Policy 3.2: Clinical Compliance and Onboarding  

I. Policy Statement

The University of Washington School of Nursing (SoN) requires all students engaged in clinical or practicum learning experiences to maintain continuous compliance with University, School, and clinical partner onboarding requirements. Compliance is a condition of both admission and ongoing enrollment for students in clinical programs.

Compliance requirements begin before matriculation and continue throughout enrollment. A student who is not in full compliance with health, safety, and onboarding requirements will have an administrative hold placed on their account.

Compliance protects students, patients, faculty, and clinical partners and is a mandatory prerequisite for participation in clinical education. Students who are not in full compliance by established deadlines will not be cleared for clinical placement and will be administratively withdrawn from associated courses. Noncompliance may result in program delays and additional tuition or fees.

Compliance is managed within the OSAA Compliance team, in collaboration with the UW Health Sciences Immunization Program (HSIP).

II. Process

A. Compliance Requirements

The requirements that apply to a student vary by program and by quarter and are most extensive during quarters in which the student is enrolled in or preparing for a clinical or practicum course. OSAA Compliance (nscomply@uw.edu) publishes the requirements, deadlines, and renewal timelines applicable to each student and quarter at Compliance & Onboarding, which students are responsible for reviewing.

1. General Requirements (All Students in Clinical Placements)

• Health Sciences Immunization Program (HSIP) clearance.
• Criminal background check and, if required, drug screening.
• Current American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification.
• Signed School of Nursing and site-specific guidelines and policy agreements.
• Completion of additional site-specific onboarding and orientation modules.
• If a student participates in a University-sanctioned clinical learning experience that is not an assigned placement, including interprofessional education and service learning, the coordinating unit determines the applicable requirements in consultation with OSAA Compliance.
• Students complete and maintain these requirements in the compliance system assigned to their cohort. The system in use, registration instructions, renewal timelines, and applicable fees are published at Compliance & Onboarding. Immunization records, titers, and tuberculosis screening are submitted separately through the vendor designated by HSIP.
• Students disclose criminal charges, convictions, and other legal actions arising during enrollment as required by UW School of Nursing Policy 3.6: Clinical Eligibility.

2. Undergraduate Requirements (A/BSN)

• OSAA Compliance, in collaboration with HSIP, monitors trainings, guidelines, policy agreements, background checks, and immunizations.
• OSAA Compliance monitors compliance quarterly. Students must meet all deadlines; failure may result in cancelled clinical placements and/or registration holds.
• Undergraduate students must maintain an active Clinical Placements Northwest (CPNW) account and complete all required annual modules and trainings, and ensure they are renewed before they lapse.

3. Graduate Requirements (DNP/GCPAPN and other clinical rotations)

• Must hold and maintain an unrestricted WA or Multistate RN license (WAC 246-840-522).
• Must complete external modules (e.g., CPNW, MyClinicalExchange) if required by their clinical site.
• Students must maintain compliance at all times with OSAA Compliance, HSIP, and clinical site requirements, regardless of whether they are patient-facing or currently active in clinical. The only exception is for students on an approved leave of absence (LOA). A student on an approved LOA is not required to keep compliance items current during the leave, and notifies OSAA Compliance (nscomply@uw.edu), copying dnpclinicals@uw.edu, of the cohort year, the quarter the leave begins, the quarter of anticipated return, and confirmation that they will not be enrolled in any course during the leave. A student who remains enrolled in any course, including a non-clinical course, must keep all compliance requirements current. Students returning from leave update all required documentation in accordance with the compliance deadlines for their quarter of return.

B. Deadlines and Renewals

• Students must be fully compliant by the compliance deadline published for each quarter (based on the UW Academic Calendar) to allow sufficient time for onboarding. Deadlines typically fall six to eight weeks before the quarter begins, because clinical sites require proof of completion six to eight weeks in advance. Quarterly deadlines are published at Compliance & Onboarding.
• Compliance items that will expire during a quarter must be renewed before the quarter begins to ensure continuous eligibility. All compliance items must remain current through the last day of the quarter, including the final day of exam week. Renewal timelines by requirement are published at Compliance & Onboarding; some items require renewal up to three months early.
• Students must renew by the earliest deadline communicated by HSIP, OSAA Compliance, or compliance staff.

C. Compliance Monitoring

• The compliance system assigned to the student’s cohort provides alerts before expiration dates. Students are responsible for maintaining an active account in the system that applies to them.
• HSIP verifies immunizations and screenings.
• OSAA Compliance sends quarterly reminders and notifies students of deficiencies.
• Students are responsible for monitoring their status, responding to alerts, and ensuring no item becomes overdue.

