RN-BS Student Handbook

Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences RN-BS Student Handbook

Approved Sept. 18, 2023

Section 1: Preface

The Decker School of Nursing (part of Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences) publishes this handbook for online RN-BS undergraduate students. In addition to this handbook, all Decker undergraduate nursing students are responsible for knowing and abiding by the policies outlined in the following:

  • (formerly, the Bulletin), be sure to review the following:
    • Section for all ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ students 
    • Section for all undergraduate students
    • Section for Decker College undergraduate students
  • ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ Code of Student Conduct 


The Decker School of Nursing reserves the right to amend or alter the content of this handbook at any time. 

Section 2: Guiding Principles

Academic Honesty

  • ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ's policies on academic integrity and the student academic honesty code can be found in the . This link will also allow students to review violation category definitions per the University's academic honesty policies.
  • Decker College's Academic Honesty Policy applies across all Decker College divisions and schools and includes all Decker College courses, including those cross-listed with other programs/schools that have a Decker College faculty member as the primary instructor.
  • View the Decker College Appeals Process for Academic Honesty and Grievance Decisions.
  • Additional information on academic honesty at the University level, including forms, is presented on the University provost's website.

HIPAA

Maintaining confidentiality is an integral part of nursing practice. Federal regulations guide the scope of practice of healthcare workers to safeguard protected health information (PHI) through the Department of Health and Human Services and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). PHI is defined by Health and Human Services to mean demographic and health information that makes the individual identifiable. This information includes, but is not limited to, names, addresses, dates of birth, social security numbers or medical records numbers. This includes all demographic data related to the person's physical or mental health, the provision of healthcare to the individual or payment for the provision of healthcare to the individual (past, present or future).*

*.

The Decker School of Nursing provides competency training for HIPAA to ensure the student is well-versed with these regulations and the required behaviors necessary to ensure compliance. This policy outlines the corrective action for each level of a potential HIPAA violation, which could culminate in dismissal from the Decker School of Nursing. Maintaining HIPAA standards will be a clinical objective and will be evaluated with each course.

Affiliating agencies collaborating with the Decker School of Nursing maintain their own HIPAA standards to which students must adhere. These policies supersede Decker School of Nursing policies. A HIPAA violation may mean dismissal from a clinical site and could impede placement at other clinical sites, which may prevent meeting requirements for graduation from the Decker School of Nursing. Any student violations requiring legal representation will be at the student's expense. 

The following guidelines are to be followed by students and faculty at the Decker School of Nursing:

  1. Maintain confidentiality by only sharing PHI with those who are considered individuals who need to know.
  2. When you need to discuss PHI, hold conversations in private areas where others cannot hear the conversation.
  3. Shred PHI that is no longer necessary to maintain in approved shredding bins; if shredding bins are not available, destroy the document before disposal.
  4. Do not use patient names, date of birth, medical record numbers or social security numbers on Decker School of Nursing databases, papers or written assignments.
  5. Do not share PHI with family members, peers or individuals not directly involved with the the patient's care.
  6. Information shared during the clinical day and pre-/post-conference is not to be shared outside of the conference area.
  7. Students may not leave/save any patient, family, faculty, clinical facility or student information on any open-access desktop or hard drive.
  8. PHI is not to be left open in public areas.
  9. PHI is not to leave the clinical site.
  10. Computer screens and electronic health records with PHI are not to be left unattended; students are expected to log out before leaving the workstation.
  11. Students cannot share their personal login or password information.

View the Decker School of Nursing HIPAA Corrective Actions webpage.

Adapted with permission by Mary Ellen Murray, associate dean, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Reasonable Accommodations for Students with Disabilities


In compliance with the 1990 , reasonable accommodation for students with disability-related needs will be determined on an individual basis, taking into consideration the essential skills that must be performed to meet program objectives. Decisions regarding reasonable accommodation will be directed toward maximizing the student's independence while maintaining personal and client dignity and safety.

Disability-related academic accommodations are authorized by ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ’s Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) Office in consultation with the students and their professors. Students should register with SSD and notify faculty as soon as they know the need for accommodation.

Violations of Nursing Standards

Per the Decker School of Nursing's mission to prepare future providers and managers of care, the Violation of Nursing Standards (VNS) policy requires students to abide by the following rules and regulations while enrolled in the program:

A violation may be given any time a student is not compliant with the bulleted items above.

