORK DEFINITION OF TERMS ....................................................................... 13
NURSING DIVISION GOALS ......................................................................................................................... 16
PRE-LICENSURE BSN PROGRAM OPTION DESCRIPTION AND CURRICULUM PLAN ......................................... 17
POST-LICENSURE RN-BSN OPTION DESCRIPTION AND CURRICULUM PLAN ................................................ 20
SECTION III: ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS FOR NURSING STUDENTS (TECHNICAL
STANDARDS) .............................................................................................................. 22
SECTION IV: NURSING PROGRAM ADMISSION, PROGRESSION, RETENTION
AND WITHDRAWAL .................................................................................................... 26
ADMISSION ............................................................................................................................................... 26
PROGRESSION .......................................................................................................................................... 27
BSN Student Orientation .................................................................................................................... 27
Satisfactory Completion of Coursework ............................................................................................. 27
Course Extension and Incomplete Grades for Extenuating Circumstances ...................................... 27
RETENTION ............................................................................................................................................... 28
Nursing Faculty Advising .................................................................................................................... 28
At Risk Students ................................................................................................................................. 28
Learning Contract for Performance .................................................................................................... 28
W ITHDRAWAL............................................................................................................................................ 29
GRADUATION AND COMMENCEMENT .......................................................................................................... 29
SECTION V: ACADEMIC POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ......................................... 30
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND ETHICAL CONDUCT ........................................................................................... 30
ACADEMIC APPEALS .................................................................................................................................. 30
STUDENT COMPLAINTS .............................................................................................................................. 30
ATTENDANCE ............................................................................................................................................ 30
In-seat and Online Attendance ........................................................................................................... 31
Nursing Skills/Simulation Laboratory Attendance (Pre-Licensure BSN Option) ................................ 31
Clinical Attendance ............................................................................................................................. 31
Clinical Make-Up: ............................................................................................................................... 32
Clinical or Skills Lab Tardiness .......................................................................................................... 32
Nursing Student Athletes (Pre-Licensure BSN Option)...................................................................... 32
ASSIGNMENT/EXAMINATION POLICIES ........................................................................................................ 33
Papers ................................................................................................................................................ 33
Late Assignment Policy ...................................................................................................................... 33
Examinations and Quizzes ................................................................................................................. 33
Test-Taking Procedure: In-Seat (“Face to Face”) Exams or Quizzes ................................................ 34
Test-Taking Procedure: Online Exams or Quizzes ............................................................................ 34
Test-Taking Procedure: Final Laboratory Competency (Pre-Licensure BSN Option) ....................... 35
ATI Exam Testing Program (Pre-Licensure BSN Option) .................................................................. 35
Drug Calculation Testing Policy (Pre-Licensure BSN Option) ........................................................... 38
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GRADING POLICIES FOR NURSING COURSES .............................................................................................. 38
Grade Appeals .................................................................................................................................... 39
PORTFOLIO (BSN PROGRAM OPTIONS) ..................................................................................................... 40
CHILDREN OR PETS................................................................................................................................... 41
FACULTY AVAILABILITY .............................................................................................................................. 41
SECTION VI: STANDARDS OF STUDENT CONDUCT ............................................... 43
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE RESPONSIBILITIES ............................................................................................. 43
Professional Behavior in the Learning Environment .......................................................................... 43
Unprofessional Behavior in the Learning Environment ...................................................................... 44
E-mail Etiquette .................................................................................................................................. 45
Social Media ....................................................................................................................................... 45
Dress Code ......................................................................................................................................... 46
Picture ID ............................................................................................................................................ 46
Student Uniform: Pre-Licensure BSN Option ..................................................................................... 47
Student Uniform: Post-Licensure RN-BSN ........................................................................................ 47
Additional Dress Requirements for Lab/Clinical ................................................................................. 47
SECTION VII: ADDITIONAL CLINICAL POLICIES ..................................................... 49
INCLEMENT W EATHER CLOSURE ................................................................................................................ 49
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS ............................................................................................................................ 49
BSN Program: Pre-Licensure and RN-BSN Options ......................................................................... 49
Nursing Students Returning to Clinical after Illness, Surgery, or Injury ............................................. 51
Additional Documents: RN-BSN Option ............................................................................................. 51
CLINICAL ASSIGNMENTS ............................................................................................................................ 52
CLINICAL QUALITY, SAFETY AND PERFORMANCE ........................................................................................ 53
Clinical Preparation ............................................................................................................................ 53
Scope of Practice ............................................................................................................................... 53
Safe Practice Responsibilities ............................................................................................................ 54
Infectious Disease and Personal Protection Protocol ........................................................................ 55
Performing a Procedure ..................................................................................................................... 56
Medication Administration .................................................................................................................. 56
Verbal Orders Restrictions ................................................................................................................. 56
Patient Med Error or Patient Incident ................................................................................................. 57
Charting .............................................................................................................................................. 57
Clinical Performance Evaluation ........................................................................................................ 57
Unsafe Performance and “For Cause” Evaluation ............................................................................. 58
STUDENT INJURY/EXPOSURE ..................................................................................................................... 59
COLORADO ELDER ABUSE AND CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT INFORMATION ACT.......................................... 60
SECTION VIII: STUDENT RESOURCES ..................................................................... 61
OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES............................................................................................... 61
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY ................................................................................................................................ 61
SUPPORTING SERVICES ............................................................................................................................ 62
Blackboard Support ............................................................................................................................ 62
IT Support ........................................................................................................................................... 62
ATI Learning Systems ........................................................................................................................ 62
Math Assistance ................................................................................................................................. 62
Writing Center..................................................................................................................................... 62
APA Resources Tab ........................................................................................................................... 63
Textbook Resources........................................................................................................................... 63
Computer Labs ................................................................................................................................... 63
Additional Student Resources ............................................................................................................ 63
Student Identification Card ................................................................................................................. 63
Tutoring and Counseling .................................................................................................................... 63
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Section I: Introduction
Economic issues, globalization, limited resources, aging populations, increased
diversity, and advances in technology are dramatically changing today’s world of health
care. Colorado Christian University keeps pace with these growing demands by
preparing professional nurse leaders, scholars, and caregivers who lead a life of
significance by impacting their world and transforming society. Through the integration
of faith and learning, the CCU Nursing Program embraces the Truth of Scripture as
foundational for those who are called to the nursing profession and grow in their
knowledge of nursing as ministry.
Within Colorado Christian University’s Christ-centered community of learners and
scholars, students experience an engaging and enriching learning environment. The
nursing program embraces the University’s mission and vision upholding the enduring
commitment to the integration of exemplary academics, spiritual formation, and
engagement with the world. From within this learning environment, students develop
professional values and core competencies central to both the art and science of the
nursing discipline. Nursing graduates are able to think critically and Christianly in order
to influence professional practice resulting in moral leadership, evidence based
scholarship, articulate communication and global impact on healthcare, embodying the
character and compassion of Jesus Christ.
With a hundred year history of exceptional education, CCU began nursing programs in
the fall of 2007. The Licensed Practical Nurse to Associate of Science in Nursing (LPNASN) Program has given way to the statewide Pre-Licensure Bachelor of Science in
Nursing (BSN) program option which began in January 2011. The online Registered
Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-BSN) Completion program option, which
began in January 2009, now enrolls students from across the Nation. Currently, CCU
has approximately 200 nursing students and over 400 pre-nursing students enrolled in
courses and preparing for the career goal of a BSN in Nursing.
Nursing Program Accreditation
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and
Schools regionally accredits Colorado Christian University. The nursing curriculum
meets the educational community’s national standards, Colorado Board of Nursing
educational program standards, and the Colorado Nursing Articulation Model
guidelines.
The baccalaureate program at Colorado Christian University is accredited by the
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530,
Washington DC 20036, (202)887-6791.
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Dear CCU Nursing Student,
I want to welcome you to Colorado Christian University's (CCU)
nursing programs, offered through CCU’s College of Adult and
Graduate Studies (CAGS). Our nursing Vision is:
To equip the next generation of Christian nurse leaders
worldwide.
We challenge students to become exceptionally compassionate and competent nurse
leaders who impact their world and transform health care through the uniqueness of
Christ-inspired nursing practice. CCU offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program
with two options:


