Policy 3.1: Clinical Placement Standards, Compliance, and Expectations

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, or independently arrange any clinical learning experience. This ensures consistent communication with partners, protects contractual agreements and safeguards patient care.

The School may remove a student from a clinical placement at any time for concerns related to patient or student safety, unsafe practice, professional conduct or compliance. Clinical sites host students under affiliation agreements with the University and set their own standards for the students they accept; as guests in these sites, students and faculty must meet the standards of the host site as well as those of the School. Consistent with its agreement, a site may decline to accept or to continue hosting a student. The School does not guarantee an alternative placement, and a student who cannot be placed may experience a delay in progression.

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.

Faculty monitor student performance in the clinical setting for indications of fatigue or other conditions that could affect safe practice. A student who believes fatigue or another condition is affecting their ability to practice safely must notify their clinical faculty promptly, and may be directed to end the clinical day. Raising a fatigue-related safety concern is not itself a performance concern and is not treated as a professional conduct matter.

II. Process

A. Definitions

• Clinical learning experience: Any activity in a clinical or community practice setting arranged through or connected to a student’s enrollment in the School of Nursing. This includes direct patient care, indirect practice activity, observation, shadowing, simulation and skills practice, whether or not the activity carries academic credit, is supervised, is paid or is described as informal.
• Clinical site: Any organization, facility, practice or community setting at which a clinical learning experience occurs, and any of its personnel, including preceptors, clinical staff, managers and educators.
• Placement: A clinical learning experience arranged or approved by the School of Nursing for a specific course, quarter and site.

B. Clinical Placement Assignment

UW School of Nursing students have an extraordinary opportunity to learn and work alongside skilled mentors across Washington State, through clinical partnerships the School establishes and maintains. A/BSN placements are generally located within the Puget Sound region; DNP and certificate placements may be assigned anywhere in the state.

All students

• Students may not contact a clinical site to arrange, request or inquire about any clinical learning experience. This applies regardless of whether the activity would carry academic credit, be supervised, be paid or be characterized as observation, shadowing, volunteering or an informal arrangement.
• This restriction does not apply to:
  • activities organized by the University with University approval and faculty or staff supervision, such as interprofessional education, service learning and approved student volunteer activities; or
  • a student’s own employment.
• Compliance and professional conduct requirements may still apply to these activities. A student unsure whether an activity is covered asks their Program Director before participating.
• 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, except for international clinical coursework approved under UW School of Nursing Policy 3.5: Clinical Coursework Abroad. Establishing a clinical contract with an out-of-state site typically requires nine to twelve months or longer and approvals from the relevant state’s Board of Nursing, the UW Attorney General’s office, the Departmental Chairperson and the Associate Dean for Student and Academic Affairs, practical requirements that make routine out-of-state placement unavailable.
• 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). See Section II.H for the request process.
• Clinical Placement Accommodations (All Students)
  • Personal preferences (work schedules, extracurricular courses or other commitments) cannot be accommodated.
  • Students with an accommodation approved through Disability Resources for Students (DRS), a documented active or reserve military service obligation or a religious accommodation approved through the Office of the University Registrar submit it to the Program Director as early as possible and no later than 12 weeks prior to the start of the quarter, which is what allows the School to build the assignment around the accommodation. An approved accommodation is implemented. A request submitted later is reviewed on the same basis, but an alternative schedule is not guaranteed, and a student who cannot be scheduled within the quarter may experience a delay in progression.

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 and certificates)

• 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.

C. Compliance Requirements

• Students must remain in good standing with all School of Nursing and clinical site compliance requirements in order to participate in clinical learning experiences.
• 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 UW School of Nursing Policy 3.2: Clinical Compliance and Onboarding for detailed procedures and standards.

D. 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 and certificates)

• Students are expected to accommodate their assigned preceptor’s clinical schedule and availability. Shifts may occur during days, evenings, nights, weekends or holidays.
• Where a student reports fatigue affecting safe practice, or clinical faculty identify it, the faculty member determines whether the student continues in the setting that day. The decision and its basis are documented. A clinical day ended for this reason is rescheduled where required hours remain outstanding, and is not recorded as an unexcused absence.
• 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.
• Which pathway applies when clinical is not completed within the quarter is determined under UW School of Nursing Policy 3.3: Clinical Evaluation.
• 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. Whether an Incomplete is granted is a separate decision made by the course instructor under UW School of Nursing Policy 1.3: Grading & Incompletes; the instructor is not obligated to grant one.
  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.
  8. Deadlines for resolving an Incomplete are stated in UW School of Nursing Policy 1.3. The Specialty Director and the instructor confirm that the Change of Grade will be submitted within them.

