Policy 3.1: Clinical Placement Standards, Compliance, and Expectations

Applies to: A/BSN, DNP, & Certs

I. Policy Statement

The School of Nursing (SoN) holds sole authority over all student clinical placements. Placements are assigned in alignment with program requirements, accreditation standards, and clinical partner agreements. Students are responsible for meeting compliance requirements, professional expectations, and documentation standards in order to participate. By policy, students may not independently contact or solicit clinical sites. This ensures consistent communication with partners, protects contractual agreements, and safeguards patient care.

This policy establishes the responsibilities of both the School and students: the SoN will coordinate, monitor, and approve all clinical placements, while students are responsible for adhering to placement assignments, maintaining compliance, and upholding professional conduct in all clinical settings.

II. Process

A. Clinical Placement Assignment

UW School of Nursing students have an extraordinary opportunity to learn and work alongside skilled mentors throughout the Puget Sound and beyond.

All students

Students may NOT contact clinical sites to ask about clinical placements or other clinical experiences (e.g., shadowing, observing).
All clinical placements are at the sole discretion of the UW School of Nursing.
The SoN does not support out-of-state placements; all clinical assignments occur within Washington State.
Students complete a Clinical Placement Agreement at matriculation and may be asked to reconfirm their understanding prior to starting clinical.
Confirmed placements are considered final. Requests for changes will only be considered in exceptional circumstances (e.g., the site cannot meet course objectives or provides an unsafe learning environment).
Clinical Placement Accommodations (All Students)
- Personal preferences (work schedules, extracurricular courses, or other commitments) cannot be accommodated.
- Documented accommodations for Disability Resources for Students (DRS), active or reserve military service, or religious practice may be considered if submitted to the Program Director no later than 12 weeks prior to the start of the quarter.

Undergraduate Students (A/BSN)

Placements are assigned by the Office of Clinical Placements (OCP) in coordination with faculty. Placement preferences cannot be considered.
Students must be present for all assigned clinical days and full shifts unless otherwise arranged in advance with course faculty.

Graduate Students (DNP)

Clinical rotations are tailored to each graduate track and program of study.
Students may suggest potential clinical placements to track faculty, but all placements are managed by track faculty in collaboration with the Office of Clinical Placements (OCP).
DNP students must successfully complete preceding didactic coursework before enrolling in clinical practicum courses.
Students must successfully complete each practicum course in sequence before enrolling in the next.

B. Compliance Requirements

Students must remain in good standing with all School of Nursing and clinical site compliance requirements in order to participate in clinical placements.
Compliance requirements include (but are not limited to) onboarding, health screenings, immunizations, background checks, drug testing, and other site-specific documentation.
Failure to maintain compliance may result in registration holds, removal from clinical, or delay in progression.
See SoN Policy 3.2: Clinical Compliance and Onboarding Requirements for detailed procedures and standards.

C. Clinical Attendance and Shifts

Undergraduate Students (A/BSN)

Students are expected to attend all scheduled clinical days and complete required hours within the academic quarter.
Clinical shifts are typically scheduled in full-day blocks and require faculty supervision. Students must be available to accommodate clinical schedules, which may include evenings or weekends, and must attend all assigned shifts.
Students may not begin clinical before the quarter begins or continue after finals week. No exceptions are permitted for undergraduate students.
Students should expect to be in clinical rotations from the first day of the quarter through the last day of finals week.

Graduate Students (DNP)

Students are expected to accommodate their assigned preceptor’s clinical schedule and availability. Shifts may occur during days, evenings, nights, weekends, or holidays.
Students complete required hours during the academic quarter and may not be in clinical before the quarter begins or after finals week unless approved as outlined below.
Exceptions to this rule are limited to exceptional circumstances, such as: acute illness at the end of the quarter, required experiences not available during the quarter (e.g., birth attendance), or preceptor/site disruption beyond the student’s control.
Non-exceptions include: lack of organization, desire for additional experience, or not accommodating preceptor schedule.
Process for Approval of Exceptions (Graduate Students Only):
1. Specialty Director submits a written request to the Department Chair, including student name, course, credits, clinical site and preceptor, basis for exception, and proposed plan.
2. Chair reviews the request for exceptional circumstances and eligibility for an Incomplete per UW policy.
3. If approved, Chair designates faculty supervision and communicates the decision to the Vice Chair for Education, sonocp@uw.edu, dnpadv@uw.edu, and sonadaa@uw.edu.
4. The Specialty Director communicates the decision to the student.
5. If approved, the student will register for the following quarter’s clinical course and submit a screenshot of their registration to the Specialty Director (liability coverage follows registration).
6. The Specialty Director will confirm registration with the OCP, who will confirm the extended clinical rotation.
7. The Specialty Director notifies the Chair upon student completion and submits Change of Grade.