The Pre-Licensure BSN option is for students seeking the pre-licensure BSN
degree, and
The Post-Licensure RN-BSN degree completion option is for RNs seeking to
complete the BSN degree.
Nursing is an exciting and challenging profession. The art and science of Nursing
blends intellectual inquiry, evidence-based practice, advanced technology and the heart
of caring into an art and science. Nursing is a sacred profession. Hospitals are filled with
holy moments. No other healthcare provider has the opportunity to care for the
physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of people when they are suffering and in pain.
Here at CCU, nursing is a ministry of compassionate care for the whole person, in
response to God’s grace.
Consistent with the mission and purpose of the University, the CCU Nursing Program
comprises a Christ-centered community of learners and scholars who focus on
academic excellence and professionalism through the integration of faith, learning, and
living. Nursing education at CCU prepares competent professionals who excel in
compassionate care, moral leadership, cultural humility, and global engagement. The
program embraces the truth of Scripture as the foundation for those who are called to
the nursing profession and grow in their knowledge of nursing as ministry.
I am honored that you have chosen to join us. May you be richly blessed by your
faculty and patients as you serve Jesus in this exceptional profession we call “nursing.”
“ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to
harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11.
With every blessing,
Dr. Barbara J. White
Professor and Dean, Nursing and Science
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Section II: Nursing Program Overview
The CCU Nursing vision, mission and philosophy directly correlate with the university
vision, mission and philosophy, as well as the CAGS mission.
Vision
To equip the next generation
of Christian nurse leaders
worldwide.
Mission
As a Christ-centered community of learners and
scholars who focus on academic excellence and
professionalism through the integration of faith, learning
and living, the mission of the Nursing Education
Programs at Colorado Christian University is to prepare
competent professionals who excel in compassionate
care, spiritual care, cultural humility and global
engagement from the perspective of
Nursing as Ministry.
Philosophy
The nursing faculty believes nursing is an evidence-based and practice-focused
discipline. Nursing arts and sciences at CCU are grounded in the liberal arts and
sciences, and Biblical truth, all of which are foundational to the curricular building blocks
in the education of nursing students. We believe that the curriculum is developed with
ever increasing difficulty and complexity emphasizing the health-illness continuum, care
management and restoration in order to support safe, effective, and compassionate
nursing practice.
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We combine student development with the Holy Scriptures and a personal faith in Jesus
Christ who empowers the student to interpret knowledge and practice in the profession
as a means of allowing faith to inform and shape the person, the nurse, and the practice
of professional nursing. Faculties facilitate the integration of faith, learning and
professional practice in order to prepare nurses to make a difference in the world.
The metaparadigms (pillars) for nursing theory are person, nursing, caring, health and
environment. In addition, scientific developments have an impact on patient care and
nursing practice in a variety of practice settings, which is called evidence-based
practice. The descriptions of these pillars are provided as they are relevant to the
curricular framework at CCU and drive the uniqueness of this educational program.
As Christians, through our best understanding and interpretation of the Bible, we believe
the following regarding the nature, character, relationship, purpose and destiny of the
world and all that is contained therein.
Personhood is the result of the creative work of the living, relevant God. The intended
purpose of this creative work is to be His image-bearer reflecting His character and
nature to the world around us.1 We believe therefore, that as His created human
beings, our nature consists of four elements that make us human 1) we are physical, 2)
we have mental capacity, the ability to think, 3) we are social, intended to live in
relationship with God and other human beings, and 4) because He is Spirit, we too have
a spiritual nature. We believe that God has designed persons to live independently,
interdependently and dependently so that through cooperation with His purposes we are
empowered to author our purpose in life, our God inspired life story, and to influence the
world around us.
We believe that sanctity of life is among the broadest and most inclusive underpinnings
possible of our moral obligations to other human beings. All human beings, at all stages
of existence, with every quality of experience, reflecting every type of human diversity,
and encompassing every possible quality of relationship have immeasurable worth and
inviolable dignity. Each human being has value that transcends all human capacity to
count or measure, which confers upon them an elevated status that must not be
dishonored or degraded.2
Professional nursing is practice-based, oriented toward human good, and healing. We
believe nursing to be powered by moral good with certain values and standards that
support quality of care and professionalism. Nursing knowledge is the result of scientific
inquiry and the integration of physical sciences, social sciences, psychological sciences
and various theoretical propositions as a basis for providing the highest quality
evidence-based nursing practice. Nursing is “the protection, promotion, and optimization
of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the
diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals,
1
2
Crist, T. (2000) The Image Make. Creation House Publishers.
Gushee, D. (2006) The Sanctity of Life. The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity.
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8
families, communities, and populations.3 The Christian nurse brings to the practice of
nursing the theology of Compassionate Christian Care. We believe this care is directed
by the nurses’ faith which shapes the understanding of personal and professional roles,
privileges and responsibilities ordained by the grand plan of God’s creating, sustaining
and redemptive work in the world and especially in the health care arena. While
developing leadership abilities is essential for all nurses, we believe that with the basis
of Compassionate Christian Care and Spiritual Formation there is evidence of moral
leadership that is indispensable for nursing in the 21st century.
The ability of the nurse to be with the patient in a way that acknowledges shared
humanity is fundamental to the concept of nursing as a caring practice. This is part of
developing cultural humility to enhance caring. Caring is always specific and relational:
involvement and caring reside together resulting in common meanings between nurse
and patient.4 Christian caring is an act of faith and a response to God’s grace. Being
made in God’s image, we believe people have aspects of God’s caring nature imprinted
within us. Compassionate care is hands-on, patient-centered, physical, psychosocial
and spiritual intervention to meet the needs of patients regardless of how the nurse
feels and regardless of the patient’s ethnic identity, race, gender, age, status, diagnosis
or ability to pay.5,6
Health or “Shalom” in the Old Testament is a concept that grew out of the ancient
Hebrew understanding of God’s intention for all of life. Health is a state of wholeness,
well-being, peace and a completeness that permeates all areas of human life. 7 The
concept carries with it the idea of universal flourishing and delight or a rich state of
existence. We believe health is God’s original created goodness, which in its fullest
sense is complete physical, mental and spiritual flourishing that makes possible one’s
ability to fulfill our created purposes. Such fulfillment brings glory to our Creator. We
believe in this state we enjoy relationship with our Creator and with other persons. 8,9
Participation of the nurse in the promotion of health, the prevention of disease, the
management of care and the restoration of shalom as true health, becomes the focus of
faith driven practice.
We believe that the environment within which the nurse practices nursing is not only
made up of the physical conditions and circumstances surrounding the person but also
of other persons, relationships and social structures such as the family, the educational
system, the legal system, and health care system. In this environment, interprofessional communication and technology management are essential in order to
3
Nursing: Scope & Standards of Practice. (2010) American Nurses Association, p. 1.
Benner, P. (1989) The Primacy of Caring. New York: Addison–Wesley.
5, Shelly, J. and Miller, A. (2006) Called to Care: A Christian Worldview for Nursing. IL: IVP Academic.
6 Trafecanty, L. (2006) Biblical Caring Comes Full Circle. Journal of Christian Nursing. Vol.23, No 3.
7 Punton, J. (1996) Shalom. In Exploring the Christian Faith by Packer, Osborn, Brown, et al. Nashville:
Thomas Nelson Publishers.
8, Doornbos, M.M., Groenhout, R.E., Hotz, K.G. (2005) Transforming Care: A Christian Vision of Nursing
Practice. Grand Rapids: Wm Eerdmans Publishing Co.
9 Shelly, J., Miller, A., (2006) Called to Care: A Christian Worldview for Nursing. Downers Grove: IVP
Academic.
4
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9
deliver high quality healthcare. All of these environmental structures also influence the
nurse and the health of individuals. From a Christian perspective we believe in the
Biblical idea of the fallen nature of people and things resulting in evil, suffering and
separation from the Creator, God.10 Due to this fallen nature, all of the systems in place
for intended good are flawed and often ineffective. Within this context we believe both
the nurse and the profession of nursing must concern itself with justice, and moral and
ethical care of individuals and systems within the parameters in which they practice
nursing. For the Christian nurse, our concern is for the reconciliation of all things under
Christ who is the personification and available fulfillment of Shalom.
As a Christ-centered educational program in nursing we support the professions’ Code
of Ethics for Nurses,11 Scope and Standards of Practice,12 Nursing’s Social Policy
Statement,13 and the educational competencies of the various levels of nursing
education.14,15,16,17 We do believe that we come to the preparation of nurses with an
additional set of suppositions and intentions that give the graduate nurse in the practice
of nursing greater purpose and meaning and a larger context of practice: nursing as
ministry.18 We believe that education is a life-long transformation process in which our
minds, behaviors and attitudes (cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains) are
challenged by a search for knowledge and a quest for truth. Since we believe that all
truth is God’s truth, we integrate faith into learning and practice in order to instill passion
in students through honest exploration, serious reflection, and intellectual inquiry. 19 In
addition to innovative formats and delivery systems, we seek to encourage distinctively
Christian thinking, beginning scholarship and spiritual formation. The ultimate aim of
the nursing education is to prepare nurses who are more like Christ on earth, living
through His grace with a ministry of compassionate care for the whole person,
encompassing spiritual care, fostering optimum health and bringing comfort in suffering
and death for anyone in need.20,21 An outflow of this focus is to reach beyond our
immediate vicinity and be globally engaged in the concern for availability, accessibility,
cost, and quality of nursing care to patients, families, communities, and global
populations.
10
Sponheim, P. (1993) Faith and the Other. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.
Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements (2008) American Nurses Association.
12 Nursing: Scope & Standards of Practice. (2010) American Nurses Association.
13 Nursing’s Social Policy Statement. (2010). American Nurses Association.
14, The Colorado Nursing Articulation Model: 2000-2005. (2001). The Colorado Trust.
15, The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice. (2008) American
Association of Colleges of Nursing.
16, The Essentials of Master’s Education for Advance Practice Nursing (1997) American Association of
Colleges of Nursing.
17 The Essential Clinical Resources for Nursing’s Academic Mission. (1997) American Association of
Colleges of Nursing.
18 Miller, B. (2002) Who Needs Theories, Anyhow? Critical Thinking About Faith, Reason and Nursing
Theory. Journal of Christian Nursing. Vol. 19, No. 3.
19 Dockery, D. (2006) A Call to Serious Christian Scholarship: 2 Corinthians 10:5. Council for Christian
Colleges and Universities.
20, Willard, D. (2006) The Great Omission. San Francisco, CA: Harper.
21 Shelly, J and Miller, A. (2006) Called to Care: A Christian Worldview for Nursing. IL: IVP Academic.
11
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10
While the philosophy of CCU’s nursing programs is clearly from a Christian perspective,
we welcome and respect students with diverse worldviews. CCU encourages students
to explore their personal faith journey throughout their educational process.
Conceptual Framework
The eclectic conceptual framework for CCU’s nursing programs emphasizes several
key aspects of the nursing philosophy. It is a means of conceptualizing and organizing
the knowledge, skills, values and beliefs critical to the delivery of a coherent curriculum
that facilitates the achievement of desired curriculum outcomes. The conceptual model
is a meaningful mental picture, or blueprint, for faculty and students, delineating what
knowledge is important to nursing. The framework describes how nursing knowledge is
defined, categorized, and linked with other knowledge.
As the framework model depicts, Biblical truth is the primary foundation upon which the
curriculum is built followed by the liberal arts and sciences. Building on the concepts of
the nursing metaparadigms or pillars of person, caring, nursing, health, and
environment, the faculty has identified seven major concepts and two progressive
constructs that result in the program outcome of the integration of learning, faith, and
practice and serve as the framework for the curriculum. The curriculum concepts flow
from the nursing program philosophy and are organized within the courses to achieve
the program goals. These concepts are:
Professionalism,
technology management,
interprofessional communication,
moral leadership,
evidence-based scholarship,
healthcare delivery, and
spiritual formation.
The progressive constructs build from simple to complex and are identified as
compassionate care and spiritual care culminating with nursing as ministry as well as
cultural humility leading to global engagement. The program outcome in which faith is
integrated into both learning and practice is the cornerstone and capstone of all
curriculum development and is depicted by a cross. The cross represents the centrality
of Jesus Christ in spiritual formation and integration of faith, learning and practice. The
nursing metaparadigms or pillars—person, caring, nursing, health, and environment—
are embedded in each of the other concepts and constructs. Each course addresses
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components of the concepts and constructs, with specific content increasing in
complexity throughout the curriculum. The concepts and constructs serve as broad
categories under which a variety of content can be expressed. They are not considered
mutually exclusive. The rapid evolution of nursing science, practice, and education
demands ongoing reexamination of concepts, and constructs.
Curricular Framework Model
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Nursing Curricular Framework Definition of Terms
Spiritual Formation: The cultivation of one’s professional practice and the
transformation of one’s character, attitudes, and actions in response to God’s grace,
based upon Jesus as the ultimate teacher, and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual
formation is the central tenet of the curriculum framework as it has as its ultimate aim
the conformity to Christ-likeness—to be more like Christ on earth through genuine love
and effectual caring for all without discrimination.
Integration of Learning, Faith, and Practice: The integration of learning, faith, and
practice is both the cornerstone and capstone of the curriculum. Faith, or the confident
belief or trust in God and His will for one’s life, is foundational to the educational
experience both inside and outside the classroom. Intentional opportunities are
presented for students to gain greater knowledge about faith and the Bible, to grow in
their personal relationship with God, and to actively participate in using their God-given
gifts to reach out to the world. This process takes place in the context of a Christcentered community that offers freedom and accountability, opportunities to lead and to
serve, and a chance to ask questions and seek out answers. The goal is to help
students develop thoughtful Christian perspectives that build a foundation for the rest of
their lives and nursing careers.
Compassionate Care and Nursing as Ministry: Compassionate care is directed by
the nurses’ faith which shapes the understanding of personal and professional roles,
privileges and responsibilities ordained by the grand plan of God’s creating, sustaining
and redemptive work in the world and especially in the health care arena. Realizing that
one is gifted by God for a specific nursing practice to make a significant difference in the
world is the unique calling and ministry of each Christian nurse.
Interprofessional Communication: An effective interactive process through which
there is clear and meaningful exchange of information that may occur verbally, nonverbally, in writing, or through information technology. Interprofessional communication
involves working across healthcare professions to cooperate, collaborate, communicate
and integrate care in teams to ensure that care is continuous and reliable. The team
consists of the patient, the nurse, and other healthcare providers as appropriate.
Effective interprofessional communication demonstrates caring, compassion, and
cultural awareness, and is directed toward promoting positive client outcomes and
establishing trusting relationships. Therapeutic communication is an interactive verbal
and non-verbal process between the nurse and client that assists the client to cope with
change, develop more satisfying interpersonal relationships, and integrate new
knowledge and skills.
Evidence-Based Practice: “The conscientious integration of the best research
evidence with clinical expertise and patient values and needs in the delivery of highquality, cost-effective health care.”22
22
Burns, N. & Grove, S.K. (2007). Understanding nursing research: Building an evidence-based practice (4th ed.). St.
Louis: Saunders/Elsevier.p. 4.
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Underlying evidence-based practice is the process of critical thinking: A disciplined
intellectual thought process that combines discovery, knowledge, context, and judgment
and forms the basis of the discipline of nursing. Critical thinking includes the nursing
process—assessment, diagnosis, outcomes identification, planning, implementation,
and evaluation—and is foundational to clinical reasoning and professional decision
making.
Moral Leadership: The ability to influence people in nursing and health care to work
toward common goals, identified as being for the common good, with honesty and
integrity of character that inspires confidence. Moral leadership involves working
ethically and collaboratively with others to develop a clear vision of the preferred future
and making that vision happen.
Cultural Humility and Global Engagement: The ability to affect or change the health
and well-being of society through mutual understanding, cultural humility, and global
awareness. Cultural humility requires that one continuously reflect upon personal and
professional attitudes towards others from diverse backgrounds with the goal of
developing mutually beneficial and advocacy partnerships with communities on behalf
of individuals and defined populations. Global engagement includes the ever increasing
ability of nurses and health care providers to communicate and intervene in global
health issues due to decreasing barriers and rapidly increasing technological advances.
Global engagement is concerned with the availability, accessibility, cost, and quality of
nursing care to patients, families, communities, and global populations.
Healthcare Delivery: The manner in which healthcare is provided including health
promotion, disease and injury prevention across the life span at both individual and
population levels. In order to deliver healthcare, nurses diagnose and treat human
responses to actual and potential health problems along the health-illness continuum
with the goal to assist the client toward optimal functioning.23
Clinical prevention or the individually focused interventions (e.g. immunizations) to
prevent escalation of diseases and conditions have become a major focal point for
nurses and other healthcare providers. Inherent in the healthcare delivery system are
issues related to healthcare policies including financial and regulatory policies. Ethical
issues such as equity, access, social justice, and affordability are inherent in
discussions related to the provision of healthcare.
Professionalism: The commitment to the profession, dedication to life-long learning,
adherence to the standards of professional practice, and the practice of professional
nursing within legal, ethical, and regulatory parameters are major aspects of being a
professional. Professionalism incorporates wholistic care for all types of clients,
recognizing the interconnectedness of physical, mental, social, emotional, cultural, and
spiritual factors in any and all nursing interventions.
23
Nursing’s Social Policy Statement. (2010). American Nurses Association.
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Technology Management: The competent use of information and patient care
technology to provide safe, effective delivery of health care in a variety of settings.
Safe, cost-effective, compassionate care requires that nurses ethically obtain, evaluate,
and assimilate a multiplicity of information as well as be able to efficiently communicate
with the healthcare team.
Spirituality: Spirituality is the invisible, unseen core of individuals that contributes to
their uniqueness and communes with a transcendent being … or transcendent values
that provide meaning, purpose and connectedness.24
Spiritual Care: Spiritual care seeks to assist individuals to remain connected to their
source of transcendence, discover or reaffirm their meaning and purpose in life, as well
as impact connectedness.25
Christian Spiritual Care: Christian Spiritual Care arises from the caregiver’s
relationship with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit that seeks to assist individuals to
remain connected to God, discover or reaffirm their meaning and purpose in life, as well
as impact the world for God’s glory.
24
DeWitt-Weaver, D. (2001). The experience of Christian student nurses becoming ready to provide
spiritual care. Doctoral Dissertation. Indiana University.
25 Ibid.
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Christ-centered
Community
Nursing Division Goals and Student Learning Outcomes
BSN Program
Goals
Network with the
Christian nursing
community worldwide.
Nursing Division
(Learning) Outcomes
Students provide insightful
discussion related to
course content supported
by readings, course
material, and personal
experience.
Students critique theories,
concepts, principles, and
practices in nursing from a
biblical worldview
perspective.
BSN Program
(Learning) Outcomes
Graduates engage in insightful discussion related to
lifelong learning, spiritual formation, and professional
development to support personal transformation,
excellence in professional nursing practice, the
Christian nursing community and engagement with
the world.
Graduates synthesize biblical truth, liberal education
and the art and science of nursing to impact
professional nursing practice from a biblical
worldview.
Prepare competent
professionals who excel
in compassionate care,
spiritual care, nursing as
ministry, cultural humility,
and global engagement.
Students demonstrate
proficiency in the
competencies required in
professional nursing
practice.
Graduates demonstrate the knowledge, skills and
attitudes of baccalaureate generalist nursing practice
in the compassionate wholistic care of individuals,
families, groups, communities and populations.
Prepare nurse leaders to
serve and transform the
profession, workplace
and community.
Students use critical and
creative thinking skills to
critique issues and
provide solutions in
nursing practice.
Graduates practice evidence-based nursing, in and
across environments, cultures and lifespan to improve
health outcomes.
Academics
Explore in depth
knowledge of the
discipline of nursing from
a biblical worldview.
Students use effective
communication skills in all
areas of nursing practice.
Graduates exhibit professionalism based on a
Christian worldview and within the ethical and legal
framework of nursing practice.
Graduates advocate for consumers and the nursing
profession by understanding health care policy,
finance, regulatory environments and global health
care issues.
Graduates utilize effective written and oral
communication (reflecting critical thinking, critical selfreflection, and integration of a biblical worldview)
while collaborating within an interprofessional
healthcare team to optimize population health.
Engagement
with the World
Spiritual
Formation
Graduates manage information and patient care
technology in the delivery of quality nursing care.
Facilitate students to
integrate faith, learning
and practice.
Students reflect on their
own learning and biblical
truths and apply the
feedback to their personal
and professional lives.
Graduates engage in lifelong learning, spiritual
formation, and professional development to support
personal transformation, excellence in professional
nursing practice, the Christian nursing community and
engagement with the world.
Prepare competent
professionals who excel
in compassionate care,
spiritual care, nursing as
ministry, cultural humility,
and global engagement.
Students implement new
knowledge and skills in
nursing synthesized with
prior knowledge in general
education and sciences to
serve and influence their
workplaces, families, and
communities.
Graduates implement transcultural nursing care by
examining cultural dynamics of a global society for
clinical prevention and improved population health
Prepare nurse leaders to
serve and transform the
profession, workplace
and community.
Revision Date: April 2015
Graduates provide moral leadership within
organizations and health care systems for quality
care, patient safety and improvement in healthcare
environments.
16
Pre-Licensure BSN Program Option
Description and Curriculum Plan
Pre-Licensure BSN Program Option Description
The BSN program at CCU is located in the College of Adult and Graduate Studies
(CAGS) and runs on a 12 month year round academic calendar.
The Pre-Licensure BSN program option is a 67 credit nursing major offered over 27
months. Nursing courses are offered in a blended format to include a combination of
online and in-seat learning experiences. Students in this option enter the program in a
cohort with a regularly scheduled class day (unless otherwise specified). Some courses
are scheduled with all cohort students in the class at the same time and other courses
are scheduled with approximately half the cohort in class as split courses taught at
different times. In-seat classes are held during daytime hours. Between in-seat, lab and
clinical experiences Pre-Licensure BSN students can expect to be on campus, in the
lab, or clinical setting up to three days out of the week. On rare occasions a fourth day
may be required. Although the blended format allows for greater flexibility for those
adults “in life,” this program requires a flexible work schedule and full-time employment
is not advised. Clinicals may occur on any day/shift of the week and is at the discretion
of the clinical facilities
In-seats are held at the Northglenn Center and at the Western Colorado Center by the
Polycom teleconferencing system. Course faculty may teach from both sides of the
mountains with the majority of teaching occurring on the Northglenn side. Faculty from
Northglenn attempt at least one site visit to Western Colorado during the course in order
to meet with students in person. Students residing on the Front-Range have lab
scheduled at SCL Lutheran Medical Center in the Learning Center. Students residing in
the Western part of the state have lab at the Mesa State University Learning Lab.
Clinical experiences are scheduled near the students’ place of residence whenever
possible. CCU has affiliation agreements with most corporate healthcare systems in the
state. When possible, students are placed in a “home base” hospital system near their
place of residence for clinical experiences. At times, students from the Western part of
the state are required to come to the Front-Range such as for orientation, NUR324
clinical, and NUR472 poverty simulation.
Admission and enrollment in classes begins each year in Summer Block 1 (late April).
Professional application of knowledge, skills and attitudes provide opportunities for
individualized learning and networking. Students have two weeks of vacation annually
at which time classes are not scheduled. These weeks include: the week of July 4 th
during summer semester and the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day during
fall semester.
Unique to this program option is the opportunity to enroll in Specialty Practice in Nursing
courses in the areas of Critical Care, Peri-Operative, Home and Palliative Care, and
Global Health. All four specialty options will run on the Front Range. Given the smaller
number of enrolled students in Western Colorado, two specialty options will be provided
on the Western Slope. Please note, however, that Western Colorado students are
Revision Date: April 2015
17
always welcome to attend classes at the Northglenn center. Students will be asked to
select their first and second specialty course choice. There is no guarantee that
students will receive their first choice. Finally, during this experience students will have
the opportunity to shadow a healthcare professional through a clinical enrichment
experience. Through this experience students will see the day-to-day responsibilities of
a given health professional within their particular specialty area.
Students receive the program schedule of courses for their cohort during orientation.
