Policy 2.2: Attendance & Short-Term Absences 

I. Policy Statement

The School of Nursing (SoN) expects students to participate fully in scheduled learning activities. Attendance and timely presence are essential to meeting course outcomes, accreditation and licensure requirements, and professional standards.

The University of Washington requires that students absent from examinations or class activities due to unavoidable causes be provided an opportunity to complete equivalent work or, if that is not feasible, be exempted from the requirement at the instructor’s discretion (SGP 112).

Instructors may require written communication from students in making these determinations. Instructors are prohibited from requesting, and students should not provide, medical documentation as proof of short-term illness to justify an absence (SGP 112 1.A.2).

Attendance expectations vary by program. Program-specific requirements are outlined below.

II. Process

A. All Programs

• In accordance with UW SGP 112, a student absent from an examination or class activity through sickness or other unavoidable cause, as judged by the instructor, shall be given an opportunity to complete equivalent work. If that is not feasible, the student may be exempted from the requirement.
• Unavoidable causes include illness, serious illness or death in the immediate family, religious obligations, academic conferences, and University-sponsored activities.
• Documentation: The prohibition on requesting medical documentation for a short-term illness applies to didactic, lab, simulation, and clinical courses alike.
• Students may request accommodation for religious observances under UW’s Religious Accommodations Policy. Requests must be submitted through the Office of the University Registrar Religious Accommodations Request process within the first two weeks of the course, and must identify the specific dates of absence. A request raised only with the instructor, or submitted after the two-week window, does not meet the requirements of the policy.
• Clinical, practicum, and simulation courses have an earlier deadline. Clinical assignments are built before the quarter begins, so an approved accommodation is submitted to the School under UW School of Nursing Policy 3.1: Clinical Placement Standards, Compliance, and Expectations no later than 12 weeks before the quarter starts. A student who anticipates a conflict between a religious observance and a clinical assignment raises it with their adviser at registration, without waiting for the Registrar’s process to open.
• Extended absences that prevent fulfillment of course objectives and requirements may require an incomplete, withdrawal, or leave of absence (see UW School of Nursing Policy 1.3: Grading & Incompletes; UW School of Nursing Policy 2.3: Leave of Absence).

B. Undergraduate (A/BSN)

General Absence Policy

• Students absent from examinations or class activities due to unavoidable causes will be offered equivalent work or may be exempted, consistent with SGP 112.
• If completion of equivalent work is not feasible during the quarter, University regulations on Incompletes apply.

Clinical & Lab Attendance

• On-time, in-person attendance is required for all clinical, lab, seminar, and onboarding activities.
• In the clinical training setting, students are considered part of the nursing and interdisciplinary team. Arriving late affects other nurses, patients, faculty, and the student’s own performance.
• Instructors may require early arrival for pre-clinical preparation.
• Lateness:
  • First late: verbal warning.
  • Second late: Course Notification and Development Plan (see UW School of Nursing Policy 1.4: Course Notification & Development Plan).
  • Additional lateness: the BSN Coordinating Committee (BSNCC) may initiate a program-level review under UW School of Nursing Policy 4.1: Essential Qualifications and Behaviors.
• If absent from clinical due to illness or emergency, students must notify the clinical instructor at least 30 minutes prior to the shift using the method specified (phone, text, or email). Students are not required to provide medical documentation for a short-term illness.
• Clinical instructors, in consultation with course coordinators and the Office of Clinical Placements, determine whether make-up clinical time is required and feasible.
• Students must accommodate any make-up work offered, even if scheduled outside regular shifts.
• If sufficient hours or objectives cannot be met, the course must be repeated.
• Where a student does not meet the published attendance and participation requirements for a clinical or lab course, the program may request that the student drop the course (SGP 102 5.H).

Planned Absences

• Students with justifiable reasons for planned absence must consult the instructor in advance.
• Instructors have final authority to approve or deny the absence and to determine whether make-up work is required. For clinical and lab courses, a planned absence in extraordinary circumstances is granted at the discretion of the course instructor and the course coordinator.
• Students should not expect personal, family, or work commitments to be grounds for excused absence.

Final Examination Week

• Students must remain available for School of Nursing activities through the end of final exam week, as published in the UW Academic Calendar.
• Travel and personal plans must be scheduled during breaks to avoid unexcused absences.
• Final examinations are administered according to the schedule provided by the Registrar. An instructor may not permit a student to take a final examination earlier than the scheduled time, except at an earlier time within the examination period and only where all students and the instructor agree. Rescheduling a final examination requires prior approval of the Associate Dean for Student and Academic Affairs (ADAA) upon a showing of good cause, and the ADAA must first obtain assurances that the change will not have an undue adverse impact on students (SGP 112 2.B).

C. Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

• Students are expected to attend all didactic, lab, simulation, and clinical activities.
• All required clinical hours must be completed to meet accreditation and licensure requirements.
• Students must notify course faculty and preceptors as soon as possible if unable to attend. Medical documentation is not required for a short-term illness.
• Students must discuss planned absences with faculty in advance. Approval is at the discretion of faculty and depends on the ability to meet course and accreditation requirements.
• Faculty determine whether clinical make-up is possible, based on course objectives and site availability. Simulation may not be used to make up required direct care hours.

D. CIPCT & PhD (Graduate Non-Clinical Programs)

• Students are expected to attend all required activities, including classes, seminars, labs, and research practica.
• Students must notify faculty promptly if absent.
• Students must discuss planned absences with faculty in advance. Faculty determine whether make-up or alternative arrangements are possible.
• Extended absences may affect satisfactory progress and may result in Academic Notification, Academic Alert, or Final Academic Alert under UW Graduate School Policy 3.7: Academic Performance and Progress.

III. Roles and Responsibilities Summary

Last updated: September 2026