D. Clinical Site Requirements

• Students must also meet site-specific requirements (e.g., fingerprinting, drug screening, EMR training, orientation modules).
• Costs for site-specific drug screening are the responsibility of the student or clinical site; the SoN does not administer, pay for, or review results.
• Verification of compliance is sent to clinical sites quarterly. Students with outstanding items will not be permitted onsite and may lose placements.
• Students entering sites for observation, data collection, or projects must also meet all site-specific requirements.

E. Health and Wellness Requirements

1. Immunizations

• ABSN, BSN, DNP, GCPAPN students, and others completing clinical rotations must meet and maintain HSIP immunization requirements throughout enrollment. HSIP follows CDC guidelines for healthcare personnel.
• Required immunizations, screenings, and titer requirements are established and maintained by HSIP and published at HSIP student immunity requirements. Students meet the requirements in effect for their program.
• New requirements may be implemented at any time during a student’s program or clinical rotation. Students must comply with all updated requirements in order to maintain compliance eligibility. Students are also responsible for meeting any additional requirements set by their clinical training sites, which may differ from HSIP requirements.
• Students may request medical and/or religious exemptions. Medical exemption requests are reviewed by the HSIP medical director. Religious accommodation requests are forwarded by HSIP to the Associate Dean for Student and Academic Affairs (ADAA; sonadaa@uw.edu) for review and approval; however, approval of an exemption does not guarantee that a clinical site will accept it. If you are assigned to a site that does not accept exemptions, you will be required to obtain the necessary immunization(s) by the deadline provided by OSAA Compliance. Failure to do so will result in ineligibility to participate in your clinical rotation. There will be no opportunity for alternative placement.

2. Student Account Holds

• An administrative hold is placed when a required compliance item is missing or has expired. A hold may prevent the student from registering for courses, using financial aid, and attending clinical rotations. A student whose compliance items expire while enrolled in a clinical course is not permitted to continue in clinical until compliance is restored, which may disrupt the placement, result in removal from the course, and affect progression.
• The hold is released after the responsible reviewer verifies and approves the outstanding documentation; release is not automatic upon upload. Students contact OSAA Compliance at nscomply@uw.edu with questions about a hold. See UW School of Nursing Policy 2.1: Registration and Enrollment II.I for the treatment of registration holds generally.

3. Health Fee

• ABSN, BSN, DNP, GCPAPN, PhD and other students enrolled in onsite clinical experiences pay an annual HSIP health fee (appearing on tuition bills).
• The scope of the fee is established and published by HSIP.
• The fee does not cover immunizations, titers, or proof of immunity. Students must obtain these independently and at their own expense.
• CIPCT students are exempt from the health fee.

4. Health Insurance

• Some clinical partners require proof of personal health insurance.
• All nursing students are strongly encouraged to maintain continuous health insurance.
• If you are assigned to a site that requires personal health insurance, you must obtain coverage in order to remain eligible for the rotation. There will be no opportunity for alternative placement.

F. Professional Liability Insurance

• Nursing students are covered by UW professional liability insurance when engaged in SoN-approved activities at contracted agencies under faculty supervision.
• Coverage extends only through the academic quarter. DNP students approved for clinical activities outside the regular quarter (see UW School of Nursing Policy 3.1: Clinical Placement Standards, Compliance, and Expectations) must demonstrate registration in the next clinical practicum course to maintain liability coverage.
• Registered nurses enrolled as students may carry their own professional liability insurance in addition to University coverage.

G. Consequences of Noncompliance

Students who are not fully compliant will:

• Have an administrative hold placed on their account (see II.E.2).
• Be prohibited from attending clinical activities.
• Be administratively withdrawn from associated clinical courses.
• Risk cancellation of clinical placements and progression delays.
• Be subject to program review, which may include a Course Notification and Development Plan under UW School of Nursing Policy 1.4: Course Notification & Development Plan, or review of academic standing under UW School of Nursing Policy 1.1: Academic Performance and Progress.

Students are expected to monitor email daily for compliance-related updates.

H. Accommodations and Exemptions

• Students who believe they require accommodation related to compliance requirements work with the UW Disability Resources for Students (DRS) office.
• Requests for exemption from or accommodation of immunization and screening requirements are submitted to HSIP at myshots@uw.edu, which is also the contact for immunization and Med+Proctor questions. Medical exemptions are reviewed by the HSIP medical director; religious accommodations are forwarded by HSIP to the Associate Dean for Student and Academic Affairs (ADAA) for review and approval. Tuberculosis screening is not eligible for exemption.
• Clinical partners have the right to accept or deny placement based on compliance status, regardless of exemption status.
• Students are encouraged to notify OSAA Compliance and their Academic Adviser promptly if they anticipate challenges in meeting compliance requirements.

III. Roles and Responsibilities Summary

Last updated: September 2026