Frequently Asked Questions

Nursing students enrolled in the UW-Seattle School of Nursing programs must adhere to all compliance requirements established by the UW Health Sciences Immunizations Program, UW School of Nursing, and affiliated clinical sites. As guests of our affiliated clinical sites, students are expected to maintain the highest professional and safety standards by completing relevant training, immunizations, and additional requirements that meet our partners’ expectations. These requirements are monitored through two main platforms, Castle Branch and CPNW. Action items within these platforms must remain up to date at all times, meaning several compliance requirements will necessitate renewals throughout your program’s duration. As sites may request confirmation of current qualifications up to 8 weeks before each quarter begins, you may find that some renewals are due a couple months before their expiration dates listed on Castle Branch and CPNW. Click HERE to learn more about the compliance renewal process. It’s crucial for students to track when their compliance requirements expire and renew them by the compliance renewal deadlines provided to ensure a smooth clinical onboarding process. If you require assistance at any point, please email your compliance team at nscomply@uw.edu.

Castle Branch primarily serves as a secure repository for storing student immunization records, trainings, and other necessary documentation required by our clinical sites. On the other hand, CPNW functions as a platform utilized by select sites within the CPNW consortium to streamline their clinical onboarding process. This includes ensuring that students rotating at their facility complete the training modules on CPNW to meet their relative safety and professional standards. This is also where these sites review your clinical passports. However, if you’re attending a site outside of this consortium, such as UWMC, your passport would be emailed, as per UWMC’s preference. It’s important to note that each site within our consortium may have distinct requirements, even if they are part of the consortium. This variability is inherent to clinical experiences and site guidelines to ensure the utmost safety for both students and patients involved, to which you will be notified accordingly, so please be sure to continue motoring your UW emails regularly for potential updates.

ABSN and BSN students must acquire a CPNW account as it is always guarantee that these cohorts will be rotating at a CPNW consortium at least once in the duration of their program. DNP students only need to create a CPNW account if you are prompted on your site’s canvas onboarding instructions.

Clinical passports are mandatory for all clinical sites. They play a crucial role as they serve as a thorough record of your clinical experiences, competencies, and immunizations. By providing a structured framework, they enable us to track your progress effectively, ensuring that you fulfill the essential requirements for clinical practice. As guests at these healthcare sites, it’s imperative that we uphold the highest professional and safety standards. This commitment prepares you for your future role as a nurse and demonstrates your dedication to excellence in patient care.

Yes, it’s essential to renew your clinical passport every quarter, even if you don’t have any expirations imminent in the next academic quarter as this is the general procedure expected from your clinical sites. Renewing your passport ensures that it remains up-to-date and reflects your current status and relative records accurately. Additionally, regular renewal helps you stay organized and prepared for any unexpected changes or opportunities that may arise in your clinical education journey. By keeping your clinical passport current, you demonstrate your commitment to maintaining high standards of practice and readiness for future clinical experiences.

There are several notable differences between the clinical placements and compliance processes that warrant careful consideration, primarily to determine the appropriate point of contact for assistance. Firstly, the responsibilities of the clinical placements team and the compliance team seldom, if ever, overlap. The clinical placements team facilitates communication with our affiliating clinical sites and curriculum specialists to secure students’ placements for clinical hours. Meanwhile, the compliance team focuses on familiarizing themselves with clinical site requirements and ensuring students understand and fulfill them adequately. Once a student is placed at a site, the compliance team utilizes this information to verify student onboarding requirements accurately. Given that some sites may have additional prerequisites beyond those typically requested through Castle Branch and CPNW, the compliance team ensures students meet these requirements effectively. For inquiries regarding clinical placements, students should contact the clinical placements team at jrathe@uw.edu. Concerning compliance requirements as students prepare to begin their clinical placements, they should reach out to the compliance team at nscomply@uw.edu.

Renewing before expiration is essential because clinical sites typically require student clinical onboarding documents well in advance, usually around 6-8 weeks before the program begins. Thus, they need to verify that your accreditation, training, and immunizations will remain valid for the entire duration of your rotation at their site. This precaution is mandated by laws and regulations designed to safeguard both students and patients. Considering they must also evaluate numerous student documents from other participating schools, this procedure is notably extensive. Such meticulous management is necessary to ensure adequacy across all fronts.

All ABSN and BSN students must acquire a CPNW account as it is guaranteed that these cohorts will be rotating at a CPNW consortium at least once in the duration of their program.

DNP students are required to create a CPNW account only if prompted in your site’s Canvas onboarding instructions. Clinical rotations begin in the Spring of the second year, with confirmation emails sent by clinical placement coordinators. Upon receipt of the confirmation email, students should promptly check their site’s Canvas onboarding page to confirm the need for a CPNW account for the quarter. We recommend checking as soon as possible, as it may take up to 72 hours for accounts to be approved upon registration. Ensure you allow yourself adequate time to complete the eLearning modules on CPNW. Clinical sites will not review onboarding documents until all modules are complete and up to date.

If you’re on a Leave of Absence (LOA), here’s what your compliance process entails:

Email nscomply@uw.edu and CC your DNP advisor to inform us of your LOA. Please include the following details:

• • Your cohort year
  • The quarter and year you’ll start your LOA
  • The quarter and year you plan to return from LOA
  • Confirm that you are not going to be enrolled in non-clinical courses during your LOA *see below for more information

During your LOA, you’re not required to keep your compliance requirements up to date.

It’s essential to note that being on LOA differs from not completing a clinical rotation while still enrolled in the DNP program and taking additional non-clinical courses. All students must maintain up-to-date compliance requirements while actively enrolled in any courses as a student under the UW-Seattle nursing program regardless of being active in clinical rotation.