Message of the Week
| TO: | All Nursing Students |
| FROM: | School of Nursing Office of Student Services |
| DATE: | 08/06/03 |
| SUBJECT: | Message of the Week/ #75 |
CONGRATULATIONS:
To Senior Angela Schaffer, McNair scholar, who received an award for her research she presented at the McNair program at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Her project examined Sophomore nursing students’ attitudes and perceptions about nursing and how those changed once the students had experienced some clinical time.
To Christine Fowler, BSN grad of May 2003, who will be married to Tom Cameron August 16th in Charleston, WV. Following the wedding the couple will be moving to Charleston, SC, where Christine will be working as an RN in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Medical University of South Carolina.
NEW POLICY ON PROFESSIONAL APPEARANCE:
The School of Nursing latest policy on professional appearance is below. It is also contained in the Undergraduate Student Handbook that will be available on our web site www.hsc.wvu.edu/son by next week.
SOPHOMORES COMPLETE HIPAA BY 8/15:
All sophomore students are required to complete HIPAA training by August 15. HIPAA training is a federal requirement and you are not permitted to have any patient contact without it.
ALL STUDENTS UPDATE IMMUNIZATION AND CPR INFORMATION:
All students are reminded to update their immunization and CPR information in Student Services, room 6702. In order to engage in patient care, this information must be current .
PERMIT PARKING SPACES:
Spaces in WVUH’s new parking garage are being made available to faculty, staff and students. The cost is $120 per month, payable in advance. Applications are available in the WVUH Security Office, room 4C51 on the 4th floor of Ruby. The office is open from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm.
REQUIRED ATTENDANCE SOPHOMORE ORIENTATION 8/15/03:
Orientation for Sophomores at the Erickson Alumni Center begins with a continental breakfast for students and family at 9:00 am. The program will start promptly at 10 am. All Sophomore students are required to attend the program.
All new students are required to attend orientation. Students already enrolled in the program are encouraged to attend.
In Charleston graduate student orientation is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 15, from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm in Room 2014 of the WVU Building.
UPDATE--CHANGE IN PAYING ACCOUNTS AT HSC ADMISSION AND RECORDS:
HSC Admission and Records will no longer process check or credit card payments to student accounts. Paying options are: (1) Paying through mix account at mix.wvu.edu; (2) Paying directly through star at star.wvu.edu; (3) Paying by phone at 304-293-2892 or toll free at 1-888-988-4487; (4) Mailing payment with envelope provided with invoice; (5) Paying in person at cashier’s office in Stewart Hall or Bennett Tower; (6) Leaving check or credit card payment in the HSC Drop Box on the depository door near HSC Admissions and Records. HSC Admission and Records has implemented a “pay by computer” station where students access banner, give credit card or personal check information, and payment is taken directly by computer.
Charleston Division of Student Services will continue to accept check or credit card payments.
STUDENT PICNIC 8/21/03:
Mark you calendars now for the Student Nurses Association sponsored picnic for all undergrad students—Thursday, August 21, at 4:00 pm at Krepps Park. Good eats, good fun for all, don’t miss it.
COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES:
Faculty Gail VanVoorhis and students will be doing health screenings in Monongalia County Head Start classes the weeks of September 15th and 22nd. Students will have excellent experience measuring vital signs and doing developmental screening. Watch for sign up sheets with exact dates and times. For more information call Ms. VanVoorhis at 293-0298.
SCHOLARSHIPS—NURSE PRACTITIONER AND NURSE EDUCATOR:
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES:
ALUMNI NEWS:
SEND US YOUR NEWS:
No news is too big or too small for the weekly message. Send your news to sgross@wvu.edu
Office of Student Services
School of Nursing
West Virginia University
304-293-1386 or (toll-free) 1-866-988-6877
Health Sciences students, staff, and practitioners are required to place a high value on personal appearance, including attire. The reasons are rooted in concerns for infection control, communication, and cultural sensitivity. This document sets forth standards for dress and appearance necessary to meet the service and safety objectives of placing patient welfare first and the educational objectives of preparing the student to assume the role of a professional health care worker. Patient trust and confidence in the health care provider are essential to successful treatment experiences and outcomes. The message communicated by the caregiver by his/her dress and appearance plays a fundamental role in establishing this trust and confidence. Students should consider the cultural sensitivities of their most conservative potential patients and present themselves in a manner that will earn their respect, ensure their trust, and make them feel comfortable. Recent trends in clothing, body art, and body piercing may not be generally accepted by your patients, and should not be worn by nursing students.