E. Dress Code and Appearance

Undergraduate Students (A/BSN)

• UW deep purple medical scrub top and bottom.
• UW School of Nursing emblems need to be sewn or affixed on the upper left sleeve of the scrub top and the jacket, if worn.
• 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 (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 and certificates)

• 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 a graduate student.
• A white lab coat, if required by track or site, may be worn. 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.

F. 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 and certificates)

• DNP placements may be assigned anywhere in Washington State, including Eastern Washington and rural communities.
• 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.

G. 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. Intentional falsification of these records is academic misconduct under WAC 478-121-107 and is reported under UW School of Nursing Policy 4.2: Student Conduct and Eligibility for Participation.

H. Site Change Requests

Confirmed placements are final. A site change is an extraordinary measure, considered only where the site cannot meet course objectives, the site exceeds the student’s current skill level, the preceptor is unavailable or the student is unsafe in the setting. Students continue attending the assigned site while a request is under review, unless course faculty, the Course Coordinator or the Specialty Director direct otherwise for safety reasons. An alternative site is not guaranteed.

1. Undergraduate Students (A/BSN)

• Students raise the concern with their clinical faculty and Course Coordinator.
• The Course Coordinator consults the Office of Clinical Placements (OCP) and the Vice Chair for Education to determine whether a change is warranted.
• Because undergraduate placements are assigned centrally to meet course objectives across a cohort, site changes are rare.

2. Graduate Students (DNP, Certificates)

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

• 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.
• Specialty Director conducts a site visit or detailed discussion with the preceptor or site liaison.
• Student, Specialty Director and preceptor/liaison determine next steps.
• 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.

3. Placement at Site of Employment (DNP and certificates)

Graduate students placed at sites where they are employed (or have any other formal relationship with the site) must:

• Not receive credit and pay for the same hours.
• Clearly define and separate employment and student roles in writing before placement begins.
• Document:
  • A designated faculty supervisor
  • Defined learning objectives
  • Separation of employee vs. student hours
  • 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.

I. Removal from or Restriction of Clinical Participation

The School upholds its affiliation agreements with clinical placement sites. Each site sets its own requirements and may determine whether a student may participate in its setting.

1. Grounds

A student may be removed from, or restricted from, clinical participation for any of the following:

• Conduct, or information about the student, that indicates a risk of harm to patients, the student or others
• Unsafe practice as defined in UW School of Nursing Policy 3.3
• Conduct inconsistent with UW School of Nursing Policy 4.1: Essential Qualifications & Behaviors
• Failure to maintain compliance under UW School of Nursing Policy 3.2
• A clinical placement site’s request, or its determination under its requirements or the affiliation agreement that the student may not participate

2. Immediate removal

• When there is an immediate risk to patient or student safety, course faculty or the preceptor may remove the student from the setting at once and notify the School the same day.

3. Review

• Except after an immediate removal, the ADAA notifies the student in writing of the basis for the concern and gives the student an opportunity to respond, in writing or in a meeting, before any restriction takes effect. After an immediate removal, this notice follows within two business days.
• A removal or restriction is precautionary. The review does not decide whether an allegation is true and is not a finding of misconduct.
• The ADAA reviews whether the student’s clinical participation can continue, in consultation with School and University officials as appropriate to the matter. The review considers:
  • the site’s requirements and the affiliation agreement, and whether the site will accept or continue hosting the student;
  • whether an alternative placement can be arranged;
  • any risk of harm to patients, including to their personal or health information; and
  • any information the student provides.
• A restriction may include deferring or declining a future placement.
• The ADAA communicates the outcome and its basis to the student in writing, and reconsiders it when new information becomes available.
• A student may challenge the outcome under UW School of Nursing Policy 5.2: Student Grievance & Appeals Process.

4. Information sharing

• Information about a removal or restriction is shared with those who need it to conduct the review or carry out its outcome.
• A site receives the information the affiliation agreement requires.

5. Effect on coursework

• Removal does not by itself determine the course grade. Grade consequences are governed by UW School of Nursing Policy 3.3.
• An alternative placement may not be available within the quarter.
• When removal or restriction delays the student’s progression, the student’s program Coordinating Committee reviews an altered progression plan under UW School of Nursing Policy 1.1: Academic Performance and Progress once the student’s return to clinical participation can be scheduled.
• Until then, the student may continue non-clinical coursework if the Coordinating Committee approves, or may request a leave of absence under UW School of Nursing Policy 2.3: Leave of Absence.
• Removal may also lead to a concern referred under UW School of Nursing Policy 4.1, a conduct report under UW School of Nursing Policy 4.2 or an incident report under UW School of Nursing Policy 3.4: Clinical Incident & Exposure Reporting.

III. Roles & Responsibilities Summary

Last updated: September 2026