Students receive specific class, lab, and clinical schedules one month prior to the start
of each course.
Revision Date: April 2015
18
Pre-Licensure BSN Program Option Curriculum Plan
General Education and Electives
BSN Credit
(24 Credits)
ENG 102A:English Composition
COM 110A: Oral Communication
CIS 312A: Introduction to Healthcare Informatics
MAT 212A: Introduction to Statistics
PSY 245A: Life Span Psychology and Development
FNS 220A: Introduction to Nutrition
PSY - Psychology OR Sociology Elective
General Elective
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
College of Adult and Graduate Studies (CAGS) Core
(Courses must be taken at CCU)
BIB (Biblical Studies of student’s choice)
PHL 205A: Worldviews
(9 Credits)
6
3
Division Requirements:
Biological Sciences
(20 Credits)
BIO 201A/211A: Human A & P I , Lab
BIO 202A/212A: Human A&P II, Lab
BIO 208A/218A: Microbiology, Lab
BIO 340A: Pathophysiology
BIO 355A/357A: Human Genetics & Genomics, Lab
4
4
4
4
4
Total 53 CR
Nursing Major Core
(67 Credits)
NUR 308A: Transforming Care: Christian Theory in Practice
NUR 310A: Foundations of Professional Practice
NUR 311A: Health Assessment
NUR 315A: Adult I Nursing
NUR 324A: Nursing of Children and Families
NUR 325A: Maternal Newborn Nursing
NUR 326A: Mental Health Nursing
NUR 328A: Gerontology Nursing
NUR 330A: Pharmacology in Nursing
NUR 331A: Medication Administration
NUR 415A: Adult II Nursing
NUR 430A: Christian Bioethics
NUR 456A: Evidence Based Practice in Nursing
NUR 472A: Population Health
NUR 481A: Christian Leadership in Nursing
NUR 482A: Capstone Integration: Caring in Practice
Specialty Practice in Nursing: (Students chose one course from below)
NUR 425A: Specialty Practice in Nursing: Perioperative Care
NUR 426A: Specialty Practice in Nursing: Critical Care
BSN Credit
3
5
3
5
5
5
5
3
3
3
5
3
3
5
3
5
3
NUR 428A: Specialty practice in Nursing: Home Healthcare Nursing
NUR 468A: Global Nursing and International Healthcare
Total 67 CR
Total Contact Hours T=664; L=240; C= 810
Total Credit Hours/BSN Degree 120
Revision Date: April 2015
19
Post-Licensure RN-BSN Option
Description and Curriculum Plan
RN-BSN Program Option Description
The RN-BSN option is a 28 credit nursing major offered in five week blocks over 12
months. RN’s that have graduated from a regionally accredited institution, completed an
ADN program and have a current license are eligible for a block transfer of up to 80
semester hours. Applicants with an associate degree in nursing from a non-regionally
accredited school and/ or from diploma RN programs are awarded 38 credit hours for
the RN Licensure, as guided by the Colorado Articulation model.
The RN-BSN option is designed for adult learners who are busy with work and family
commitments. Students have the opportunity to join other nurses in a cohort and take
the nursing major classes together. Courses are taken one at a time in an accelerated
five week online format. NUR470A: Population Health: Community Based Care is
offered over ten weeks. This option offers small class sizes, professional application,
colleague relationships with encouraged individualized learning and networking.
RN-BSN option students complete 90 hours of clinical experience. NUR470A:
Population: Health: Community Based Care requires 45 hours of clinical in a community
health setting. NUR485A: Capstone Integration: Professional Transformation requires
45 hours of clinical in a leadership setting focusing on interprofessional roles. An
international experience is strongly recommended and is offered once a year to Costa
Rica when a sufficient number of students are interested. RN-BSN students must
coordinate and manage all clinical experiences through the CCU Nursing Coordinator of
Clinical Education
Revision Date: April 2015
20
RN to BSN Program Option Curriculum Plan
.
RN-BSN Credits
RN-BSN Credits
(Graduated from nonaccredited program)
Block Transfer (BT)
38
38
Prerequisite Requirements
Lower division nursing (ASN or diploma) credit
granted through RN license
General Education Requirements
ENG 102A: English Composition
COM 110A: Oral Communication
CIS 312A: Introduction to Healthcare Informatics
3
3
0 - Course is in major
MAT 212A: Introduction to Statistics
PSY 245A: Life Span Psychology and Development
FNS 220A: Introduction to Nutrition
PSY or SOC: Psychology or Sociology Elective
3
3
3
3
18
0
0
0 - Course is in
major
3
0
0
0
3
CAGS Core
PHL 205A: Worldviews
BIB: Bib Studies of choice
3
6
9
3
6
9
0
4
4
4
In NUR465A: Clinical
Updates
In NUR465A: Clinical
Updates
12
15
54
BSN
s) Credit
3
0
0
0
0
Biological Science
BIO 201/211A: Human A & P I , Lab (4 SH)
BIO 202/212A: Human A&P II, Lab ( 4 SH)
BIO 208/218A: Microbiology, Lab ( 4 SH)
BIO 340A: Pathophysiology (4 SH)
BIO 355A: Human Genetics & Genomics (4SH)
General Electives
TOTAL General Education Credit
Nursing Major Core
NUR 308A: Transforming Care: Christian Theory
in Practice
NUR 312A: Healthcare Informatics
NUR 430A: Christian Bioethics
NUR 440A: Current Issues in Professional
Practice
NUR 455A: Nursing Research and Evidence
Based Practice
NUR 465A: Clinical Updates in Nursing
NUR 470A: Population Health: Community Based
Care
NUR 480A: Christian Leadership in Healthcare
Organizations
NUR 485A: Capstone Integration: Professional
Transformation
Total
Revision Date: April 2015
0 or more
12 or more
12 or more
BSN Credit
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
3
4
3
3
3
3
28 CR
T= 390; C= 90
Total Contact Hours
Total Credit Hours/BSN Degree 120
0
28 CR
T= 390; C= 90
120
21
Section III: Essential Functions for Nursing Students
(Technical Standards)
The goal of CCU’s nursing program is to prepare every student to think critically,
competently, and compassionately in rapidly changing practice environments. All
efforts are designed to build nursing knowledge, enhance nursing practice and patient
safety, while fostering professional integrity. The ultimate goal is to improve the health
outcomes of patients, families, and communities across the continuum of care. To meet
these goals and outcomes, the faculty has determined that certain technical standards
are requisite for admission, progression, and graduation from the nursing program.
In addition to classroom learning, laboratory and clinical learning occurs throughout the
program and involves considerations (such as patient safety and clinical facilities) that
are not present for classroom accommodations. For this reason, any applicant or
student who seeks accommodations prior to or immediately after enrolling in the nursing
program must also request an assessment of reasonable accommodations needed for
the lab and clinical training component of the program.
An individual must be able to independently, with or without reasonable
accommodation, demonstrate the following abilities:
 General
 Environmental
 Observational
 Communication
 Self-motivation and personal growth
 Motor skills
 Intellectual, conceptual, and quantitative
 Essential behavioral and social
 Stress management
 Technological
General: The student is expected to possess functional use of the senses of vision,
touch, hearing, and smell so that data received by the senses may be integrated,
analyzed, and synthesized in a consistent and accurate manner. A student must also
possess the ability to perceive pain, pressure, temperature, position, vibration, and
movement that are important to the student’s ability to gather significant information
needed to effectively evaluate patients. A student must be able to respond promptly to
urgent situations that may occur during clinical training activities and must not hinder the
ability of other members of the health care team to provide prompt treatment and care
to patients. Refer to the Fit for Practice form required prior to admission for specific
parameters.
Environmental: The student must be able to work in an environment that is NOT latexfree and must be able to respond to critical patient situations, never placing the patient
Revision Date: April 2015
22
at risk of abandonment due to latex in the environment. The hospital environment is
NOT latex free and many equipment items contain latex. Latex allergies can result in
symptoms such as skin rashes/hives, nasal, eye or sinus symptoms, shortness of
breath/wheezing, and (rarely) shock and the severity of reaction can increase with
subsequent exposure. If the student has a latex allergy, the student will be required to
have a complete Occupational Health exam (Level 3) with a Latex Titer from an
approved site prior to being allowed in the clinical setting. Furthermore, students will be
required to sign a latex waiver accepting the risk of potential latex exposure in the
theory, lab or clinical setting. Other types of allergies also are serious issues for
practicing nurses and include, but are not limited to; bleach, chlorhexadine, alcohol, and
restroom cleaners.
Observational: The student must have sufficient capacity to make accurate visual
observations and interpret them in the context of laboratory studies, medication
administration, and patient care activities. In addition, the student must be able to
document these observations and maintain accurate records.
Self-Motivation and Personal Growth: The student must show the ability to selfassess, self-correct, and self-direct; to identify needs and sources of learning; and to
continually seek new knowledge and understanding. Furthermore, they must possess
the ability to organize time, tasks, and functions so as to complete assigned nursing
responsibilities in a timely fashion. The student must be receptive to constructive
feedback and be able to apply lessons learned effectively in their nursing practice.
Communication: The student must communicate effectively both verbally and nonverbally to elicit information and to translate that information to others. Each student
must have the ability to read, write, comprehend, and fluently speak the English
language to facilitate communication with patients, their family members, and other
professionals in health care settings. In addition, the student must be able to maintain
accurate patient records, present information in a professional, logical manner and
provide patient counseling and instruction to effectively care for patients and their
families. The student must possess verbal and written communication skills that permit
effective communication with patients, faculty, and other students in both the classroom
and clinical settings. Students who do not speak English as their first language are
required to submit the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL®) score as part
of their admission packet. Both the verbal and written tests must be taken. The pass
requirements are: TOEFL ® PBT or TOFEL ® IBT is required with a total score of 540
(paper based version), 207 (computerized version), or 83 (Internet based version).
Motor Skills: The student must be able to perform gross and fine motor movements
with sufficient coordination needed to perform complete physical examinations utilizing
the techniques of inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation, and other diagnostic
maneuvers. A student must develop the psychomotor skills reasonably needed to
perform or assist with procedures, treatments, administration of medication,
management and operation of diagnostic and therapeutic medical equipment, and
patient care activities. It is essential the student be able to lift up to 50 pounds, provide
Revision Date: April 2015
23
wheel chair guidance, and support mobility of the patient. Additional requirements
include: bending, kneeling, squatting, and supporting a patient to the bed or chair safely.
The student must have sufficient levels of neuromuscular control and eye-to-hand
coordination to provide safe care. Nursing practice requires physical endurance for
shifts up to 12 hours that involve sitting, standing, moving, and physical exertion to
include providing CPR.
Intellectual, Conceptual, and Quantitative Abilities: The student must be able to
think critically and develop and refine problem-solving skills that are crucial to practice
as a nurse. Critical thinking entails the ability to question logically, to identify, generate,
and evaluate elements of logical argument; to recognize and differentiate fact, illusions,
assumptions, and hidden assumptions; and to distinguish the relevant from the
irrelevant. Problem-solving involves the ability to measure, calculate, reason, analyze,
and synthesize objective and subjective data. Students will make time urgent decisions
that reflect thoughtful deliberation and sound clinical judgment. Each student must
demonstrate mastery of these skills and possess the ability to incorporate new
information to formulate sound judgment in patient care.
Behavioral and Social Attributes: Nursing students need to have personal attributes
of compassion, integrity, motivation, effective interpersonal skills, and concern for
others. Personal comfort and acceptance of the role of a nurse functioning under
supervision of clinical faculty or preceptor is essential for a nursing student. The
student possesses the development of mature, sensitive, and effective relationships
with patients, peers, faculty, and other members of the health care team. They have the
ability to establish rapport and maintain sensitive, interpersonal relationships with
individuals, families, and groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and
intellectual backgrounds. The student must be able to adapt to rapidly changing
environments, display flexibility, accept and integrate constructive criticism given in the
classroom, lab, and clinical settings. Students are expected to exhibit appropriate
professional conduct at all times, represent the profession effectively and possess the
ability to fulfill commitments, be accountable for actions, take responsibility for behavior
and demonstrate effective outcomes. Students shall not insult or degrade faculty, other
health professionals or students. (This ethics statement does not infringe upon a
student’s right to raise questions and request clarification, but does modify the manner
in which the question or clarification is brought forth.)
Stress Management: The student must be able to adapt to and function effectively in
stressful situations in the classroom, lab and clinical settings, including emergency
situations. The student must possess sufficient coping strategies to effectively deal with
stress. The student will encounter multiple stressors while in the nursing programs,
which come from multiple sources.
Technological: The student must be able to demonstrate basic technological
proficiency while enrolled at Colorado Christian University. Technology proficiency
includes, but is not limited to: online coursework, electronic charting, electronic
textbooks, databases and learning aides, and computer assisted learning and testing.
Revision Date: April 2015
24
Technology tutorials are provided within the Blackboard platform for online courses and
serve to enhance student’s technology proficiency. Computer courses are also available
through the Business and Technology division or you may call the CCU Help Desk.
Individuals unable to meet these standards, with or without reasonable accommodation,
will not be able to complete the program and are counseled to pursue alternate careers.
Revision Date: April 2015
25
Section IV: Nursing Program Admission,
Progression, Retention and Withdrawal
Admission
Admission requirements are delineated on the Nursing Division Webpages found at
www.ccu.edu/nursing. Each nursing option has different criteria, which will be
addressed.
Application to College of Adult and Graduate Studies (CAGS)
A prospective nursing student must first apply to Colorado Christian University College
of Adult and Graduate Studies (CAGS) prior to application to the nursing program.
Applicants to nursing are required to enroll in the nine credits of CAGS Core which
includes PHL 205A: Understanding Worldviews and BIB Study courses for 6 credits of
the student’s choice.
Admission into CAGS does NOT guarantee
admission into the Nursing Program.
Admission to the BSN Program
Admission criteria must be met prior to review for nursing program admission.
Admission requirements are subject to change. Please check the CCU website often for
updates. Students work with the Student Services Advisor (SSA) in submission of the
nursing application.
Admission into the Pre-Licensure BSN Option is highly competitive, with more
applicants applying each year than can be admitted. Completed application files are
reviewed by the Nursing Admissions Committee annually during Fall Semester. In
January, Pre-Licensure BSN nursing program applicants are notified of conditional
acceptance status. All Admission Committee decisions are final.
Prerequisite Coursework
Each of the prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of C or above. These
courses are foundational for nursing courses and students receiving a C- or below will
be required to repeat the course(s) to be eligible for admission into the nursing program.
At CCU, course grades of “C-“ or below are recorded on the official transcript and will
remain even after the student repeats the course for a higher grade. Although present
on the transcript the original course grade will not be used when factoring the GPA.
Repeating courses to achieve a C or better does not guarantee acceptance into the
program.
Revision Date: April 2015
26
Progression
Student Orientation
The nursing program welcomes all new students by giving them an overview of the
University and the BSN Program. This orientation is mandatory for both the RN-BSN
and Pre-Licensure BSN program options. This is a time to become familiar with
important aspects of the program to include student responsibilities and resources.
Satisfactory Completion of Coursework
Progression in the nursing program is dependent on satisfactory completion of nursing
major courses, which include theoretical knowledge, skills competency, and clinical
performance. The faculty may consider factors in addition to academic performance
when determining whether or not a student may continue in the program. These factors
include but are not limited to in-seat, lab and clinical attendance; patient safety; respect
for others; professional behavior; and cognitive, affective, and psychomotor
competencies. Students’ progression in the nursing program is dependent upon
successful completion of all nursing courses with a grade of “C” or higher.
A grade of “C-“or lower in any nursing course is considered a course failure and
the student must retake the course. Students may repeat a specific nursing
course only once. Students receiving a C- or lower in two courses, or in one
course twice, are dismissed from the program. Repeating any nursing course
requires approval of the Program Option Director and is dependent upon space
available. A nursing course failure requires that a learning contract plan be instituted
defining specific requirements for program progression.
Because certain courses must be taken in sequence, repeating a course may delay the
student‘s progression in the nursing program. Students who fall behind in the normal
progression and are not allowed to continue in the program must schedule an exit
interview with the Program Option Director. During the exit interview, conditions for reentry are defined and documented. The student is not eligible for re-entry into the
program until the exit interview process is satisfactorily completed. Students re-enter
the nursing program on a space available basis. All conditions for re-entry must be
satisfied. Students who have dropped out of the nursing program or have not
completed a nursing course at CCU within 365 days must re-apply for admission.
Course Extension and Incomplete Grades for Extenuating Circumstances
On occasion, students in good standing are faced with major problems or challenges in
personal circumstances that make progression in the nursing program difficult. Students
are encouraged to seek counsel or advice from the course faculty as soon as possible
to discuss the best plan for course completion. Students may receive an extension and
a grade of “I” or Incomplete per standards in the CAGS Student Handbook. They must
also be in good standing, and are successfully passing the course. Students requiring a
course extension for reasons other than extenuating circumstances must submit their
Revision Date: April 2015
27
request in writing to the course faculty. Course extensions are granted at the discretion
of the individual course faculty.
Students who are granted a course extension may or may not be able to move on to the
next course in their program option. Refer to the CAGS Student Handbook for details of
the course Extension Process.
Retention
Nursing Faculty Advising
The Student Services Advisor (SSA) provides student advocacy and support prior to
being in the nursing program and will continue to be a University policy resource.
However, the student is responsible for course registration and course drop according
to schedules defined by the University.
Once admitted into one of the Nursing Program options, and classified as a Nursing
Student, the student will be assigned an academic nursing faculty advisor in the first
semester. The nursing faculty advisor assists the student in academic program planning
and answers questions related to academic and career planning. They may also refer
the student to the SSA and other support services available at Colorado Christian
University. Students are encouraged to meet with their advisor more often if they are
experiencing any issues related to successful completion of the coursework in which
they are enrolled.
At Risk Students
CCU is committed to providing opportunities for the success of all its students. Students
at risk of failing a course are identified as “at risk” for not successfully completing a
course for a variety of issues. Students in the nursing program will be notified by their
faculty of the issues once a pattern or combination of such risk is present. Examples of
behaviors that place students at risk include, but are not limited to: unprofessional
behavior, late assignments, pattern of low grades, clinical tardiness or absences, or
poor writing skills. Students at risk will be notified in writing.
Learning Contract for Performance
A Learning Contract (LC) is a formal process that may be used in the nursing program
to facilitate student learning and progression in the program. The Learning Contract
should be implemented as soon as student concerns arise with the intent of assisting
each student to improve their learning and/or behaviors. In the clinical setting students
may be placed on a learning contract if they demonstrates unsafe performance, violate
a patient safety responsibility, struggle to show critical thinking, or has behavioral/
attendance concerns.
The Learning Contract is a written agreement between the student and CCU nursing
faculty that details the specific activities, behaviors, and timeframes for remediation of
identified academic and/or behavioral issues. The Learning Contract is initiated by
faculty in all course areas including theory, lab, and clinical, and in consultation with the
Revision Date: April 2015
28
Program Option Director. The student must acknowledge the Learning Contract by
signing the document. The learning contract remains a part of the student file and in
some cases, may be continued into future courses. A student who is on a Learning
Contract (LC) and fails to meet the specified activities, behaviors, or timeframes will fail
the course and be referred to the Program Option Director for a program progression
plan.
Withdrawal
Withdrawal from the nursing program may occur when students are unable to
successfully complete program/course requirements due to personal or professional
circumstances. Students who withdraw from the program with the intent to re-enter
within one year must meet with the Program Option Director to delineate conditions for
re-entry. Students submit a written request to re-enter the program. Re-entry is on a
space available basis and must be accomplished within 36 days of leaving the program.
Student seeking to re-enter the nursing program after 364 days, must re-apply for
admission to the University and the nursing program.
A student nurse is not allowed to withdraw from a course because they may be
failing the course. This policy differs from the CAGS Student Handbook process on
course withdrawals. If the student fails to attend class and did not communicate with the
SSA or the Program Option Director regarding withdrawal within 14 days, they will
receive an “F” for the course.
Graduation and Commencement
Graduation Requirements
Please refer to the CAGS Student Handbook and the Academic Catalogue.
University Commencement
The university wide commencement ceremony occurs in May of each year. For a
student to participate (walk) in the commencement ceremony, the student progressing
in the nursing program may have up to 8 credits pending for full program completion.
Nursing Pinning Ceremony (Pre-Licensure BSN Option)
Students who have successfully completed their nursing program are eligible to
participate in the nursing pinning ceremony. The pinning ceremony is a time honored
tradition where new graduates are presented with a school pin as a rite of passage into
the profession by their faculty advisor. The pin represents the passing of knowledge
from faculty to student and a public recognition that the student has met the institutional
requirements to become a nurse. Recognizing that family and friends play a major role
in students’ success; students are given the opportunity to have comments read during
the receiving of their pin in order to honor those who have helped them in their nursing
journey. The conclusion of the ceremony includes the lighting of candles and a blessing
of the hands.
Revision Date: April 2015
29
Section V: Academic Policies and Procedures
Academic Integrity and Ethical Conduct
Nursing students are expected to adhere to the American Nursing Association Code of
Ethics for Nurses26. Failure to exhibit integrity and ethical conduct may warrant
dismissal from the program. “The profession of nursing, as represented by associations
and their members, is responsible for articulating nursing values, for maintaining the
integrity of the profession and its practice, and for shaping social policy” 27.
The goals of Colorado Christian University include providing an educational
environment that fosters intellectual pursuits, develops socially responsible individuals,
ensures academic freedom and protects individual rights. In order to assist students to
achieve these goals, the University has developed standards for Academic Integrity and
Student Conduct (refer to CAGS Student Handbook). The Nursing division adheres to
the CAGS standards and all students are expected to act in a manner consistent with
these standards. It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that his/her study and
participation in the academic process is so conducted that there can be no question
concerning his/her integrity. As a student matriculating in a professional nursing
program, it is the responsibility of each student to also report the unethical behavior of a
fellow student or colleague to the faculty member in order to protect the safety of the
public and ensure the integrity of the program and profession.
Academic Appeals
The nursing program follows the CAGS Student Handbook for Academic Appeals (see
Academic Information Section in CAGS Student Handbook).
Student Complaints
Students should take an issue to their lead faculty for any concerns within the course. If
a course or program concern remains, students are encouraged to fill out an SBAR
form. SBAR forms are located in designated areas at Nursing Centers or are available
through student representatives or the Program Option Director. Completed forms
should be submitted to the Program Option Director. Non-urgent program issues will be
brought to the Student Affairs Committee for discussion, while personal or urgent
matters will be addressed by administration only. If at the completion of the SBAR
process the students still has concerns, the student should schedule an appointment
with the Dean for resolution. Unresolved issues at this point must be presented to
University Administration by a formal complaint process. The form for such complaints
is found under the resource tab of my.ccu.edu.
Attendance
The Attendance Policy is detailed in the CAGS Student Handbook. Additional
guidelines related to the Nursing Program follow.
26
American Nurses Association. (2008). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. Silver
Springs, MD: Author.
27 American Nurses Association. (2008). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. p. 121,
Silver Springs, MD: Author
Revision Date: April 2015
30
In-seat and Online Attendance
The nursing program follows the CAGS In-Seat Class Attendance (see Academic
Information Section in CAGS Student Handbook).
The nursing program follows the CAGS On-Line Attendance (see Academic Information
Section in CAGS Student Handbook).
Nursing Skills/Simulation Laboratory Attendance (Pre-Licensure BSN Option)
Students are expected to attend all scheduled laboratory sessions within a course and
to arrive prepared. If a student reports to lab without the required Ticket to Admit or fails
to appear prepared based on the required readings/media assigned for that week the
student will receive a warning. If such lack of preparedness occurs a second time they
will be sent home and the absence will be considered unexcused.
All missed labs must be made up. If a student knows in advance that they will miss lab
they are required to make arrangements with the lab faculty to attend another
scheduled lab section offered during the same week (if available). If such attendance is
not possible and the absence is due to an extenuating circumstance then the student
will be allowed to make-up the missed content during the next scheduled Open Lab
without charge. Any unexcused absences will result in a lab make-up through Open Lab
at a rate of $50/hour.
Clinical Attendance
Clinical experiences are a vital part of the nursing curriculum and are essential for
preparation to practice as a nurse. Clinical attendance is mandatory and thus these
experiences are expected to take precedence over other life responsibilities.
Attendance includes being on-site, prepared, and actively participating in the clinical
experience for the entire shift. Students are not to leave the clinical agency for lunch,
voting, or any other reason other than acute illness or emergency conditions. The
student must notify the clinical faculty and get their approval prior to leaving the patient
care setting.
Since clinical experiences are mandatory, only individuals with an absence related to
illness or extenuating circumstances (as outlined in the CAGS Student Handbook) will
be considered excused. Students who fail to attend their assigned clinical orientation
will not be allowed to attend clinical. Such an absence may result in a delay of their
clinical experience until another such assignment can be found. If another clinical
experience cannot be secured during the course timeframe then the involved student
will need to meet with Program Option Director for a new course plan.
Any student absent due to illness or extenuated illness (as outlined in the CAGS
Student Handbook), are required to meet the following professional obligations:

Notify the Clinical Faculty by phone at least two hours before the start time of
the clinical. The clinical Faculty will notify the Clinical Education Coordinator. If
Revision Date: April 2015
31

the student cannot reach the Clinical Faculty, they must contact the course
faculty. The course faculty will notify the clinical unit. It is the student’s
responsibility to obtain the contact numbers for their clinical and course
faculty.
If the absence is during a precepted clinical experience, the student is required to
call the clinical faculty to which he or she has been assigned as well as the
preceptor at least two hours prior to the start of the clinical experience.
Please note that failure to give the appropriate notice as described above or a no
call/no show will result in a clinical failure.
In the rare case that a student has a major life event and the scheduling of such an
event is outside the control of the student, the student may submit a written request for
clinical make-up to the lead course faculty as long as it is done before the scheduled
clinical day. The lead course faculty will coordinate with the Clinical Education
Coordinator and Program Option Director to assess if the situation meets the major life
event criteria. Please note that such a request is not a guarantee of approval. All
requests must also be approved by the clinical agency to which the student is assigned
and thus make-up days are not guaranteed.
Clinical Make-Up:
Since it is the expectation that all clinicals be made up and accounted for, students with
an excused absence must make arrangements to attend the one designated make-up
session posted on their clinical schedule. The clinical make-up day will be in full shifts
only and arranged through the Clinical Education Coordinator. If a clinical make-up is
needed beyond the one scheduled day then the student will be charged $50/hour for the
additional make-up time.
Clinical or Skills Lab Tardiness
Being tardy is unacceptable within the health care setting in which colleagues and
patients depend on the care provided. Students are required to attend all classes, labs,
and clinical experiences on time. It is not permissible to arrive late or leave early without
permission.
Nursing Student Athletes (Pre-Licensure BSN Option)
The University considered absences that occur as a result of participation in intercollegiate athletic competition through Colorado Christian University “excused”. Given
the intense nature of the Pre-Licensure BSN program option as well as the difficulty in
obtaining make-up lab and clinical opportunities, student athletes in this program will be
required to provide their game schedule to the Pre-Licensure BSN Program Option
Director as soon as it is available. Furthermore, lead course faculty must receive notice
of anticipated absences that will occur during the course by the first day of class. Failure
to provide the appropriate notification will result in the absences being considered
“unexcused” and thus the student will be subject to any attendance or late assignment
penalties associated with such a status.
Revision Date: April 2015
32
Assignment/Examination Policies
Papers
The Nursing Division utilizes a variety of different assignments to enhance student
learning. When papers are utilized students must use APA format. In order to ensure
proper citation/referencing please use the latest edition of the required APA manual
titled Concise Rules of APA Style (see required books in each course syllabi) and
review the APA resources posted in each nursing Blackboard shell. Scholarly work is a
vital part of nursing education. Papers and assignments are graded according to
grading rubrics.
Late Assignment Policy
Nursing strictly adheres to the late policy described in the CAGS Student Handbook.
It is the student’s responsibility to adhere to deadlines for course assignments as
established by the faculty.
 All deadlines are Mountain Standard Time (MST) unless otherwise noted.
 When assignment deadlines are not met, a 10% point loss per day penalty will be
assessed up to five days.
 After 5 days, late assignments are not accepted and 0 points will be awarded
 Faculty post grades within 14 days after the last date of the class.
If students are not able to meet a deadline due to an Extenuating Circumstances they
are responsible to contact their faculty within 7 days of the extenuating circumstance to
determine if the circumstance warrants an extension on the assignment deadline based
on provided documentation.
Examinations and Quizzes
All students are held accountable to testing policies during each exam. Students who do
not comply with the Test Taking Procedure will not be allowed to take the exam and will
receive a failing grade for the exam. This policy supplements other CAGS processes
and regulations concerning academic integrity and testing misconduct.
The Nursing Division views cheating as an act or an attempted act of deception by
which a student seeks to misrepresent that he or she has mastered information on an
academic exercise which the student has not mastered. Any student who exhibits
suspicious behavior while taking an exam may be warned by the faculty member or
proctor to cease the behavior. If the suspicious behavior continues after the warning,
the Proctor will remove the exam from the student and he/she will receive a zero (“0”)
for the exam. If the faculty or proctor directly observes cheating, the exam will be
removed immediately from the student and he/she will receive a zero (“0”) for the exam
(no prior warning is required). Incidents of cheating will be reported to the Program
Option Director for further action.
Revision Date: April 2015
33
Students are required to take all examinations and quizzes on the scheduled date. If
extenuating circumstances prevent the student from taking the exam or quiz on the
scheduled date, the following must be done:



Notify the faculty prior to the scheduled exam giving the circumstances of the
absence and the expected date of return. Students who anticipate missing the
exam are expected to take the exam early. Make-up exams taken after the
original scheduled date will be permitted for extenuating circumstances only
and may include alternative questions from the original version.
If the faculty allows each student to drop one quiz/exam grade in his/her
course according to the syllabus, the faculty reserves the right to deny a
make-up quiz/exam for those who are absent.
Vacations and social events are not considered to be valid reasons for
missing an exam.
Test-Taking Procedure: In-Seat (“Face to Face”) Exams or Quizzes











There will be no food or drink allowed during an exam.
Cell phones must be turned off and put away during the exam.
Electronic devices are not allowed to be used for exams. Use of any other
electronic devices is prohibited.
Calculators provided by the Nursing Division may be used.
All personal items, including papers, books and notes, will be placed in the
front including purses, cell phones, and jackets.
Students are expected to use the restroom prior to starting any examination
and will not be permitted to leave the classroom until such examination is
complete.
Faculty may assign seats for testing.
Students who arrive late to an exam will not receive additional time to
complete their exam.
Once distribution of the exam begins, no speaking is allowed except to the
faculty proctors.
Faculty members are not obligated to provide a pre-test review or study guide
Students may make individual appointments to review their exam with faculty.
Test-Taking Procedure: Online Exams or Quizzes
Online testing in the nursing program may be either open or closed-book according to
faculty preference. When assigned as closed-book, students are expected to adhere to
the honor policy. Testing may not occur with the same IP address (i.e. students can’t
take test at the same coffee shop). All students must complete online examinations
within the assigned time-frame. Once the testing period has ended the grade will be
recorded as is and thus no additional time will be allotted. Failure to take the exam will
Revision Date: April 2015
34
result in a zero. Student must make arrangements to take online tests when they are
scheduled.
Test-Taking Procedure: Final Laboratory Competency (Pre-Licensure BSN
Option)
Nursing courses with a laboratory component may assign a final lab competency as a
means to assess the kinesthetic application of course material. Students will be given a
real world scenario in which to demonstrate their ability to perform skill sets accurately,
think critically, and maintain patient safety at all times. Lab competencies are graded
pass/no pass. Students who receive a “no pass” grade will be required to remediate and
then given one more attempt for successful completion. Failure to pass the lab
competency exam during the second attempt will result in a failing grade for both the
lab as well as theory component.
ATI Exam Testing Program (Pre-Licensure BSN Option)
Students in the Pre-Licensure BSN program option complete ATI exams
throughout the nursing program. All students are required to purchase and pass
selective segments of ATIs Comprehensive Assessment and Review program
(Basic Essentials)28.
ATI Basic Essentials Package Features6 include:
 NurseLogic helps students expand their critical thinking and problem solving
skills while learning how to be test question savvy.
 Learning System provides pre-made practice tests covering a broad range of
Nursing topics with flexible features, including rationales and optional scoring.
Features can be turned on or off.
 Content Mastery Series® is a program designed to provide assessment data
regarding a student’s mastery of concepts in specific areas linked to the
NCLEX test plan. Subjects addressed include the following:
o Fundamentals
o Pharmacology
o Adult Medical Surgical
o Focused Adult Medical Surgical (RN Only)
o Maternal-Newborn
o Nursing Care of Children
o Mental Health
o Community Health
o Nutrition
o Leadership and Management
 Comprehensive Predictor® Assessments are proctored assessments
comprised of multiple-choice questions to help determine student’s
preparedness for the NCLEX. (ATI, 20126)
28
ATI. (2012). Assessment Technologies Institute, LLC. Retrieved on April 15, 2012 from
https://www.atitesting.com/Solutions/DuringNursingSchool/ComprehensiveAssessmentAndReviewProgra
m.aspx
Revision Date: April 2015
35
Students are responsible for setting up their individual ATI account during the preadmission process. ATI account codes are distributed to students during each nursing
course. It is expected that students utilize ATI practice questions as part of each
nursing course and in preparation for taking the NCLEX-RN exam.
ATI Grading Procedure:
ATI proctored exams will be administered via campus computer and proctored by the
appropriate faculty member.
All course specific exams will count 10% of the final course grade and points will be
awarded according to the following scale:
Proficiency Level 3:
Proficiency Level 2:
Proficiency Level 1:
Below Proficiency Level 1:
95%
85%
75%
70%
Proctored exams will be administered only once per course and therefore, there will be
no opportunity for repeat testing. Students need to meet the following requirement(s) for
the course(s) identified; or, provide the remediation time amounts assigned to finish the
course:
ATI Level I
Course

NUR330A Pharmacology
Revision Date: April 2015
Additional Requirements
Level 1 is required during NUR330
36
ATI Level II
Course

NUR310A Foundations of
Professional Practice

NUR324A Caring for the Children
and Families

NUR325A Maternal Newborn
Nursing

NUR326A Mental Health Nursing

NUR415A Adult Health Nursing II

NUR330A Pharmacology

NUR472A Population Health

NUR482A Capstone
Additional Requirements
Level 2 is required during NUR415
70% required for the Comprehensive
Predictor for completion (NUR482 only)
Remediation proficiency is required after each proctored assessment for anyone scoring
below the required proficiency level. Students scoring at or above the required
proficiency level have the option to remediate. Remediation is highly encouraged at all
levels.
The required number of hours varies depending upon the Proficiency Level obtained
(see chart below). For remediation, students must create and complete a focused
review that includes corresponding templates. The templates must be submitted to
faculty within one week following the ATI test in order to attain the additional credit for
the focused review. Failure to complete the entire remediation process for those
scoring below the required proficiency level will result in failure of the course
regardless of the student’s overall course grade.
Revision Date: April 2015
37
Proficiency
Level
on ATI
Proctored
Assessment
% Points
Awarded for
Achievement
on ATI
Proctored
Exams
Focus Review
Time Required
Number of
Focused
Review
Templates
Required for
Submission
Points
Awarded for
Evidence of
Remediation
on Missed
Topics
Total
%Points
Awarded
Proficiency Level
3
95%
1 hour
2
5%
100
Proficiency Level
2
85%
2 hours
4
5%
90
Proficiency Level
1
75%
4 hours
6
5%
80
Below Level 1
70%
6 hours
8
5%
75
Preparation for the proctored assessment is essential for student success. Learning
systems tutorials and practice exams will enhance student readiness and will be
assigned in each course.
Drug Calculation Testing Policy (Pre-Licensure BSN Option)
In NUR311 and in all clinical courses, students must successfully pass a medication
calculation proficiency examination with a minimum of 95%. Students are given three
attempts to pass the exam. If not successful on the first attempt, the student must make
an appointment with the faculty of record to discuss areas needing improvement and to
develop a remediation plan. If students fail on second attempt, another appointment
with lead faculty is scheduled to review areas of concern and revise remediation plan as
deemed necessary. Students are allowed to retake the exam a third time after
completing the faculty specified remediation. If students do not pass on the third
attempt they are deemed unsafe to practice in a clinical environment and will fail
the course to which the medication examination is connected.
Grading Policies for Nursing Courses
Nursing Grading Scale
The grading scale described below will be used in evaluating the theory components of
all nursing courses and replaces the CAGS grading scale. The method of grade
assignment will be determined by the course faculty members. Grading rubrics are
provided for each graded assignment in all nursing courses.
Revision Date: April 2015
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Nursing Course Grades are calculated using the following chart of percentages:
A
AB+
B
BC+
4.0
3.7
3.3
3.0
2.7
2.3
94 – 100%
92 – 93%
90 – 91%
85 – 89%
83 – 84%
8 – 82%
C
CD+
D
D
F
2.0
1.7
1.3
1.0
0.7
0
75– 80%
73 – 74%
71 – 72%
66 – 70%
64 – 65%
Below 64%
Nursing Program Failing, No Progression
Skills/Simulation Grading Component: Pass/No Pass
Clinical Grading Component: Pass/No Pass
Pass – Satisfactory, safe and successful completion of competencies.
No Pass – Unsatisfactory, unsafe or unsuccessful completion of competencies.
Refer to the Clinical Competency Evaluation Tools (CCET) for each clinical nursing course for specific
competencies
Lab and Clinical portions of a course are graded on a P (Pass), NP (No Pass) scale.
All lab/clinical portions of this course must be completed with a grade of PASS. If
the lab or clinical portion is completed with a No-Pass (failing grade), regardless of the
classroom (theory/lab) grade, the course is failed.
Students must earn an overall course grade of “C” (75% average or better) to pass the
nursing course. All graded course assignments will contribute to the final course grade,
provided that the student has achieved a cumulative average on all tests of 75% or
better. Students who earn an overall course average of less than 75% on weekly
formative tests will receive a failing grade for the course, regardless of other
assignment grades or clinical competency evaluation.
Final course grades only are rounded from the tenth place to a whole final course
percentage. A 91.52% is a final grade of 92%. A 74.45% is a final grade of 74% and
is a course failure. Please note, in the above example a 74% obtained in the course
would be entered on the student transcript as a C- as long as for the lab/clinical
component the student received a grade of pass. In the event that a student receives a
“no pass” for the clinical or lab component a grade of “F” will appear on the student’s
transcript.
Grade Appeals
Please refer to the CAGS Student Handbook for the appeal process. The Nursing
Division does differ from CAGS in that the appeal process must be initiated within 72
business hours from the date that the student receives written notification from the lead
course faculty of a failing grade. Nursing students who initiate a valid grade appeal will
be allowed to participate in the theory and lab portions of the subsequent class while
they await a decision on their appeal. Please note: At no time will a student be allowed
in a clinical facility without a passing grade in WebAdvisor for the required pre-requisite
courses.
Revision Date: April 2015
39
Portfolio (BSN Program Options)
Purpose
Colorado Christian University nursing students submit a completed portfolio in their
Capstone course. The purpose of the portfolio is to provide students with an opportunity
to reflect on their academic experiences and to synthesize their learning and
accomplishments as they progress through the nursing program. The portfolio is a
valuable tool for students seeking nursing employment and for students already
employed in nursing and seeking career mobility or advancement.
Responsibilities and Activities
The student is responsible for developing and maintaining the portfolio throughout
his/her program of study by following established criteria outlined in course syllabi.
Courses that will require a portfolio update are:
 NUR308A: Transforming Care: Christian Theory in Practice
 NUR315A: Adult Health Nursing I
 NUR415A: Adult Health Nursing II
 NUR480A: Christian Leadership in Health Care Organizations
 NUR481A: Christian Leadership in Nursing
 NUR482A: Capstone Integration: Caring in Practice (Pre-licensure)
 NUR485A: Capstone Integration: Professional Transformation (RN-BSN)
Please discuss questions with your course faculty.
Portfolio Components
The faculty requires the use of the Wix29 website (a portfolio builder) as the only
acceptable electronic portfolio. If you produce a hard copy portfolio, make sure you
have approval from the instructor, as this is not a current method for such a document.
However, you may have a good reason to do it this way.

