Experience for the Real-World

Chamberlain’s pre-licensure program is designed to teach nursing students to become confident and competent nurses through intensive clinical preparation. The pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree requires the student to complete approximately 736 hours¹ within a variety of clinical learning environments (simulation, nursing labs and clinical agencies). Real-world, simulated environments using advanced technology provide students the opportunity to practice nursing skills in a safe and supportive environment. Experiences take place under the supervision of professional nurses. In the online world, simulated practice occurs in virtual environments.

¹

Based on the Chamberlain Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program curriculum, totaling both lab and clinical requirements. 864 for students attending a California campus.

For more information, visit chamberlain.edu/clinicals

Clinical Facilities

Chamberlain uses a variety of hospitals and clinical agencies to provide meaningful clinical learning experiences. Acute and sub-acute care medical surgical units, critical- and emergency-care facilities, community agencies, pediatric hospitals and specialized-care units such as obstetrics and psychiatric units offer comprehensive learning opportunities for students. The Clinical Coordination Office, in collaboration with faculty, coordinates all clinical group and precepted assignments for both online and on-site students. On-site learning facilities are also available to on-site students for scheduled validation experiences and clinical learning opportunities.

Clinical Residency Disclaimer

Various state agency and/or board approvals of Chamberlain are necessary in each state in which clinical experiences are provided. Students in online program options must contact the Clinical Coordination Office for the current state-approval status.

Clinical Coordination

Chamberlain students are not responsible for finding their required clinical assignments. Our clinical model, featuring centralized coordination and national compliance, facilitates the process for our students and the organizations that receive them.

Our clinical coordinators work with our healthcare partners to establish and manage our clinical experiences and to ensure that students meet necessary requirements for clinical compliance and the individual rules and regulations of each healthcare partner. In order to participate in clinicals, students must be up to date with all requirements and immunizations.

Clinical Expectations

Practical clinical experience is an essential requirement of Chamberlain pre-licensure programs. To participate in clinicals, the students may be required to take and pass an additional drug screen and background check. Students who fail a drug screen or background check may be dismissed. Students are required to travel to complete clinical learning experiences. For students enrolled in a campus-based program, Chamberlain University makes every effort to place students at a clinical site within 100 miles of the campus location and/or as geographically accessible as possible to achieve program outcomes. The average distance between Chamberlain campuses and clinical sites ranges from 11-19 miles. Students should note that significant travel may be required to complete clinical learning experiences. Clinical site locations vary; contact the Clinical Coordination Office for additional information. Some clinical experiences require additional costs. Clinical sites for students in the BSN Online Option are currently only offered in select, approved states. See your admission representative for more information. Students are expected to attend clinicals at the site assigned to them. All clinical-related expenses (including uniforms, clinical supplies, travel, etc.) are the student’s responsibility.

Virginia Residents

In accordance with §54.1-3001 of the Code of Virginia, a nursing student, while enrolled in an approved nursing program, may perform tasks that would constitute the practice of nursing. The student shall be responsible and accountable for the safe performance of those direct client care tasks to which he/she has been assigned. 

Texas Residents

Every person who seeks to apply for a nursing license in the state of Texas must have good professional character related to the practice of nursing. The Texas Board of Nursing defines “good professional character” as the integrated pattern of personal, academic and occupational behaviors that indicate that an individual is able to consistently conform their conduct to the requirements of the Nursing Practice Act, the Board’s rules and generally accepted standards of nursing practice. An individual who provides satisfactory evidence that they have not committed a violation of the Nursing Practice Act or a rule adopted by the Board is considered to have good professional character related to the practice of nursing.

An individual is subject to denial of licensure for a conviction for or placement on deferred adjudication community supervision or deferred disposition for, a felony that is directly related to the practice of nursing or for a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude that is directly related to the practice of nursing (Texas Administrative Code 213.28). The Board is required under Texas Occupations Code §301.4535(b) to deny an individual initial licensure in Texas upon a final conviction or a plea of guilty or nolo contendere for a criminal offense specified in §301.4535(a). Further, an individual is not eligible for initial licensure in Texas before the fifth anniversary of the date the individual successfully completed and was dismissed from community supervision or parole for an offense specified in §301.4535(a).

Each individual who seeks to practice nursing in Texas must possess current fitness to practice (Texas Administrative Code 213.29). An individual’s fitness to practice will be determined by evaluating the individual’s ability to consistently comply with the requirements of the Nursing Practice Act, the Board’s rules and regulations and generally accepted standards of nursing practice. An individual’s fitness to practice may be subject to Board review due to an individual’s substance use disorder; possession, abuse or misuse of alcohol or drugs, prescribed or otherwise; or physical or mental health condition. This is not an exhaustive list. If an individual exhibits any conduct that may prevent them from practicing nursing with reasonable skill and safety, the Board will review the individual’s conduct to determine if they possess current fitness to practice.

