Current Students

Memo 31: Essential Behaviors for GCPAPN, DNP, Master’s, and RN-BSN Students

The following qualifications amplify requirements found in the University of Washington Student Conduct Code. For admission, continuation, and graduation in their programs, students must abide by the following specifications for behaviors and abilities. In this document, “student” pertains to all UW Seattle Graduate Certificate Program in Advanced Practice Nursing (GCPAPN) students and DNP students as well as UW Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma master’s students, and Bothell and Tacoma RN-BSN students.

Communication

Students must:

  • communicate effectively and sensitively with patients and their families as well as with other students, staff, faculty, professionals, agency personnel, community residents, and others relevant to their areas of study
  • express ideas and feelings clearly and appropriately
  • demonstrate a willingness and ability to give and receive feedback

Cognitive

Students must be able to reason, analyze, integrate, synthesize, and evaluate in the context of the nursing activities of their programs/areas of study.

Behavioral/Emotional

Students must:

  • possess the emotional health required for the full utilization of intellectual abilities and the exercise of sound judgment in their programs of study
  • demonstrate behaviors consistent with the timely completion of responsibilities in their programs/areas of study
  • must be able to maintain mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients, students, faculty, staff, other professionals, and agency personnel under all circumstances including highly stressful situations
  • have the emotional stability to function effectively under stress and adapt to environments that may change rapidly without warning and/or in unpredictable ways as relevant to their programs or areas of study
  • be able to demonstrate empathy for the situations and circumstances of others and appropriately communicate that empathy
  • acknowledge that values, attitudes, beliefs, emotions, and experiences affect their perceptions and relationships with others
  • be accountable for any behaviors or actions that convey racism, bias, or discrimination and engage in reparations as necessary
  • be able and willing to examine and change behaviors when they interfere with productive individual or team relationships
  • demonstrate effective and harmonious relationships with the diverse academic, professional, and community environments relevant to their chosen programs of study

Professional conduct

Students must:

  • possess the ability to reason morally and practice nursing in an ethical manner
  • not engage in unprofessional conduct
  • be willing to learn and abide by professional standards of practice as well as regulations for professional licensure
  • demonstrate the attributes of compassion, empathy, integrity, honesty, responsibility, and inclusiveness

Motor and sensory skills

Students need to have sufficient motor function and sensory skills in order to be able to execute movements and make observations required in the domain of nursing care or nursing activity in their chosen programs/areas of study.

Reasonable accommodation for disabilities

The School of Nursing is committed to ensuring that otherwise qualified students with disabilities are given equal access through reasonable accommodations to its services, programs, activities, education, and employment for students with disabilities. The School of Nursing works closely with Disability Resources for Students-DRS in this process. DRS is the contact point for students with permanent or temporary sensory, physical or psychological disabilities interested in requesting reasonable accommodations due to the effects of a disability.

Students who wish to request reasonable accommodations are encouraged to contact DRS to start the process for documenting their disability and determining eligibility for services prior to the start of the program. While this process can be started at any time, reasonable accommodations may not be implemented retroactively so being timely in requesting your accommodations is very important. The University does have policies regarding the type of documentation required in order to diagnose different disabilities and a process for requesting accommodations. To learn more about the process for establishing services through these offices please contact the appropriate office given your campus location:

Disability Resources for Students, UW Seattle
448 Schmitz Hall, Box 355839, Seattle, WA 98195-5839
206.543.8924 (V/TTY)
206.685.8379 (FAX)
http://depts.washington.edu/uwdrs/
uwdrs@uw.edu

Disability Resources for Students, UW Bothell
18115 Campus Way NE,
LBA 106, Box 358500
Bothell, Washington 98011-8246
425.352.5307 (V)
425.352.5303 (TDD)
425.352.5455 (FAX)

Disability Resources for Students, UW Tacoma
MAT 354, Box 358403
Tacoma, WA 98402-3100
253.692.4522 (V)
253.692.4413 (TTY)
253.692.4602 (FAX)
drsuwt@uw.edu

Students with disabilities are expected to perform all the essential functions of the program with or without reasonable accommodation. The School of Nursing will work with the student and the respective campus disability office to provide reasonable and appropriate accommodations. While the School of Nursing will make every effort to work with our students with disabilities to accommodate their disability-related needs, it is important to note we are not required to provide requested accommodations that would fundamentally alter the essential functions or technical standards of the program.

Implementation of the Essential Behaviors for admission, continuation, and graduation of UW Seattle MS, GCPAPN, and DNP Students

Potential students will be advised of the Essential Behaviors for Admission, Continuation, and Graduation in application packets, during program orientation, and via the School’s website.

If and when a student does not meet expectations for the essential behaviors, the following will occur:

  1. Problematic behavior documented: Problematic behavior will be documented by faculty in the student’s record.
  2. Problematic behavior results in warning letter and contract: If a pattern of problematic behavior or a single, very serious lapse in the essential behaviors becomes evident, the steps below should be followed so that the student is apprised that the student’s continuation in the program is in jeopardy.
    1. Composing contract: The student’s faculty adviser in consultation with an official of the academic program will prepare an individual student contract that must accompany the warning letter identifying what needs to be demonstrated in order to meet the essential behaviors and thus remain in the program.
    2. Master’s or DNP Coordinating Committee (MCC/DNPCC) approves contract: The individual student contract is reviewed and approved by MCC/DNPCC. The documentation of the lapses in the essential behaviors must accompany the contract.
    3. Student apprised of the warning letter and given contract: An official of the academic program and the chair of the coordinating committee meet with the student to present the warning letter and individual student contract. After the student reads and signs the warning letter (signature indicates that the student has read it), the letter is placed in the student’s academic file.
  3. Contract monitored quarterly by Coordinating Committee through the remainder of the student’s matriculation: If the contract is not upheld by the student, the student may be dismissed.

Revised December 2018