Sample Course Syllabus

Course Information

• Credit hours: 3 credit hours (clinical)
• Placement in curriculum: eighth semester, core
• Prerequisites: seventh semester courses
• Corequisites: eighth semester courses

Description

Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate competencies consistent with program outcomes and to refine nursing care practice skills. Students will collaborate with faculty and a preceptor in choosing a care setting, planning, and organizing a learning experience, and practicing professional nursing in a safe and effective manner.

Course Concepts

Professionalism, clinical reasoning and judgment, evidence-based practice, inter/intra professional collaboration, communication, culture, informatics, health policy, nursing process, leadership, informatics.

Program Learning Outcomes (PLO) & Course Competencies

At the conclusion of this program and this course, the student will be:

1. A critical thinker who demonstrates intellectual engagement and uses evidence as a basis for clinical reasoning and decision-making.
2. A culturally sensitive individual who provides holistic, individual, family, community, and population-centered nursing care.
3. A knowledgeable care coordinator who facilitates access to resources across the continuum of health care environments in order to meet the evolving health care needs of individuals, families, communities, and populations.
4. An individual who understands and considers the impact of health care policy, finance, and regulatory environments on care delivery.
5. An individual who emodies the professional identity of the nurse and who translates the inherent values of the nursing profession into the ethical and legal practice of nursing.
6. An effective communicator who collaborates with interprofessional team members, patients, and their support systems.
7. A competent care provider who is prepared to practice to the full capacity of the professional nurse role in diverse health care environments.
8. An accountable leader and manager who applies principles of systems and organizational processes and balances resources to promote quality care and patient safety.
9. An individual who embraces and employs innovations in information management and technology in the delivery of quality patient care.

Required Textbooks

No specific textbook is required; maintaining access to your IU School of Nursing book bundle will assist you in completing the assignments for this course.

Optional Textbooks

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). American Psychological Assocation. (APA 7th Edition formatting required for this course)

Required Software

• Zoom
• Microsoft Office 365
• Canvas

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Required Readings

Reading related to patient care and nursing processes specific to the area of capstone placement and the associated evidence-based project is an expectation of this course.

Teaching and Learning Strategies

• Clinical experience supervised by a preceptor
• Evidence-based practice project
• Scholarly writing

Evaluation

The student's performance in the course will be measured by the completion of an evidence-based practice project, all clinical paperwork, and a summative evaluation tool

Student Evaluation Tool - A summative evaluation of a rating of 3 or 4 four all course competencies required for successful capstone completion.

The student will receive a formative (mid-term) and summative (final) evaluation.

• The formative evaluation is a Likert 5-point scale from "1" (unsafe performance) to "4" (performed task independently in an appropriate student role) based on a clincial evaluation tool utilizing the course competencies and program outcomes.
• The summative evaluation requires ratings of 3 or 4 in each of the nine course competencies. Students, faculty, and preceptors contribute to formative and summative evaluation. Faculty assign the final practicum grade of Satisfactory or Fail. The practicum grade must be Satisfactory to pass the course.

To receive a Satisfactory for the course, the student must receive:

1. A rating of 3 or 4 for each competency on the Summative Student Evaluation Tool
2.  A 75% average "C" for the EBP project grade and First Meeting preparation, and all course assignments
3. A "complete" on all assignments graded as complete/incomplete

If any of these are not successfully achieved, the student will fail the course.

Clinical Expectations for Students

Students will successfully complete the following experiences:

• Demonstrate competence with course outcomes
• Negotiate for own learning experiences within context of expected course outcomes
• Perform progressively in a more independent manner
• Complete self-evaluation in conjunction with preceptor and course faculty.
• Orientation to S483 Capstone is mandatory. Attendance at the Evidence-Based Practice Project Presentations (both for presenting your project, as well as to listen to the presentation of other students) is also mandatory and an absence will result in a score of 0 points for the presentation.

Capstone Clinical Student Dress Code

Students are expected to abine by the school dress code/uniform policy. Lack of adherence to the dress code/uniform policy (including the initial visit) will cause the student to be excused from the capstone site. The student will be allowed to return to their assigned capstone site when in compliance with the uniform policy. This time away from the unit is deducted from capstone hours and must be made up in accordance with capstone completion expectations.

Capstone Clinical Hours and Schedule

Capstone is a 3-cr. hour clinical. At the IU School of Nursing, 1-cr. of clinical = 37.5 hours. Therefore, each capsone student will complete 112.5 hours of clinical time. This is broken down as: 108 hours spent with preceptor and 4.5 hours or orientation, first preceptor meeting, and final presentations.

Each student's clinical capstone schedule will be set during the first meeting with the preceptor, student, and faculty. If th epreceptor does not have her/his scheduled hours posted prior to this first meeting, the schedule will be set once the preceptor has the schedule for the capsone time period. Student have input into your selected hours, as long as they coincide with the preceptor's schedule. As there are other class commitments, students must adhere to the 8-hour rest requirement between capstone clinical on night-shift and any scheduled classroom experience the following day.