Individuals who have been diagnosed, treated or hospitalized for a mental health condition that may impair their ability to practice nursing safely, will, at a minimum, be required to demonstrate controlled behavior and consistent compliance with recommended treatment, including compliance with a prescribed medication regime, for a reasonable amount of time, through verifiable and reliable evidence, in order to obtain licensure.

Individuals who have not been diagnosed, treated or hospitalized for a mental health condition but have nonetheless exhibited behaviors raising concerns about the individual’s fitness to practice due to a mental health condition or diminished capacity may be required to demonstrate controlled behavior and compliance with recommended treatment, including compliance with a prescribed medication regime, for a reasonable amount of time, through verifiable and reliable evidence, in order to obtain or retain licensure.

An individual who has reason to believe that they may be ineligible for initial licensure due to issues discussed in these rules may petition the Board for a declaratory order as to their eligibility.

BSN Healthcare Compliance Documentation

Health and integrity are of the utmost importance among students charged with professional nursing care. As a result, Chamberlain encourages students to become increasingly proficient in promoting self-health and becoming informed when they seek healthcare services.

The student assumes all financial responsibility associated with their own healthcare. For details on health records required for admission or clinical courses, refer to the Healthcare Compliance Documentation Requirements section of the Academic Catalog.

Note: Chamberlain University utilizes CDC guidelines for healthcare workers and state specific mandates as a baseline for all healthcare compliance requirements

Healthcare Compliance Documentation Requirements

• Drug Screen¹
• Wisconsin BID Form and Caregiver Report (State of WI only)
• Family Care Safety Registry (State of MO only)
• Personal Healthcare Responsibility Letter of Understanding & Confidentiality Statement
• Proof of Health Insurance² (required annually)
• Virtual Compliance Orientation
• Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Review & Quiz (required annually)
• Student Commitment to Behaviors
• Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) Review & Quiz (required annually)
• Current American Heart Association Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Certification – Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers or American Red Cross (CPR) Certification-Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers³
  The faculty and affiliating clinical agencies of Chamberlain have established the need for nursing students to be certified in the American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR for Healthcare Providers or American Red Cross Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR for Healthcare Providers. All students enrolled in Chamberlain pre-licensure programs must be certified in the current American Heart Association BLS CPR or American Red Cross BLS CPR certification and must meet all other clinical compliance requirements. After initial certification, each student is responsible for maintaining and renewing their own bi-annual CPR certification and keeping other clinical compliance requirements up to date. Chamberlain accepts American Heart Association BLS CPR cards or American Red Cross BLS CPR Certificates.
• Physical Form (signed and dated by your healthcare provider – within one year of admission)
• Immunization History
• Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR)⁴ Titers Showing Immunity† or Immunization Records of MMR Booster
• Varicella Titer Showing Immunity⁵ or Proof of Immunization (history of disease is not accepted)
• Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis (Tdap)⁴ Booster (within past 10 years)
• One-Time, Two-Step PPD (thereafter, annual PPDs)
• Annual PPD Screening
  Submit documentation showing test date, date read and result; a positive result requires documentation of a negative chest X-ray and physician follow up documenting no evidence of active Tuberculosis (TB).
• Hepatitis B Series⁶ or Positive Titer⁵
• Meningococcal Immunization Records
  LA, NV and TX campuses only; LA and NV students must complete all immunization requirements prior to attending their first class
  Meningococcal disease is a serious disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. The disease is spread by sharing respiratory or throat secretions, such as coughing, sneezing, kissing or sharing items such as food. Symptoms closely resemble those of the flu and include nausea, vomiting, fever, headache or stiff neck. Because meningococcal disease is a very serious disease, early diagnosis and treatment are very important.
  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that college students are at greater risk for contracting meningitis and recommends that these students obtain the meningococcal vaccine, if they previously haven’t. Vaccinations take 7-10 days to become effective. Reactions to the vaccine may include pain, redness and induration at the site of injections, headache, fever, muscle or joint pain, nausea or diarrhea and fatigue. As with any vaccine, there is a possibility of an allergic reaction.
  Some people should not get the vaccine based on age or health conditions. Some of these conditions include: having a life-threatening allergic reaction or have a severe allergy, you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you are not feeling well. You should speak with your doctor about your ability to receive the vaccine.
• Hepatitis C Antibody Titer or physician’s note regarding status of Immunity (Houston and Pearland campuses only)
• Polio Vaccine (State of North Carolina only)
  Note: NC students must complete requirement prior to attending their first class.
• Seasonal Flu Vaccine (Flu Mist not accepted)
• Immunization Waiver
  If a student is unable to receive any immunization, a waiver request must be signed and submitted for approval to the National Healthcare Compliance Office. This form can be obtained from your American Data Bank Complio account or by contacting the National Healthcare Compliance Office. Students who do not receive all required immunizations may be denied clinical access by the clinical facility and therefore, may experience an interruption in or be unable to complete their programs of study.
  Note: All programs are subject to additional requirements including the following examples: background check, fingerprint scan, drug screen clearance, immunizations, vaccines, additional forms and trainings, and other site requirements as requested, as based on state requirements. Additional out of pocket fees may apply due to state Board of Nursing and site requirements; see your admission representative for additional information.