Required Tabs Include:
o Introduction page to describe who you are (e.g. a picture and name
plate). Wix is very prescriptive. (NUR308A)
o Resume: Contains a professional resume summarizing the student’s
education and employment activities, professional organization
membership, honors, and pertinent civic activities. The resume will also
include a Mission Statement developed in Capstone. This section could
also include your Nursing Philosophy as a separate document.
(NUR308A;NUR482A/485A)
29
Wix, a portfolio building website located at
http://www.wix.com/html5webbuilder/400?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=bi_Wi
x_Eng^wix&experiment_id=Wix^p&gclid=CKD315ybzroCFe5cMgodkzYAeQ#
Revision Date: April 2015
40
o Professional Development: This section includes special papers (e.g.
Nurse Sensitive Indicators, and evidence-based scholarly paper).
Pamphlets, significant Power Point presentations, clinical agencies with
hours spent there, informatics experiences, and EMR platforms may be
included. (NUR315, NUR415A, may include any course documents,
Nurse Sensitive Indicators from NUR482A)
o Recognitions and Awards: Any unsolicited documents including patient
recognitions, Letters of Appreciation, Awards and/or Scholarships are
placed in this section. (NUR415A, NUR480A/481A)
o Certifications & Credentials: Place CPR, ACLS, immunization record,
mask fit test, and other documents (including certifications) here. Students
should also include a copy of their nursing license (as applicable), and any
pre-nursing documents such as Management Development. (NUR308A,
NUR480A/481A, Nursing License)
o Letters of Reference: Solicited documents go in this section, and they
are best from preceptors, non-academic personnel, but in some cases
faculty letters are useful. (NUR482A or NUR485A and all other courses)
o Other: This section is for other valuable information about the student
(e.g. Olympic athlete prior to nursing school; worked as a Marine Corps
medic in Afghanistan at the rank of E-5, or went on international mission
trips to Africa in your past life). Students should not be afraid to include
their work/service in the church such as youth leader or camp counselor.
(Completed in NUR482A/485A)
Evaluation
Portfolio submissions in NUR308 and NUR482A/NUR485A will be awarded points
according to the course rubric. Updates in other courses (including NUR315, NUR415A
and NUR480A/481A) will be graded as pass/no pass and students who fail to submit
their documents will not be allowed to progress to the next course. The portfolio grading
rubric will be completed in Capstone and includes: Professional appearance, inclusion
of the tabs listed (including contents), and a personal description. Students should be
careful of pictures that are too revealing or may be taken as inappropriate. If the
student is unsure if their portfolio meets these standards they should ask their course
faculty for a portfolio review prior to submission during Capstone.
Children or Pets
Children (unless part of a class/lab experience) and/or pets (unless a service pet) are
not allowed in in-seat classes, skills/simulation lab or the clinical area. See CAGS
Student Handbook.
Faculty Availability
Faculties are committed to student success and are available for questions and
assistance when needed. Please see below for details.

Students are encouraged to communicate with faculty before, during, and after
weekly class sessions to ask questions and clarify information.
Revision Date: April 2015
41



Faculty will announce and post weekly office hours (including virtual hours) in the
course shell. This is the best time, outside of weekly class times, for students to
have immediate access to faculty.
When questions arise outside of classroom or office hours times, students should
seek clarification/answers via the Questions for Faculty tab in the Blackboard
course shell rather than faculty e-mail. Faculty will respond to questions posted
in this forum within 24 hours. All students are expected to subscribe to this thread
so as to receive e-mail updates when new answers are posted. Since faculty will
not repost these answers in a different area, it is the responsibility of each
student to stay abreast of posted information.
Faculty e-mail should be reserved for questions of personal nature. If students email faculty, the faculty will have a full 24 hours to respond during regular
business hours Monday-Friday. Student e-mails sent on the weekend will not be
answered until Monday unless they are marked “urgent” in the subject heading.
Revision Date: April 2015
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Section VI: Standards of Student Conduct
Students are to refer to the CAGS Student Handbook for a comprehensive overview of
Student Conduct expectation. CCU and the Nursing Division Standards of Conduct
seek to create and maintain a community of learners and scholars in which all CCU
students, whether on or off campus, strive to deepen their spiritual commitment and
understanding of the Bible, develop Christ-like moral character, expand their intellectual
abilities, grow in professional competency, participate constructively in community life
and observe and adhere to the rules and regulations of the University.
Professional Practice Responsibilities
Nursing is a professional practice discipline. With this commitment comes the
responsibility to project an image that generates patient trust and confidence. In
addition to being competent in the field, students must maintain the role’s proper image
through appropriate, mature, and dignified behavior.
All interactions with faculty, staff, peers, and patients will demonstrate respect and
dignity for all individuals. It is expected that students respect the privacy of all
individuals and maintain the confidentiality of client information at all times. Students
are expected to resolve interpersonal conflicts in a professional manner. Nursing
students are expected to take responsibility for their actions, respect the opinion of
others, and provide feedback to situations in a constructive and effective manner.
Blaming others, disrespectful communication, and unprofessional attitudes are not
tolerated. A professional demeanor is expected at all times (e.g., no talking loudly,
chewing gum or eating in the clinical area; no conduct of personal business in the
clinical area; no personal texting during in-seat or the clinical experience).
Proper attire and appearance also increases your credibility as a professional person.
Should a student observe a situation that she or he believes compromises either the
clinical organization’s or CCU policies, she or he is to report this to their supervisor and
the nursing faculty.
Professional Behavior in the Learning Environment
Students should arrive to class, lab, and clinical on time and should remain for the entire
designated period. Arriving late or leaving class, lab or clinical prior to dismissal by
faculty demonstrates disrespect, is extremely distracting to others in the class, and is
unsafe for patients in the clinical setting.

All students deserve to have the best environment in which to learn. Packing
up notes/books before the faculty has finished is also a distraction and
communicates a lack of respect. This behavior is unacceptable in large as
well as small classes.

Students should refrain from talking during videos, lectures, guest lecturers or
power point presentations.
Revision Date: April 2015
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
Students should show respect for the intellectual property of faculty and thus
will be expected to request permission to record lectures or in-seat activities.
If the student desires to share such recording with any other person,
permission to share must also be granted. At no time is recording of lab or
clinical permitted.

Active listening aids in retention and increases learning potential.

Students should silence their cell phones during class, lab and clinical.

Disruptive students may be removed from class, lab or clinical experiences at
the discretion of the faculty.

If absent, the student is responsible for obtaining handouts, notes, etc. from
other students. It is not the role of the faculty to ensure the student has
received missed information, but rather the student’s responsibility. The
faculty is also not expected to provide a private lecture on the material the
student missed.

If the student needs to step out of the classroom, it is courteous to contact the
faculty beforehand to inform them about the need to leave and to leave as
unobtrusively as possible.

One-time visitors to the classroom may be allowed at the discretion of the
faculty. Under no circumstances are visitors allowed in lab or clinical areas.

Additional policies related to these expectations are expanded upon in the
Clinical Policies section of this handbook.
Unprofessional Behavior in the Learning Environment
One or more of the following actions (or like actions) by a student could be considered
grounds for immediate sanctions and/or dismissal from the nursing program:

Behavior that creates a threat to the welfare of the University, a clinical facility
or a patient/client.

Behavior that threatens the continued relationship between the college and a
clinical facility.

Behavior that is discourteous or disrespectful to peers, faculty, patients or
staff.

Arguing with peers, health care providers, patients, families, faculty, and
college staff.

Violation of patient confidentiality.

Failure to adhere to University and clinical facility policy or procedures.

Use of offensive language.

Refusal to carry out assigned duties or instructions.

Failure to follow attendance policies.
Revision Date: April 2015
44

Leaving the classroom, lab or clinical environment without permission or
notification.

Misrepresentation of personal competency level.

Failure to alter behavior after constructive feedback.

Failure to meet required professional behavior standards.

Complaining in the clinical area/expression of discontent to inappropriate
parties.

Sleeping during classroom, lab or clinical.
E-mail Etiquette
E-mail etiquette is described in the CAGS Student Handbook.
Social Media
The American Nurse, the official publication of the American Nurses Association (ANA)
and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) provide guidelines when
using social media. The use of social media and other electronic communication is
expanding exponentially30 (NCSBN, 20111).
Social networking can be a positive tool that fosters professional connections,
enriches a nurse’s knowledge base, and promotes timely communication with
patients and family members. The American Nurses Association (ANA) and the
National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) caution nurses and
student nurses that they need to be aware of the potential consequences of
disclosing patient-related information via social media and mindful of employer
policies, relevant state and federal laws, and professional standards regarding
patient privacy and confidentiality.
“Nurses must recognize that it is paramount that they maintain patient privacy
and confidentiality at all times, regardless of the mechanism that is being used to
transmit the message, be it social networking or a simple conversation. As
licensed professionals they are legally bound to maintain the appropriate
boundaries and treat patients with dignity and respect.”31
ANA’s Principles for Social Networking32

Nurses must not transmit or place online individually identifiable patient
information.
30
NCSBN. (2011). A nurses guide to the use of social media. National Council of State Boards of
Nursing. Retrieved from http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/nursing/info_nur_soc_me.pdf
31 ANA. (2012, April 18, para. 2). Uniting on social media guidelines. The American Nurse; The Official
Publication of the American Nursing Association. Retrieved on April 18, 2012 from
http://www.theamericannurse.org/index.php/2011/12/05/uniting-on-social-media-guidelines/
32 Ibid.
Revision Date: April 2015
45

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Nurses must observe ethically prescribed professional patient — nurse
boundaries.
Nurses should understand that patients, colleagues, institutions, and
employers may view postings.
Nurses should take advantage of privacy settings and seek to separate
personal and professional information online.
Nurses should bring content that could harm a patient’s privacy, rights, or
welfare to the attention of appropriate authorities.
Nurses should participate in developing institutional policies governing online
conduct.
Six (6) Tips to Avoid Problems33
1. Remember that standards of professionalism are the same online as in any
other circumstance.
2. Do not share or post information or photos gained through the nurse-patient
relationship.
3. Maintain professional boundaries in the use of electronic media. Online
contact with patients blurs this boundary.
4. Do not make disparaging remarks about patients, employers or co-workers,
even if they are not identified.
5. Do not take photos or videos of patients or patient data and documentation on
personal devices, including cell phones.
6. Promptly report a breach of confidentiality or privacy.
Failure to comply with the social media policy could result in legal ramifications by
regulating bodies as well as a learning contract or dismissal from the nursing program.
Please note that at no time is it considered professional or acceptable to use social
media as a means to speak negatively about peers, faculty, or staff.
Dress Code
Picture ID



Picture IDs are available through the Nursing Division. The first picture ID is
provided to the student during orientation. Should a student lose/misplace their
ID, they will be required to contact the nursing administrative assistant and
arrange to have a new one printed at the student cost of $10.
A picture ID shall be worn and visible at eye level every time the student is in a
lab or clinical facility (even when the student is simply researching patient data
for a patient assignment).
If a student leaves the program before graduation, they are to return their ID to
the nursing office.
National Council of State Boards of Nursing. (2011, August). White Paper: A nurses’ guide to the use of
social media. Chicago, IL: Author
33
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46
Student Uniform: Pre-Licensure BSN Option
Students are allowed to wear street clothes during in-seat sessions. Discretion should
be used to ensure that clothing is appropriate within a Christian setting. Lab and clinical
sessions are considered professional environments and thus strict dress codes are
enforced. In these settings students will be expected to adhere to following:
 Wear CCU royal blue uniform scrubs (no modifications permitted unless
otherwise specified by the clinical facility). Scrubs must be neat, clean and
without wrinkles. During cold weather students are permitted to wear a white long
sleeve shirt underneath their scrub top or the college approved royal blue cover
up jacket.
 Wear close toed shoes with either hose or socks underneath. Sandals or flip
flops are not acceptable. Open heel foot wear, such as clogs, must follow agency
policy. Footwear selection must be safe, clean, professional, in good repair and
in the color of black, brown, or navy. No mesh tennis shoes or logo shoes are
permitted.
 When visiting a clinical site for patient data collection students may wear either
their CCU nursing polo shirt with khaki pants or their CCU scrubs. No jeans are
permitted.
 Mental Health/Rehab/Community/Pediatric areas may have their own dress code
and uniforms may not be appropriate. The lead faculty will inform students what
to wear during these assignments. In most cases, students will be expected to
wear khaki, navy or black solid pants, and CCU royal blue polo shirt (with CCU
and nursing logo).
 Come prepared to lab and clinical with a watch with a second hand, a calculator
(may be accessed via cell phone), a pair of bandage scissors, pen light, a
stethoscope with a bell and diaphragm, and a pen with black ink.
Student Uniform: Post-Licensure RN-BSN
Clinical attire for RN-BSN students is to be consistent with the dress code of the
agency. Professional attire with a CCU picture ID is required at all times. Additionally,
a watch with a second hand, calculator (may be accessed via cell phone), pair of
bandage scissors, pen light, stethoscope with a bell and diaphragm, and a pen with
black ink are required.
Additional Dress Requirements for Lab/Clinical
Jewelry/Piercings: Jewelry should be minimal. Watches with a second hand indicator
are part of the uniform. Only wedding bands (no engagement rings) and one pair of
small post-style earrings are allowed. No facial or tongue jewelry is allowed. It is
required that students cover body piercing and tattoos. Ear lobe expanders must be
covered with a neutral cap.
Hair: All hair should be clean and groomed. Hair must be a natural looking color.
Shoulder length or longer hair needs to be worn up or pulled back. Hair is not to
obstruct student’s vision. This applies to both male and female students. Mustaches
and beards will be clean and neatly trimmed.
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47
Cosmetics: Heavy use of makeup, perfumed lotion, and shaving lotion are not
permitted. Students should be aware that strongly scented shampoos, deodorants, and
other lotions might also be offensive and cause nausea and allergies to some hospital
patients and staff.
Gum: Gum is not to be chewed in the lab or clinical setting.
Nails: Artificial nails and overlays are not allowed in patient care areas per Center for
Disease Control. Nails must be kept short, clean, and unpolished.
Tobacco: Tobacco odors and second hand smoke are offensive and physiologically
dangerous to some patients and are unacceptable in the clinical area. Breath mints
must be used by students who smoke and by other students as needed.
Tattoos: Visible tattoos must be covered according to agency and school policies.
Hygiene: Good hygiene is imperative. Any personal hygiene habits that are offensive
to patients/clients, such as breath and body odors, must be controlled while in the
clinical areas.
Electronic Devices: Personal electronic devices such as cell phones, headphones,
radios, or other such devices are not allowed for personal use. Cell phones and/or Ipads may be used for clinical data retrieval only.
Please Note: If the clinical agency dress policy is more restrictive then the clinical
policy must be followed.
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48
Section VII: Additional Clinical Policies
Inclement Weather Closure
Closure of the campus does not correlate directly with cancellation of clinical
experiences. Clinical cancellation decisions are made by nursing course faculty and
clinical faculty in collaboration with the Dean. A student who makes an individual
decision not to attend clinical due to inclement weather must follow all make-up
procedures. All RN-BSN option students must coordinate weather closures with their
preceptors for time missed.
Required Documents
Prior to entering the program, all students are required to complete a drug screen as
well as criminal background check through Certified Background. If at any time during
the nursing program, a nursing student is convicted of misdemeanor or felony they will
be dismissed from the nursing program and given the option of reapplying after the
offense has been removed from their record. The Nursing Division reserves the right to
request an immediate drug screen at any time without prior notice to the student. See
disqualifying offenses.
All students attending clinical must be also be in compliance with basic health
requirements, including a physical exam, optional dental exam, current immunizations
(including a TB skin test and the Hepatitis B vaccine series), and CPR certification.
BSN Program: Pre-Licensure and RN-BSN Options