D. Dress Code and Appearance

Undergraduate Students (A/BSN)

UW deep purple medical scrub top and bottom.
Two UW School of Nursing emblems sewn or affixed on the upper left sleeve of both the scrub top and the jacket.
UW School of Nursing name tag.
White, short professional jacket (may be worn with name badge over street clothes during preparation; may be removed during clinical).
An easy-to-read watch with a second hand.
Low, rubber-heeled, closed-toe shoes reserved for clinical use (clogs and sandals not permitted).
Appearance must be professional: uniforms clean, student identifiable as UW nursing student. Hair, jewelry, and accessories must not pose safety risks.
Students must adhere to site-specific dress codes; unacceptable attire may result in being sent home.
OSHA standards prohibit backless or open-toed shoes.
Scents (perfume, cologne, cigarette smoke) must be minimized to avoid triggering sensitivities.
Gel nail polish and artificial nails are not permitted per site requirements.

Graduate Students (DNP)

DNP students do not have a uniform. Students are expected to wear professional attire appropriate to site standards and a UW SoN nametag identifying them as graduate students.
A white lab coat, if required by track or site, may be purchased through the UW Bookstore or other suppliers. Graduate students may opt for a knee-length lab coat.
Hair, jewelry, and accessories must not interfere with clinical care or cause safety risks. Sites may have additional requirements.
OSHA standards prohibit backless or open-toed shoes.
Scents (perfume, cologne, cigarette smoke) must be minimized to avoid triggering sensitivities.
Gel nail polish and artificial nails are not permitted per site requirements.

E. Travel to Clinical Sites

Undergraduate Students (A/BSN)

Undergraduate placements are generally located within the Puget Sound region.
Clinical assignments are designed to provide a variety of local experiences but typically do not require extensive travel beyond the greater Seattle metropolitan area.
Students are responsible for their own transportation and associated costs (e.g., gas, parking, bus fare, ferry fees).

Graduate Students (DNP)

DNP placements may be assigned throughout Washington State, including Western, Central, and rural regions.
Students must be prepared to travel longer distances as required by site availability and program needs.
Distance from a student’s home or personal scheduling needs cannot be considered in placement decisions.
Students are responsible for transportation and costs, which may include gas, parking, bus fare, ferry fees, or lodging if required.

F. Documentation of Clinical Hours

Students document clinical hours and other required clinical documentation in Exxat within one week of occurrence.
Exxat entries represent official academic records. Falsification of records constitutes academic misconduct and will be referred to the UW Community Standards & Student Conduct office for investigation.

G. Graduate Student Site Change Process (DNP)

1. Requesting a Site Change

Permissible reasons for requesting a site change include:

Site exceeds the student’s current skill level
Site does not meet course objectives or preceptor is unavailable
Student feels unsafe or intimidated in the setting
Steps:
1. Student, Specialty Director, faculty, and preceptor (or liaison) discuss the issue and review course objectives. Every attempt should be made to resolve concerns and keep the student in the current site through ongoing dialogue.
2. Specialty Director conducts a site visit or detailed discussion with the preceptor or site liaison. Student continues attending the current site in the interim.
3. Student, Specialty Director, and preceptor/liaison determine next steps.
4. If a site change is warranted and the student leaves the site before the end of the quarter, the Specialty Director is responsible for notifying the preceptor of the change and coordinating with the Office of Clinical Placements (OCP) to identify an alternative site. Availability of an alternative site is not guaranteed and may result in a delay in student progression.

2. Removal from Site

Students must remain compliant with requirements throughout the quarter.
Noncompliance may result in removal from clinical.
Students are expected to adhere to Essential Behaviors. Violations may result in removal from clinical and referral to DNPCC under School of Nursing Policy 1.1.

3. Placement at Site of Employment

Graduate students placed at sites where they are employed must:

Not receive credit and pay for the same hours.
Clearly define and separate employment and student roles in writing before placement begins.
Document:
1. A designated faculty supervisor
2. Defined learning objectives
3. Separation of employee vs. student hours
4. Confirmation that services provided in the student role are not billed
Sites may decline to host students at a site they are employed.
To avoid potential conflicts or role confusion, students are generally not placed on the same unit where they are employed.

III. RACI: Roles and Responsibilities

Activity	Student	Course Faculty	CC/ SD	OCP	Preceptor	ADAA	Academic Adviser
Placement assignment	I	I	A	R	I		I
Site contract			I	R	C	A
Compliance & onboarding	R	I	I	A	I	I	I
Schedule/shift coordination	R	I			A		I
Dress code adherence	R/A	I
Clinical hour tracking	R	A	I	I	C
Placement change requests	R (request)		C	R	C	A	I
Removal from site / incident response	R (report)		A	C	R	I	I
Evaluation & grading	I	A	C	I	C		I

CC = Course Coordinator (A/BSN)
SD = Specialty Director (DNP)
OCP = Office of Clinical Placements (includes Compliance)

RACI Legend

R = Responsible: Performs the task
A = Accountable: Ultimately answerable
C = Consulted: Provides input
I = Informed: Kept up to date

Related Policies & References

Last updated: September 2025