Students are to refer to class calendars prior to the first meeting with their preceptor to avoid these conflicts. Once an individual capstone clinical schedule is set, the following rules apply:

• The student may not initiate changes to the schedule. Think of this as your work schedule. In the nursing work world, a nurse cannot make changes to their schedule, unless they find someone to trade hours with them. Capstone students cannot cancel a scheduled shift because another activity of interest became available. If a student is ill or has an emergency that requires you to cancel your shift, you are required to notify your faculty and preceptor prior to your shift. A make-up shift will be scheduled by the student and their preceptor: this shift must be approved by the clinical faculty prior to the shift.
• The student should anticipate that the preceptor may have changes in her/his work schedule. The preceptors give their time to work with students. If the preceptor desires or is asked to change her/his schedule, this is acceptable, and faculty have no control over this. The preceptor and clinical faculty will work with you to arrange another date. If the preceptor needs to take a sick day or is canceled, they will work with you on finding a make-up day.
• The student must contact their clinical faculty regarding any changes made to their schedule as soon as the proposed change is made. If all or part of the shift is canceled for any reason, the student is expected to contact their clinical faculty right away. All changes to the student’s schedule must be approved by their clinical faculty prior to the beginning of the shift. This is critical, as IUSON and our clinical partners must know in real-time when students are at the clinical site functioning as a Capstone student and, if canceled, when a student is not there. Students must notify faculty of any changes to their clinical schedule for the hours to be counted as part of their capstone hours. Clinical faculty will let students know in orientation how they want to be notified (text, call, or email). Students risk a course failure if they have not kept their faculty informed.
• Calculating Capstone Clinical Hours: Example: 0700 to 1930 counts as 12 hours; 2300 to 0730 counts as 8 hours. If there is any confusion about the number of hours a student can count for each shift, students are to ask their clinical faculty for guidance.
• Students are expected to take a 30-minute lunch break for every 8-or 12-hour shift. Lunch breaks are not counted as Capstone hours. Lunch break times are assigned by your preceptor.
• Students are expected to be prepared to begin clinical work at the shift start time. Arrival time is 10–15 minutes prior to the start of your shift. Arrival prior to shift start are requisites of professional behavior and is not counted as capstone clinical time.
• Some preceptors choose to arrive as early as 30 minutes or more prior to clocking in to prepare for the day. Students are expected to arrive for their shift at the time the preceptor requests. Approval of early arrival must be received by your clinical faculty in advance in order for this preparatory time to count.
• Charting after the shift, completion of a hand-off, or other duties that do not involve direct patient care can be counted as capstone clinical hours if approved by clinical faculty. Students must be supervised at all times by their preceptor in these instances. Students may not be on the unit without preceptor supervision.
• Capstone students may not be scheduled for clinical time longer than 12 clinical hours. Occasionally, a nurse working a 12-hour shift will agree to stay another 4 hours, due to short staffing. Students may not stay the extra 4-hour hours.
  • Exception: if the student is actively involved with their preceptor in caring for a patient that is acutely declining, in instances where the student’s leaving the bedside is detrimental to the patient, the student is expected to stay with the preceptor and the patient; this time can be counted. This exception must be communicated to the clinical faculty for the hours to be counted.
• Capstone students may not schedule a clinical shift on the night shift prior to, or during the time of classes. Add class dates and times to your calendar before creating your Capstone calendar. Please note that any clinical time scheduled during classroom hours cannot count as part of the student’s capstone hours.

Capstone Clinical Student Sentinel Event

Definition of a Sentinel Event for the purpose of the Capstone Clincial Experience

A Student Sentinel Event is any student action, inaction, or behavior that is considered unprofessional, and/or could put a patient's safety at risk. Such event are called "sentinel" because they signal the need for immediate investigation and response.

Examples of a Student Sentinel Event may include but are not limited to: 

• Patient safety – for example, a medication error, procedure error, patient injury or near-miss injury, or performance outside of the scope of practice. Note: It is imperative to notify your preceptor immediately if any patient safety situation occurs.
• Unprofessional behaviors (tardiness, attendance, lack of engagement in patient care, lack of patient confidentiality, etc.)

Preceptors may take the following actions in response to a Capstone Clinical Student Sentinel Event: 

• Removing the student from the clinical area
• Notifying clinical faculty member as soon as feasible
• Determining how to handle the event. The decision should be made in consultation with preceptor, student, and faculty member. Course leader faculty are to be alerted by the clinical faculty regarding sentinel events and proposed action plan. Course leaders may intervene as deemed necessary; however, clinical faculty have primary responsibility for addressing the situation.
• The student may be asked to assist the preceptor in completing an incident report in the instance of patient safety concerns, in accordance with the clinical site's policies and procedures.
• A Performance Improvement Plan (part of the evaluation form) is to be completed by clinical faculty when there is a concern re a sentinel event of any kind.