¹

Additional screenings may be required prior to clinical start.

²

For on-site pre-licensure students, Proof of Health Insurance must be completed prior to first day of classes. Online pre-licensure students must adhere to compliance deadlines.

³

Jacksonville, Troy, Irving, Las Vegas, Miramar, and Phoenix campuses will only accept American Heart Association CPR-BLS for healthcare providers.

⁴

LA, NC and NV students must complete all immunization requirements prior to attending their first class.

⁵

Houston and Pearland campuses will only accept MMR, Varicella and HEP B Titers displaying numeric range results and dated within the last five years. Irving, San Antonio and Cleveland will only accept MMR and Varicella titers.

⁶

NC students must complete requirement prior to attending their first class.

Insurance

Evidence of health insurance is required for all pre-licensure students. Pre-Licensure students at all locations must enroll in and maintain a group injury and sickness insurance plan unless otherwise insured. Students without injury and sickness insurance may be denied access to clinical facilities and therefore may be unable to complete their nursing programs.

All registered, on-site students will automatically be enrolled in the Chamberlain group injury and sickness insurance plan, unless they can show evidence of coverage by another health insurance plan. If the student chooses to be entirely self-paying for healthcare, a waiver must be completed at the beginning of each policy year and be on file. Insurance is required for all pre-licensure students unless a Health Insurance Requirement form is filled out in Complio and a copy of the front and back of the student's insurance card are uploaded and mapped into Complio annually by published deadline.

Pre-Licensure students are required to enroll annually to maintain insurance coverage.

A group injury and sickness insurance plan purchased through Chamberlain is effective 24 hours per day during the period for which the premium has been paid and eligibility has been met. Optional coverage for students’ spouses and/or children is available when signing up for coverage. Rates and policy periods are subject to change each new policy term. Session options are available.

The student assumes all financial responsibility associated with their own healthcare. For details on health records required for admission or clinical courses, refer to the packet mailed to accepted students, the Clinical Expectations section of this catalog or the Student Handbook.

Students residing outside the U.S. are not eligible for this insurance.

Detailed enrollment information is available on the Chamberlain website at chamberlain.edu/studentinsurance

More information is available from the National Healthcare Compliance Department: [email protected]

Healthcare Compliance Deadlines

Healthcare Compliance Deadlines – New Students

Pre-Licensure students must submit a completed health examination and immunization history by established deadlines. Pre-Licensure students must upload copies of personal health records to their Complio account and must maintain originals for future use.

Complete documentation must be uploaded to the student's Complio account and be approved by the following deadlines:¹

• 3-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program students must complete all clinical compliance requirements by Friday of Week 7 of their first session.
• 3-year BSN students entering Chamberlain directly into a clinical course must be clinically compliant before the first day of their first session.

Failure to submit all healthcare compliance requirements by the deadlines will result in the student’s account being placed on a compliance hold, making the student ineligible to register for classes or attend clinicals until required documentation is received and accepted.²

¹

LA, NC and NV students must complete all state mandated requirements prior to attending their first class.

²

LA, NC, NJ and NV campus students: In addition to a compliance hold, students will be dropped from any future sessions.

Healthcare Compliance Deadline – Continuing Students

In order to maintain healthcare compliance throughout program progression, students are required to have compliance items scheduled to expire in their ensuing session updated by the first day of the final month of the prior session. See below chart for deadlines.

Compliance Deadlines

Enrollment Session	Compliance Deadline
July Session	June 1
September Session	August 1
November Session	October 1
January Session	December 1
March Session	February 1
May Session	April 1

Additional Clinical Disclosures

For tracking and public health management purposes, the non-directory information of students may be shared with clinical sites at which a student is studying, working or gaining clinical experience.