Immunizations
o MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) – Two vaccinations or a positive
antibody titer
o Hepatitis B- Three vaccinations or a positive antibody titer
o Varicella (Chicken Pox) – Two vaccinations, a positive antibody titer or
medical documented history of the disease
o Influenza Vaccination – To be renewed every year no earlier than
September of the current flu season
o Tdap – To be renewed every 10 years.
TB Test – PPD, Quantiferon Gold blood test or a chest x-ray
Current CPR Card- American Heart Association Healthcare Provider only
Student Release Form provided by CCU
Physical Exam Form provided by CCU and signed by your Healthcare provider.
Immunizations: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention34 recommends an adult
immunization schedule. Please refer to the website for the most current
recommendations. CCU nursing students adhere to the CDC healthcare worker
immunization recommendations found at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/spec34
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (N.D). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/
Revision Date: April 2015
49
grps/hcw.htm at the time of this printing. Prospective students follow the prospective
nursing student admission requirements listed on the nursing webpages as
www.ccu.edu/nursing. Students progressing through the nursing program will follow the
immunization requirements outlined in the immunization tracker system.
Failure to supply appropriate copies of clinical documents to the student tracking system
will result in the student not being able to attend clinical experiences and may delay
program progression and graduation date. A waiver for any immunization must come
from the student’s physician or primary health care provider.
Some clinical agencies may have more stringent immunization requirements.
Students practicing in these settings are responsible for meeting these
requirements.
Physical Exam Form/Fit for Practice
All students are expected to have a signed “Fit for Practice” physical exam form prior to
entering the nursing program (www.ccu.edu/ccu/nursing). Students are expected to be
able to perform the following minimal qualifications when participating in any clinical
rotation:
1.
Work for 12 or more hours in a standing position and do frequent walking
and stair climbing.
2.
The ability to lift and move an estimated weight equal to 50 pounds (Greater
than 50 pounds done with assistance or lifts). Refer to the “Fit for Practice”
physical exam form.
3.
Lift and transfer adult patients from a stooped to an upright position to
accomplish bed-to-chair and chair-to-bed transfers.
4.
Physically applying up to 10 pounds of pressure to bleeding sites or in
performing CPR.
5.
Immediately respond and react to auditory instructions/requests, monitor
equipment and perform auditory auscultation without auditory impediment.
Refer to “Fit for Practice” form.
6.
Perform a clinical laboratory experience from up to 12-hour duration,
including standing for up to 4 hours at a time.
7.
Perform close and distant visual activities involving objects, persons, and
paperwork, as well as discriminate depth and color perception.
8.
Discriminate between rough/smooth and hot/cold when using hands.
9.
Manipulate small objects in precise movements; for example, prepare and
administer injectable medications.
10. Communicate intelligibly in English, both orally and in writing.
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50
Please consider carefully any physical limitations you might have. If you have a
diagnosed disability that may prevent you from carrying out any of these physical
expectations, please discuss your situation with the Program Option Director. Students
who enter the program do so with the understanding that they will be expected to meet
course requirement, with or without any reasonable accommodations. *Students who
have a disability will be referred to the center for Persons with Disabilities for
determination of reasonable accommodations that can be made. Inability to carry out
any of these activities while in the program may prevent completion of the program.
Nursing Students Returning to Clinical after Illness, Surgery, or Injury
If at any time a student is no longer capable of meeting the fit for practice requirements
due to injury or disease they are required to meet with the Program Option Director to
discuss limitations and determine if progression in the program is feasible with
reasonable accommodations. Students will not be permitted to enter the lab or clinical
facility if impaired by any narcotic or mental altering medications. In order to enter or
return to the clinical setting, a written release will be required from a health professional
indicating their approval of clinical participation and the duration and type of limitations
that may exist. Full disclosure of student’s abilities must be presented to the clinical
facility and it is at the discretion of the facility as to whether or not they will accept the
student under such circumstances.
Additional Documents: RN-BSN Option
Additional clinical documentation for RN-BSN students includes a copy of a student’s
current RN License. Any subsequent license renewals must be given to the appropriate
document tracking system and is kept on file for verification as required. RN students
must submit a copy of completed yearly education for Blood-borne Pathogens, HIPPA,
Joint Commissions, and OSHA regulations into the appropriate document tracking
system.
Students in the RN-BSN program option are expected to make arrangements for clinical
experiences in conjunction with the Clinical Education Coordinator and the course
faculty. In addition, students must select an RN preceptor (with a minimum of a BS in
Nursing) to facilitate student learning and to provide feedback regarding clinical
performance. The student may not be placed on a unit where they are currently
employed.
As students complete each successive nursing course, they are expected to advance in
their level of competency. The student should demonstrate a progressive pattern toward
meeting the clinical objectives throughout the course of study.
Clinical experiences for the two clinical courses in the RN-BSN Program Option include
but are not limited to:

NUR470A: Population Based Care (focus is community-based care)
o Public health departments
o Schools
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51
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Camps
Occupation health facilities
Out-patients clinics
Parish nursing in churches
Community based organizations
Home health agencies
Correctional facilities
NUR485A: Capstone Integration (focus is interdisciplinary care and
international experiences)
o International experience
o Homeless shelters
o Refugee clinics and organizations
o Migrant clinics and organizations
o Indian reservations
o Mission trips within church or organization
Clinical Assignments
Due to the fast pace and heavy academic demands in the nursing program, the nursing
faculty suggests that Pre-Licensure BSN students avoid working full-time if at all
possible. Although programs are designed in an alternative format for adults in life,
students must make wise decisions regarding combining work and study. Clinical shifts
may be 8 to 12 hours and may include days, evening, and weekend assignments which
could occur any day of the week. In addition, clinical shifts are scheduled at a variety of
clinical sites that could be 50 – 100 miles or more from campus. Therefore, students’
personal commitments must remain flexible to accommodate program requirements.
Reliable transportation is needed due to the distance of some clinical sites.
Clinical assignments are made by the Clinical Education Coordinator and are subject to
availability as identified by the clinical agency. Clinical assignments will be released to
students four weeks in advance of the clinical rotation, but due to circumstances outside
of the Nursing Division’s control, shifts may be subject to last minute changes. Requests
for accommodation in the selection of clinical assignment will only be granted under
extenuating circumstances and approval by the Clinical Education Coordinator. Those
requests must be put in writing to the Clinical Education Coordinator. Once assignments
are made and attestation letters have been sent students are not permitted to switch
clinical sites. Students cannot schedule their own clinical assignments. If a student
contacts a facility directly without prior permission from the Clinical Education
Coordinator, they will be placed on clinical probation immediately and may receive a
failing grade for the clinical and/or class.
In order to facilitate access to patient data records, students may be asked to provide
current student contact information including, but not limited to, full name, social security
number, date of birth, address and telephone number. Every effort will be made to
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52
maintain and assure student privacy per the facility requirements. Social security
numbers are not released to anyone or any facility without student permission.
Clinical Quality, Safety and Performance
Clinical Preparation
Students are expected to be at the clinical agency promptly and prepared at least 15
minutes early prior to the start of each clinical experience. Students should seek
clarifications of all requirements assigned by the course faculty and clinical agency.
The student should dress appropriately and act professionally. Colorado Christian
University Nursing uniform and the CCU name badge should be worn at all times.
Students should be aware that they are representatives of CCU in the clinical setting.
Furthermore, students are guests in the clinical agency and must demonstrate respect
and follow policies and procedures of the agency at all times.
Clinical faculty will make the patient assignments for students the afternoon before the
clinical shift or the morning of the clinical experience depending on the agency. (This
may differ depending on the course). Students are responsible for getting to the clinical
agency and doing preparation for the clinical day before the start of the assigned shift.
Clinical faculty will give students details regarding preparation for patient assignments.
To properly prepare, the student may be required to go to the clinical site the day before
or prior to the start of the shift to obtain client information. Students are to review the
assigned patient’s chart and collect up-to-date information to provide a full picture of the
patient situation. Students are to use prep sheets or Nursing Care Plan forms for
clinical preparation, depending upon what course faculty require. Prior to the clinical
day review and research includes:






Pathophysiology
Priority Assessments
Rationale for Nursing Interventions
Laboratory Tests
Thoroughly review meds and discuss with Clinical Faculty prior to medication
administration
Complete the school required Nursing Care Plan (following HIPPA guidelines)
If the student appears to be unprepared for clinical and/or unsafe to care for
patients, the student will be asked to leave the clinical facility.
Scope of Practice
Student nurses have a defined scope of practice as outlined by the Colorado State
Board of Nursing in the Colorado Nurse Practice Act. Students must practice safely
with appropriate knowledge, skill, and ability. When a student nurses is working and
being paid by an agency, they must not function under the student nurse scope of
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53
practice. For example, documentation and Pyxis codes for student nurses are not to be
used in that agency for any other reason than functioning in the role of a student nurse.
Safe Practice Responsibilities
To insure compliance with the Nurse Practice Act, and to protect both the client and the
student, the following guidelines for safe clinical practice have been established:



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








Student may not work the shift before a clinical experience.
Only those activities discussed in class or checked off in lab may be
performed. It is the student’s responsibility to know their level of ability in
performing each skill. Regardless of the number of times they have
performed a skill, students must check with their faculty prior to performing
the skill by themselves without supervision.
Supervision is required unless otherwise directed by the faculty.
The student has the responsibility to consult with the faculty if there is any
uncertainty regarding safe practice.
All policies and procedures established by the clinical site must be followed.
Come to the pre-conference/pre-shift meeting with the faculty with a
completed individualized plan of care or worksheet for each patient.
Research all medications prior to clinical. If there is a new order, the student
must research the new medication prior to administration.
Review performance criteria and hospital procedures for nursing skills as
needed prior to the clinical day.
Demonstrate the ability to perform assigned skills safely.
Demonstrate orally and/or in writing, as required by the faculty, nursing care
planning for each patient.
Report pertinent changes in the patient’s health status immediately to faculty
and preceptor nurse.
Compute math/med calculations correctly. Have calculations checked by the
faculty prior to administering any medications.
Do not administer medications or treatments to patients not directly assigned
without consent or supervision of the faculty.
If security clearance is given to students by the agency in the form of an agency ID
badge, students must return these badges at the end of the last clinical shift. If this is
not done, students will be directed to return the badge the badge to the agency as soon
as possible.
In addition to the Colorado Nurse Practice Act, students are expected to adhere to the
American Nurses Association Scope and Standards of Practice (2010), and thus be
familiar with the following:



The 6 ANA Standards of Practice and their sub-parts.
The 9 ANA Standards of Professional Performance.
The ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses.
Revision Date: April 2015
54



The Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals.
Agency Policies and Procedures.
Course Specific Clinical Guidelines.
All students are responsible for: performing in accordance with these guidelines, the
safety of assigned patients in their care, and their own actions.
Infectious Disease and Personal Protection Protocol
In order to prevent accidental exposure to infectious disease students should be aware
of tasks and procedures in which infectious disease can occur as well as practice
universal precautions with all patients regardless of their medical diagnosis.
Tasks and Procedure in which Infectious Exposure may occur
 Handling of blood, blood products, body fluids, or contaminated object.
 Invasive procedures.
 Phlebotomy or vascular access procedures and care thereof.
 Contact with lab specimens.
 Wound care contact with mucous membranes or non-intact skin.
 Handling or disposal of medical waste.
 Cleaning or processing contaminated equipment.
 Suctioning or sputum induction.
 CPR
 Handling of soiled linen.
 Cleaning or decontamination of environmental surfaces.
Personal Protection Protocol
 Students are to wear gloves for all contact with blood, body fluids, and moist
body surfaces.
 Students are to wear gowns if soiling of clothing is likely.
 Students are to wear masks and eye protection if spraying of bodily fluids to the
face is likely.
 Students are to use sharps safety devices and practices (e.g. not recapping dirty
needles, and prompt disposal in the sharps box). All suctioning, irrigating, and
intubation procedures require face and eye protection.
 Observance of all regulations in the facility related to biological or radiation risks.
 Students are to comply and follow all isolation precautions in the clinical setting
according to agency policies
All nursing students and faculty are professionally and ethically obligated to provide
client care with compassion and respect for human dignity. No nursing student or
faculty may refuse to treat a patient solely because the patient is high risk or is
diagnosed with an infectious disease (positive for HIV, hepatitis, etc.).
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Performing a Procedure
When the student is performing a procedure for the first time, the clinical faculty or
designee MUST be present. The designee is appointed by the faculty. When the
student has mastered the skill, the faculty will inform the student when he or she may
perform the skills independently. Until then, the faculty or designee must be present
when the student performs procedures.
Medication Administration
The student is expected to know the appropriate information for each medication that is
administered. This includes action, dose, and route of administration, side effects,
contraindications, and patient teaching points.
First Year Pre-Licensure Students-Medication Administrations
All first clinical course students are directly supervised and observed by the clinical
faculty before they prepare and give medications.
Second clinical course students are directly supervised and observed until the clinical
faculty is satisfied that the student is safe to administer medication independently. The
faculty will monitor the student directly throughout the clinical rotation.
First year students may not be monitored and supervised by staff nurses. The clinical
faculty verifies, signs for, and directly observes the administration of all restricted
medications (narcotics). These medications may differ according to policies and
procedures of agencies.
Second Year Pre-Licensure Students-Medication Administration
 Second year students are directly supervised and observed until the clinical
faculty is satisfied that the student is safe to administer medications
independently.
 All second year students are directly supervised and observed by the faculty
when administering all IV flushes, medications, and pushes. Students are not
allowed under any circumstance to administer blood. They may participate in
monitoring the patient under strict supervisions of the clinical faculty.
 Students performing IV push narcotic medication will complete procedure only
with the approval of the clinical faculty and according to agency policy.
 All students will be directly supervised and observed giving medications to
pediatric clients.
 The clinical faculty verifies, signs for and directly observes the administration
of all controlled substances.
 During the Capstone students will administer medications as determined by
the Clinical Oversight Faculty, preceptor and policies of the clinical agency.
Verbal Orders Restrictions
Nursing students are not allowed to take verbal orders from physicians or other
authorized personnel at the clinical agency at any point during the nursing program. If a
student receives a ‘verbal order’ the student must explain that they are in training and
Revision Date: April 2015
56
must seek a registered nurse to receive the verbal order. No exceptions will be allowed.
The nursing student is not employed by the agency nor are they licensed at the
registered nurse level. Students who are employed at the clinical facility will also comply
by these polices while in the CCU nursing student role.
Students are not allowed to verify, acknowledge or sign off medication
orders at any time.
Patient Med Error or Patient Incident
When an error occurs during a clinical rotation (i.e. patient fall, wrong medication, wrong
patient, etc.) the student will:
1. Call for assistance and stay with the patient to take measures to reduce any
harm or injury.
2. Immediately report the details of the error to their clinical faculty/preceptor/
staff nurse.
3. Assist the faculty/preceptor/staff nurse in preparing appropriate paperwork.
4. Clinical Faculty will report Error or Incident to Lead Course Faculty and CCU
Clinical Education Coordinator.
5. Lead Course Faculty or CCU Clinical Education Coordinator will place
appropriate paperwork in student file and contact agency for any follow up.
Charting
When charting or signing out medications, the student signature should appear as:
“Name, SN, CCU,” i.e. John Smith SN CCU. Nurses performing duties as nursing
students in practice settings may be performing outside their state licensure scope of
practice while extending their education. If the nursing student is working for a
healthcare facility during the nursing program, the student may not use “SN, CCU” in
their documentation signature, nor can they practice outside their scope of practice
while performing duties unrelated to the nursing program.
Clinical Performance Evaluation
The student must meet clinical competency requirements and clinical standards of
professional practice in order to successfully pass the clinical component of each
nursing course. These competency standards are defined on the course Clinical
Competency Evaluation Tool (CCET). Clinical experiences are graded Pass/No-Pass
using individual CCETs for each clinical nursing course. Any episode of unsatisfactory
clinical practice will be documented on CCET in the week that it occurred using the
Weekly Clinical Evaluation Form (WCEF) and the student could be placed on a learning
contract. If at the end of the course the student fails to meet the minimum standard or
established objectives they will be given a No Pass for the clinical component of the
course. A student who has earned an unsatisfactory/no pass in clinical
performance will receive a failing grade for the course, even if all theory
components of the course have been above the required 75% average.
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Unsafe Performance and “For Cause” Evaluation
If a student is demonstrating a pattern of unsafe performance, lack of accountability, or
inconsistency in performance in the classroom, lab, or clinical area at the expected level
of the course, the experience will be either terminated by the faculty, or the student will
have a “for cause” evaluation. The evaluation is used to determine the cause of the
unsafe clinical behavior.
Based on the “for cause” evaluation the grade for the clinical experience may be a “no
pass.” If a clinical facility requests that a student NOT return to their agency for unsafe
behavior or actions, the nursing program faculty has the right to terminate the clinical
and/or record this as a student failure (F) in that course. Please review the “For Cause”
procedure.
“For Cause” Procedure
When a student is found to be at risk for failing to provide safe practice, the lab or
clinical faculty will call the lead course faculty to report what is being seen immediately
and pull the student to wait in a safe area (e.g. a cafeteria or waiting area). The leadcourse faculty will listen to and monitor the clinical faculty member, explain to the
student what has been observed and what is of concern, without claiming to know the
cause. The student will be told they will need to have an immediate assessment
conducted. The student will be driven to a designated clinic and will be required to sign
a consent form for treatment and give the school permission to have a copy of the
results. The student will receive the following:
1. A 10+ panel urine Rapid Test “For Cause” is collected. (e.g., agitated,
incoherent behavior; sluggish; inability to stay alert; alcohol odor; erratic
clinical behavior, or other behavior significantly outside the normal behavior of
the student).
2. Breathalyzer for alcohol. (only 0.0 is acceptable)
3. Chemistry and CBC blood test. (look for metabolic or other disease etiology)
4. Complete a medical history and medication history for the clinician.
5. A physical examination by an occupational physician or other qualified
clinician.
The faculty should have the clinician give his/her best clinical judgment, in writing, for
what may have caused the behavior or affective changes. The faculty should then bring
all documents to the Dean of the school
“For Cause” Treatment Plan
Students that have a positive drug screen showing illegal drugs or have an alcohol level
of any kind may be suspended per University Policy. Students taking prescription
medication/s which causes the behaviors described above are encouraged to have
medication management and medication exchanges for non-narcotic medical
management or a medication plan without as many symptoms. Students will be given a
warning regarding a repeat of the signs and symptoms which caused the initial
screening, but will be allowed to progress in the program if they have a new treatment
plan.
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If the observed symptoms causing this assessment are due to a medical condition, the
student will need to get the condition managed, and have a full clearance by an
appropriate clinician to resume safe practice.
In each event of a “For-Cause” screening, students will be counseled regarding
possible complications related to application for licensure in the State of Colorado.
They will be referred to the Colorado Board of Nursing screening application material
and requirements for licensure and urged to contact the Board of Nursing’s peer
assistance program for any abuse or addiction needs.
Students who refuse to sign the release or refuse to have the testing completed prevent
the Nursing Program or University from providing a safe student practice and safe
patient care within the institutions where the University has clinical or skills/lab contracts
requiring this standard. This is a serious violation of our agreements with those
institutions and cannot be tolerated. Therefore, any student who refuses the release or
the assessment for cause will be withdrawn immediately form the course, and
dismissed from the University under “Standards of Student Conduct” and “Special
Administrative Evaluation. “The University reserves the right to deny admission,
continued enrollment, or readmission to any student whose personal history and
background indicate that his or her presence at the University would endanger the
following: Their health, safety, or welfare; or property or welfare of the members of the
academic or greater CCU community….” (CAGS Student Handbook)
Student Injury/Exposure
Colorado Christian University policy regarding the injury of a CCU student, faculty, or
staff member at a clinical or other campus learning site is designed to ensure that
urgent care is provided and supervised and to assist in the provision of Workers
Compensation for CCU students and employees.
If a student is injured or exposed to contaminated body fluids while in the clinical or lab
setting the following steps should be completed:
 If emergency care is needed seek care at the nearest emergency department or
call 911.
 Report the incident to clinical faculty/scholar immediately.
 Immediately file an incident report with the hospital and follow facility policies for
injuries.
 Report the incident to the Clinical Education Coordinator within 24 hours. If
unable to reach Clinical Education Coordinator contact the Program Option
Director.
o Provide information needed to file an incident claim form
o Obtain list of occupational health clinics for non-urgent or follow-up care.
 Maintain communication with the Clinical Education Coordinator to update on
injury/exposure status and submit a medical release prior to returning to clinical.
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Non-contaminated needle sticks must be documented for the faculty, even if
the clinical agency and a First Report of Injury are not required.
All RN-BSN students who have an injury or exposure during their clinical experiences,
should seek assistance at the facilities urgent care or emergency room, and follow up
with their own physician. Contact the Clinical Coordinator to file an incident claim form
within 48 hours of the incident. Follow-up instructions and cost of your care will be
discussed at that time.
Colorado Elder Abuse and Child Abuse
and Neglect Information Act
Colorado Christian University follows all State and Federal regulations on reporting
either Elder Abuse or Child Abuse and Neglect. In the clinical setting, students who
become aware of an occurrence of Elder or Child Abuse will report such abuse to their
clinical faculty, staff nurse, or case manager immediately.
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Section VIII: Student Resources
Options for Students with Disabilities
Students are to access the CAGS Student Handbook for Accommodations. If you are a
student who has a documented disability that may affect your ability to participate in the
nursing program, you must contact the CAGS Coordinator of Student Services at
303.963.3476 to apply for possible accommodations. Your disability must be
documented by a specialist. Upon approval for accommodations, a letter describing the
approved accommodations will be issued by the CAGS Coordinator of Student
Services. The student is responsible for sharing this information with nursing course
faculty in order for any and all accommodation to be implemented. It is your
responsibility to discuss with your faculty the accommodations granted before or on the
first day of the course. Accommodations are usually reviewed annually unless the
disability is temporary. Accommodations are not granted retroactively.
University Library
CCU offers a variety of nursing resources for the Nursing Division. Please refer to the
following link to view all available resources: http://libguides.ccu.edu/home
In addition to the CCU library’s traditional collections, nursing students have access to
the following virtual nursing libraries:
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Mosby’s Nursing Consult (MNC) provided by Elsevier
CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) – Full text.
Cochrane Library
Pub Med – Full text
Alexander Street Nursing in video
CCU’s virtual library provides Web and Internet resources and online subscriptions to
indexes and full text databases across a variety of academic disciplines, including over
10,000 full text journals and periodicals. The library website also offers a collection of
electronic tools and links created by library faculty intended to support online research.
Interlibrary loans (no charge) are encouraged and cooperative agreements through
regional and state library consortia allow students to borrow materials from libraries
throughout the state, region and country.
All of these resources and services are provided and enriched by skilled professional
staff together with student assistants. Library staff provides reference services and
instructional classes and involve classroom colleagues in collection development. The
library is a warm and collegial place, very popular with students, and is open 86 hours
each week over seven days, including weekends and evenings.
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Supporting Services
Blackboard Support
For assistance with access, operational, navigation, or other issues regarding
Blackboard, please contact Blackboard support at 303-963-3444 or email
techsupport@ccu.edu
IT Support
The Information Systems and Technology department (IST) supports all aspects of a
student's access to information, including campus and library computer labs, high-speed
Internet service, campus wireless network, Google e-mail accounts, student portal
(my.ccu.edu), instructional technology tools, access to online services, and Technical
Support services.
The following link will direct students to more information about Colorado Christian
University technology requirements, services and support at
https://my.ccu.edu/departments/ist/techsupport/students/default.aspx
CCU computer technicians are available to help each student connect to the CCU
network. In addition, students can bring their computers to Technical Support for a free
analysis and consultation on antivirus and antispyware solutions. If additional repair or a
rebuild is required, our services will be offered at prices significantly lower than current
market rates. The Technical Support office can be reached at (303) 963-3444 or
techsupport@ccu.edu.Hours of operation are Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
ATI Learning Systems
The Pre-Licensure Program Option uses ATI learning systems as a learning resource
that will prepare students for the NCLEX-RN examination. Please refer to ATI Testing
Policy in Section V of this handbook for further information. For ATI technical support,
please contact 1-800-667-7531 from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday through Friday or you
email them at helpdesk@atitesting.com during this time or after operational hours.
Math Assistance
Kahn Academy offers free on-line education for anyone who is interested in learning.
Students who need additional help with learning math and algebra concepts may visit
the following website as a supplemental learning tool: https://www.khanacademy.org/
Writing Center
CCU’s writing center is available to help students who need additional assistance with
writing skills. Writing assignments in Nursing require the use of APA format. The
writing lab has many valuable links that will assist students with this style of writing. For
hours of operation, how to make an appointment and other FAQs please visit:
https://my.ccu.edu/academics/writingcenter
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APA Resources Tab
An APA Resources tab can be found on the left hand side of every nursing Blackboard
shell. Within this tab students can find a sample APA paper, a PowerPoint presentation
exemplar, and an APA ready document with title page and running head.
Textbook Resources
Most nursing textbooks offer supplemental on-line learning tools to facilitate learning.
These supplemental tools are included with the purchase of your textbook. Students are
highly encouraged to take advantage of these resources. If resources are available,
registration information is typically located in the front cover of your book.
Computer Labs
Each CCU academic center has a computer lab which is available to all students.
Students may use the computer lab printer to print off class materials. Students receive
$25.00 per semester through the university printer system and may add additional funds
through Web Advisor if more copies are needed. Students are not to print class
materials on faculty /staff copiers.
Additional Student Resources
There are many additional student resources available through the Blackboard Learning
Management System. A “Student Resources” tab on the top of the Blackboard platform
will direct students to these resources.
Student Identification Card
All CCU Nursing Students have picture identification cards required for clinical
experiences. Students e-mail a digital head shot picture taken with fine or high
resolution to the Nursing Division office. The picture must have a minimum height of
200 pixels and must be submitted in jpg, gif or bmp formats. Picture identification cards
are prepared by the university at no cost to the student. If students leave the program
before they graduate, they must return the Identification Badge to the nursing office.
Tutoring and Counseling
Students in need of tutoring or personal counseling are to get a referral from the
Nursing office. There are resources available for our students at reduced or sliding
scale costs.
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Division of Nursing and Health Sciences
10190 Bannock Street Suite 100
Northglenn, Colorado 80260
Instructions: Please read both the CAGS Student Handbook and the CCU Nursing
Student handbook and sign this document below.
My signature below confirms that I have received and agree to adhere to the policies
and procedures presented in the Colorado Christian University Nursing Student
Handbook as well as the College of Adult and Graduate Studies Student Handbook. I
understand that updates to either handbook may be e-mailed to me during the course of
the program and I take responsibility for the content of those updates.
Name _________________________________________
(Please Print)
Signature _________________________________________
Date _________________________________________
Please fax this document to:
Rachel Garza, Administrative Assistant
Division of Nursing and Health Sciences
Fax 720-872-5703
rgarza@ccu.edu
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