Student Behaviors That Warrant Immediate Removal from the Clinical Site

Data suggestive of intoxication or withdrawal:

•  Complaints of blurred vision, morning headache, abdominal or muscle craps, diarrhea
• Poor coordination or unstable gait
• Odor of alcohol
• Diaphoresis
• Tremors expecially of the hands
• Slowed thinking processes or very impulsive thinking
• Slurred speech
• Poor impulse control

Other student behaviors that warrant immediate removal from the clinical site:

•  Immobilization or panic with resulting inability to think or act
• Threats to kill or harm oneself or another person
• Possession of a weapon or hazardous object
• Wildly unpredictable deviation from usual, acceptable behavior
• Severe psychological distress, other than homicidal or suicidal ideation
• Poor judgement regarding safety issues for self, patient, and coworkers
• Severe physical distress including:
  • Seizures
  • Chest pain
  • Respiratory distress

Student behavioral patterns that warrant removal from a clinical site:

1. Absenteeism
   • Frequent, unschedules short-term absence
   • High absentee rate for colds, flu, gastritis, etc.
   • Absence after days off
   • Inconsistent or increasingly improbable excuses for absences
   • Absences for traffic or home accident injuries
2. On-the-job absenteeism
   • Long coffee breaks
   • Physical illness on the job
   • Excessive time needed for charting and record-keeping
   • Locked door syndrome or excessively long use of restroom
3. Difficulty in concentration
   • Assignment takes more time than expected despite skills and experience level
   • Difficulty in establishing priorities in clinical assignment
   • Medication errors
   • Omitted, illogical, incomplete, or illegible charting
   • Deteriorating handwriting during shift
   • Errors in recording and in following directions
   • Overlooking signs of a patient's deteriorating or changed condition
4. Inconsistent work pattern
   • Alternating periods of high and low efficiency
   • Decreased dependability
   • Minimal or substandard performance when compared with peers' lack of usual initiative or enthusiasm
   • Lack of usual initiative or enthusiasm
   • Frequent requests for assistance with assignments
5. Physical or emotional problems
   • Changes in physical or emotional condition during clinical hours
   • Marked nervousness on the job
   • Excessive perspiration
   • Lack of attention to personal cleanliness or grooming
   • Reporting to clinical setting despite physical or emotional problems
   • Requests for change to a less-supervised setting

Reference: Spier, B. Matthews, J., Jack, L., Lever, J., McHaffie, E., & Tate, J. (2000). Impaired student performance in the clinical setting. A constructive approach, Nurse Educator, 25(1), 3842.

HIPAA Statement

Patient-related information cannot be removed from the clinical unit. Electronic Medical Records may not be shared or printed. Charts may not be photocopied. Clinical information system printed items cannot be taken from the clinical facility. Patient information must never be discussed in a public area. Any notes and or written assignments must not contain any of the following 18 Data Elements for HIPAA De-identification:

1. Names
2. Geographic subdivisions
3. All elements of dates
4. Telephone number
5. Fax number
6. Electronic mail addresses
7. Social security number
8. Medical record number
9. Health plan beneficiary number
10. Account number
11. Certification/license number
12. Vehicle idenitifiers and serial number
13. Device identifiers and serial number
14. Web Universal Resource Locators (URLs)
15. Internet Protocol (IP) address number
16. Biometric identifiers, including finger and voice prints
17. Full face photographic images and comparable images
18. Any other unique identifying number, characteristic code

Accomodations for Students with Disabilities

Every attempt will be made to accommodate qualified students with disabilities (e.g., mental health, learning, chronic health, physical hearing, vision neurological, etc.). You must establish your eligibility for support services through Adaptive Educational Services. Note that services are confidential, may take time to put into place and are not retroactive; it may take three or more weeks to produce captions and alternate media for print materials. Please contact your campus office as soon as possible if you need accommodations. Students requesting accommodations must provide faculty with appropriate documentation from Adaptive Educational Services.

Course and Academic Policies

Each Canvas course contains a link to important academic and course policies identified in Syllabus Supplement. It is each student’s responsibility to be knowledgeable of these policies. In addition, students should review these IUPUI campus-wide policies regarding courses.

Sexual Misconduct

What you should know about sexual misconduct: IU does not tolerate acts of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment and all forms of sexual violence. If you have experienced sexual misconduct, or know someone who has, the University can help. It is important to know that federal regulations and University policy require faculty to promptly report complaints of potential sexual misconduct known to them to the Deputy Title IX Coordinator(s) on campus to ensure that appropriate measures are taken, and resources are made available. The University will work with students to protect their privacy by sharing information with only those that need to know to ensure the University can respond and assist. If you are seeking help and would like to speak to someone confidentially, you can make an appointment with a mental health counselor on campus. 

Syllabus Updates may be necessary

This syllabus is based on the most recent information concerning the course content and schedule planned for this course. Its content is subject to revision as needed to adapt to new knowledge or unanticipated events. It will remain focused on achieving the course competencies. Students will receive notification of such changes and are responsible for such changes or modifications distributed in class or posted on Canvas for this course.

Respect | Responsibility | Trust | Dialogue