Contact your academic support advisor for more information. Individual states and/or clinical facilities may have additional requirements.

Non-Compliance

Students who are non-compliant in any session may be prevented from further registration. As a result, the student would no longer be able to further progress in the program, and would be denied admission to clinical agencies, resulting in an unsatisfactory clinical grade due to unexcused absences. This could ultimately result in a student failing a course and/or being dropped from the program.

Failure to comply with the drug screen or background and fingerprint checks (as required) or failure to achieve a satisfactory outcome may result in dismissal from Chamberlain.

Pre-Licensure BSN Student Uniform & Professional Appearance Policy

Students are required to purchase and wear the approved Chamberlainuniform when participating in all clinical learning activities unless otherwise specified by the clinical partner. Certain clinical partners may have additional dress regulations and uniform requirements. The policies of an affiliated clinical agency/partner hosting students for rotation may be different and always supersede Chamberlain’s dress code. Check with your clinical coordination specialist for additional requirements.

• Students purchase their uniform and clinical kit during NR-222 Health and Wellness (see ordering information on the next page). Uniforms may be required for purchase prior to NR-222 at program leadership's discretion.

Chamberlain uniforms are only permitted to be worn during Chamberlain approved clinical learning activities and at program leadership direction. The use of the Chamberlain uniform outside of clinical learning is prohibited. Identification badge and Chamberlain branding must be covered or removed when not in a clinical learning setting.

NOTE: Clinical learning activities include clinical credit and lab credit hours. Simulation could be performed in clinical or lab.

General Rules, Requirements & Information

1. Chamberlain cobalt blue tunic top with pockets and a Chamberlain logo embroidered on upper left chest area.
2. Pants in Chamberlain cobalt blue.

• A scrub dress or ankle-length skirt options are available in cobalt blue. White tights must be worn with the scrub dress and knee length white socks with the ankle-length skirt

3. Head coverings (religious or otherwise) need to be white, cobalt blue or black and free of decorative items.
4. White socks (mid-calf or knee length) and white nurse’s shoes or white solid material (no color), non-mesh athletic shoes must be worn (closed flat heel and toe). Shoes worn in clinical areas must cover the entire foot.
5. Identification badges (Chamberlain and/or partner) should be attached to the upper right collar area (or in a location identified by the clinical partner) and worn at all times.
6. Stethoscope with bell and diaphragm.
7. Watch with a second hand capability.

Additional Required Supplies

• Penlight
• Bandage scissors
• Small notepad
• Black ball-point pen
• Clinical kits/lab bag – required for NR-224 Fundamentals: Skills

NOTE: Uniform requirements may vary. See your clinical coordination specialist for the specific uniform requirements for your location and/or clinical site.

Optional (at program leadership discretion)

• White lab coat with the Chamberlain logo embroidered on upper left chest may be worn over appropriate dress street clothes (no jeans, shorts or sandals).
• Cobalt blue, white or black fitted top can be worn under uniform.
• Additional uniform requirements in the form of a mask may be required by the facility. If non N95 or KN95 masks are permitted, then the mask should be white, cobalt blue or black and free of decorative items. A surgical mask may also be worn.

Professional Appearance

Nursing is a professional setting that requires conservative and natural appearance.

Professional appearance includes:

• Good grooming and appropriate use of cosmetics and jewelry.
• Uniforms must be clean and well maintained.
• Hair is to be worn back and up and away from the face. Longer hair must be tied back in a neat manner. Hair colors must be of natural tones. Non-natural colors such as pink, blue, etc., are not permitted.
• Natural nails must not extend beyond fingertips. Artificial nails and nail polish are not permitted.
• Jewelry is limited to simple non-jeweled band (one ring per hand). One pair (one in the entire ear) small post earrings. Facial and tongue jewelry are not allowed. Ear gauges or any other facial piercings should be closed with clear or matching skin tone plugs.
• All body art/tattoos that are visible (except fingers) must be covered. Examples of coverage include
  • Snuggly fit long sleeve shirt and/or a turtleneck under student’s uniform top
  • Makeup
  • Bandages
• Students must be clean-shaven or have short neatly trimmed facial hair.
• Undergarments must not be visible at any time.
• Gum chewing is not permitted in the clinical learning area.

Uniform & Clinical Kit Ordering

Ordering Chamberlain uniforms and clinical kits is easy and convenient. Log on to My Chamberlain experience at community.chamberlain.edu and click on the uniforms icon or visit chamberlain.edu/uniform.