College of Nursing and Health
Sciences
Family Nurse Practitioner Clinical
Handbook
Version: June 2020
,Contents
WELCOME TO YOUR FNP CLINICAL EXPERIENCE.........................................................................................4
FACULTY AND STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION...........................................................................................5
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR CLINICAL EXPERIENCES.....................................................................................6
Expectations of All Students.........................................................................................................................6
Student Rights and Responsibilities..............................................................................................................7
Essential Functions of Nurse Practitioner Students......................................................................................7
Behavioral/Ethical Code for Students...........................................................................................................8
Professional Boundaries...............................................................................................................................8
HIPAA Guidelines..........................................................................................................................................9
Incident Reporting......................................................................................................................................10
Failure/Program Expulsion.........................................................................................................................10
OSHA Guidelines.........................................................................................................................................11
OFFICE OF FIELD EXPERIENCE....................................................................................................................11
Clinical Placement......................................................................................................................................11
Clinical Hour Requirements........................................................................................................................12
Project Concert...........................................................................................................................................14
Transportation/Travel to Clinical Sites.......................................................................................................15
Selection Criteria for FNP Clinical Sites.......................................................................................................15
Selection Criteria for FNP Clinical Preceptors.............................................................................................15
Preceptor Fit...............................................................................................................................................16
Affiliation Agreements................................................................................................................................16
FNP Curriculum Plan...................................................................................................................................17
Clinical Attendance and Participation.........................................................................................................18
Roles and Responsibilities..........................................................................................................................20
Professional Dress and Behavior................................................................................................................24
GENERAL HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.......................................................................................26
Safety Guidelines for Students...................................................................................................................26
Bodily Fluids Exposure and/or Injury during Clinical Experiences..............................................................27
Protocol for Puncture Wounds and Exposure to Blood or Bodily Fluids.....................................................27
Policy for Student Drug, Nicotine, & Alcohol Screening.............................................................................28
Tuberculosis Exposure Plan........................................................................................................................31
2
, Communicable Disease Policy....................................................................................................................32
Head Lice Procedure...................................................................................................................................32
Health and Safety Requirement Descriptions.............................................................................................33
APPENDICIES TABLE OF CONTENTS...........................................................................................................36
HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS CHECKLIST.....................................................................................37
STUDENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF FNP CLINICAL HANDBOOK GUIDELINES.............................................38
HIPAA CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT.....................................................................................................39
Complio Guidance.....................................................................................................................................40
MEDICAL CLEARANCE FORM.....................................................................................................................42
ANNUAL POSITIVE TB SKIN TEST QUESTIONNAIRE....................................................................................43
Clinical Placement Interest Form (Interest Form)......................................................................................44
Preceptor Information and Acknowledgement Form (Preceptor Form)....................................................45
CONHS GUIDELINES FOR FNP CLINICAL PLACEMENTS AND EXPERIENCE...................................................48
Student Evaluation of Preceptor...............................................................................................................49
Preceptor and Site Evaluation by Site Supervisor......................................................................................50
Preceptor/Clinical Faculty Evaluation of Student......................................................................................52
3
, WELCOME TO YOUR FNP CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
The purpose of this handbook is to assist students and faculty members in the tasks of clinical instruction
and assessment for the United States University (USU) College of Nursing and Health Sciences (CONHS)
Master of Science in Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program and serves as a guide for the Office
of Field Experience (OFE). Students, clinicians, and preceptors are required to read this handbook. All
students must sign and return the acknowledgment form in this handbook to the OFE prior to starting
his/her clinical experience (Appendix B).
It is the intent of the CONHS to assist in developing a consistent clinical experience for all students
independent of their field experience. This consistency revolves around appropriate supervision, regular
formal and informal feedback, and ongoing assessment of students’ clinical proficiencies, among other
topics and skills. This is a collaborative process, and we look to each of you with your respective
professional and life experiences to aid us in shaping the field experience so that it reflects our mission and
goal of developing outstanding future nurse professionals. While advisors and faculty are available to guide
students with respect to the requirements, students ultimately bear the responsibility of following the
requirements.
As a general rule, under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), personally
identifiable information may not be released from a student’s education records without his or her prior
written consent. Please be prepared that you will be requested to verify your university's identifiable
information.
***All communication with the College of Nursing and Health Sciences must be sent from a student’s
United States University issued email address due to confidentiality, HIPAA, and FERPA restrictions.
Please do not send emails from your personal email addresses. Please do not use texting as a method of
communication.
Notice: Please make sure you are referencing the latest edition of this handbook as policies are subject to
change.