The following guidelines help prepare the student to establish a successful caregiver-patient relationship. These guidelines address classroom, clinical experiences and what is prohibited for both. Please note that if the dress code for a particular agency differs from that of the SON, agency guidelines take precedence.
I. Classroom Requirements:
The following guidelines apply for all School of Nursing classes (including pre-planning) and School of Nursing sponsored activities such as awards ceremonies, Community Health Fairs etc:
1. Good personal hygiene is to be maintained at all times. This includes regular bathing, use of deodorants/antiperspirants, and regular dental hygiene.
2. Hair should be neat, clean, and of a natural human color.
3. Clothing should be clean, professionally styled and in good repair.
4. Women: skirts of knee length or slacks.
5. Men: slacks and shirt.
II. Clinical Regulations:
When patient contact is part of the educational experience, students are expected to dress professionally (refer to guidelines below). This includes instances of actual patient encounters in the hospital and other clinical sites. This includes preplanning activities at clinical sites where professional dress is required. This means that if a student is going to preplan from class, they must be professionally dressed, i.e., no jeans. Neat, clean and professional attire and a name tag are minimal requirements. Avoid dress or attire that could be potentially offensive to the public, your peers, patients and faculty.
A. General Standards
1. Health Sciences Center name tags or badges are worn at all times.
2. Avoid distracting perfumes or colognes (may precipitate allergies or sensitivities).
B. Hair maintenance
1. Hair should restrained off the face and out of the eyes to avoid possible wound contamination.
2. Shoulder length hair must be secured to avoid interference with patients and work.
3. Avoid scarves or ribbons (unless culturally appropriate).
4. Beards/mustaches must be neatly trimmed.
C. Jewelry
1. Keep jewelry at a minimum (represents potential for cross-infection).
2. The following are permitted: a watch, an engagement and/or wedding ring, one pair of small earrings (large earrings are distracting and may be pulled through the ear), academic pins, other pins, badges, or insignias which represent an award, modest bracelets and necklace chains. Appropriate holiday pin during the holiday is suitable.
D. Dress, Shoes, and Hand Care
1. All students should wear a clean, blue lab coat over their clothing with the SON patch on the shoulder for preplanning.
2. Shoes must be comfortable, clean and in good repair. Sandals or open toed shoes, high-heeled or canvas shoes are prohibited in clinical areas (blood or needles may penetrate the fabric). Shoes should be worn with socks or hose.
3. Fingernails should be clean and of short to medium length. No nail polish is to be worn. (JCAHO regulations). Artificial nails are prohibited (source of cross-infection).
E. Clinical Dress
1. A white dress or pant suit uniform that is clean, neat, without stains or wrinkles, and smoke free is required for all clinical nursing experiences.
2. A WVU SON patch must be displayed on the top left sleeve.
3. Skirt length must touch the knee and the fit must be modest and allow for comfortable ease of movement.
4. Appropriate white undergarments are required and must be undetectable through the uniform.
5. White or skin tone hosiery should be worn when in uniform. No footies or colored socks are permitted with pant suits.
1. These are to be worn in specific patient care areas only (e.g., OR, PAR, BMTU, MICC).
2. They are the property of the hospital and are not to be defaced, altered or removed from the hospital.
3. If a scrub suit must be worn outside these areas (e.g., to the cafeteria), it must be clean and then covered with a clean lab coat. Shoe covers, masks, and hair covers must be removed before leaving the clinical area.
4. Stained or soiled scrub suits must be changed as soon as possible (source of contamination).
III. Prohibitions for Classes and Clinical Experiences:
1. Shorts.
2. Midriff tops, tee shirts, halters, translucent or transparent tops, shirts or tops with plunging necklines, tank tops or sweatshirts.
3. Buttons or large pins (could interfere with function, transmit disease or be grabbed by the patient).
4. Visible body tattoos or visible body piercing (including tongue rings).
Failure to adhere to these policies will result in dismissal from class or clinical by the instructor.
There may be specific clinical settings where alterations of this policy may be changed at the approval of the faculty.
3/12/03