4
Sciences
Family Nurse Practitioner Clinical
Handbook
Version: June 2020
,Contents
WELCOME TO YOUR FNP CLINICAL EXPERIENCE.........................................................................................4
FACULTY AND STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION...........................................................................................5
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR CLINICAL EXPERIENCES.....................................................................................6
Expectations of All Students.........................................................................................................................6
Student Rights and Responsibilities..............................................................................................................7
Essential Functions of Nurse Practitioner Students......................................................................................7
Behavioral/Ethical Code for Students...........................................................................................................8
Professional Boundaries...............................................................................................................................8
HIPAA Guidelines..........................................................................................................................................9
Incident Reporting......................................................................................................................................10
Failure/Program Expulsion.........................................................................................................................10
OSHA Guidelines.........................................................................................................................................11
OFFICE OF FIELD EXPERIENCE....................................................................................................................11
Clinical Placement......................................................................................................................................11
Clinical Hour Requirements........................................................................................................................12
Project Concert...........................................................................................................................................14
Transportation/Travel to Clinical Sites.......................................................................................................15
Selection Criteria for FNP Clinical Sites.......................................................................................................15
Selection Criteria for FNP Clinical Preceptors.............................................................................................15
Preceptor Fit...............................................................................................................................................16
Affiliation Agreements................................................................................................................................16
FNP Curriculum Plan...................................................................................................................................17
Clinical Attendance and Participation.........................................................................................................18
Roles and Responsibilities..........................................................................................................................20
Professional Dress and Behavior................................................................................................................24
GENERAL HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.......................................................................................26
Safety Guidelines for Students...................................................................................................................26
Bodily Fluids Exposure and/or Injury during Clinical Experiences..............................................................27
Protocol for Puncture Wounds and Exposure to Blood or Bodily Fluids.....................................................27
Policy for Student Drug, Nicotine, & Alcohol Screening.............................................................................28
Tuberculosis Exposure Plan........................................................................................................................31
2
, Communicable Disease Policy....................................................................................................................32
Head Lice Procedure...................................................................................................................................32
Health and Safety Requirement Descriptions.............................................................................................33
APPENDICIES TABLE OF CONTENTS...........................................................................................................36
HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS CHECKLIST.....................................................................................37
STUDENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF FNP CLINICAL HANDBOOK GUIDELINES.............................................38
HIPAA CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT.....................................................................................................39
Complio Guidance.....................................................................................................................................40
MEDICAL CLEARANCE FORM.....................................................................................................................42
ANNUAL POSITIVE TB SKIN TEST QUESTIONNAIRE....................................................................................43
Clinical Placement Interest Form (Interest Form)......................................................................................44
Preceptor Information and Acknowledgement Form (Preceptor Form)....................................................45
CONHS GUIDELINES FOR FNP CLINICAL PLACEMENTS AND EXPERIENCE...................................................48
Student Evaluation of Preceptor...............................................................................................................49
Preceptor and Site Evaluation by Site Supervisor......................................................................................50
Preceptor/Clinical Faculty Evaluation of Student......................................................................................52
3
, WELCOME TO YOUR FNP CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
The purpose of this handbook is to assist students and faculty members in the tasks of clinical instruction
and assessment for the United States University (USU) College of Nursing and Health Sciences (CONHS)
Master of Science in Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program and serves as a guide for the Office
of Field Experience (OFE). Students, clinicians, and preceptors are required to read this handbook. All
students must sign and return the acknowledgment form in this handbook to the OFE prior to starting
his/her clinical experience (Appendix B).
It is the intent of the CONHS to assist in developing a consistent clinical experience for all students
independent of their field experience. This consistency revolves around appropriate supervision, regular
formal and informal feedback, and ongoing assessment of students’ clinical proficiencies, among other
topics and skills. This is a collaborative process, and we look to each of you with your respective
professional and life experiences to aid us in shaping the field experience so that it reflects our mission and
goal of developing outstanding future nurse professionals. While advisors and faculty are available to guide
students with respect to the requirements, students ultimately bear the responsibility of following the
requirements.
As a general rule, under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), personally
identifiable information may not be released from a student’s education records without his or her prior
written consent. Please be prepared that you will be requested to verify your university's identifiable
information.
***All communication with the College of Nursing and Health Sciences must be sent from a student’s
United States University issued email address due to confidentiality, HIPAA, and FERPA restrictions.
Please do not send emails from your personal email addresses. Please do not use texting as a method of
communication.
Notice: Please make sure you are referencing the latest edition of this handbook as policies are subject to
change.
4