Records of violations are tracked and recorded internally. Immediately following a violation, the VNS Incident Report will be completed and submitted by the issuer of the violation. Once a VNS is reported, the student will receive the following to his/her/their official ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ email:

  1. Description of the violation
  2. Consequences
  3. Required remediation instructions, if necessary
  4. Instructions for submitting comments (optional)

Three violations in one course will result in course failure. Five cumulative violations will result in dismissal from the Decker School of Nursing, regardless of program length. A single incident determined to have produced serious actual/potential harm may also result in dismissal. If remediation is required, failure to complete the assigned remediation(s) will result in more severe consequences (and may include immediate dismissal).

Dismissal from the nursing program due to a VNS is final and may be recorded on the student's official ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ transcript. Violations of federal, state and/or local laws will result in a report to law enforcement.

The issuance of a VNS is nonpetitionable, but a student may choose to pursue a grievance. Questions about this policy should be directed to the grievance officer (contact information available through the RN-BS program director).

Academic Standing

A cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.0 is required to be in good academic standing.

Warning: Academic warning occurs when a student's term GPA falls below 2.0, but the student's cumulative GPA is 2.0 or higher. (First-semester students who fail to achieve a 2.0 will be placed on warning.)

Probation: Academic probation occurs when a student's cumulative GPA falls below 2.0. Probation will continue if the student's term GPA is 2.0 or higher, but the student's cumulative GPA is below 2.0.

Suspension: Academic suspension occurs when a student on academic probation fails to achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher in the next semester. Suspension prevents enrollment in all University courses for one major semester.

A Bachelor of Science degree with a major in nursing requires a cumulative grade point average of 2.0. If, at any point in the curriculum, a student no longer has the ability to achieve a 2.0 cumulative GPA with their remaining required coursework, the student may be dismissed from the RN-BS program. 

Cell Phone Policy

The use of cell phones or other electronic devices during clinical experiences for nonacademic purposes is not permitted.

Social Media Policy

Students should exercise professional judgment when using social media. Photographs and videos may not be taken in any clinical setting without prior authorization. All ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ Official Social Media Guidelines and federal HIPAA rules apply to Decker students using personal social media accounts. 

Petitioning an Academic Policy

Students may . Petition decisions will be made within 5 business days unless additional information is required.

All academic deadlines apply; students must plan accordingly for petitions by submitting them at least 5 days before applicable deadlines. (See official online academic calendar and financial liability deadlines). 

Academic Load

RN-BS students can register for a maximum of 12 credit hours per semester (6 credits per 7-week session.) 

After completing 24 credits, students can petition for credit overloads of up to 15 credits per semester (9 credits in one session).

Attendance and Participation

It is generally expected that 3-credit courses will require 18–20 hours of course-related work per week. There are no required dates/times for logging in for live content, but courses will require that learners adhere to a course schedule for readings, assignments and discussions with other learners. Students should expect to log in and participate in coursework multiple times weekly. 

Repeating a Required Course

Students must repeat a core course if they fail to achieve the minimum passing grade of C- or withdraw, likely resulting in delayed graduation.

Preparation of Written Assignments

Students in nursing courses must type all written assignments using the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), latest edition, unless specifically advised otherwise.

Re-Enrollment and Interruption of Progression

The online RN-BS program is designed to allow time off when needed. However, students who want to return to study after missing three consecutive major semesters (fall/spring/fall or spring/fall/spring) must follow re-enrollment guidelines. Before applying for re-enrollment, students must meet with a Decker advisor. 

Transfer Credit

Transfer credit is evaluated by Decker College's Division of Advising and Academic Excellence to meet prerequisite, general education and elective requirements. Coursework must be transcripted through an accredited institution to be considered for transfer.

Credit by Exam

Some degree requirements may be fulfilled by college-level, credit-bearing proficiency exams and/or the professional nursing licensure exam. Students interested in earning credit by exam should contact Decker's Division of Advising and Academic Excellence.

Transfer of Undergraduate Upper-Level Nursing Credit

Enrolled students who completed upper-level (300+) nursing courses from an accredited program may submit a to apply the credit toward the degree. 

NOTE: Decker College requires that the last 27 credits toward the degree be in residence (ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ courses) for RN-BS students.

Prerequisites

NURS Z380 Professional Role Development: Transitions is a prerequisite to all other core nursing courses in the RN-BS curriculum (a second course may be taken concurrently.)

The following courses are prerequisites to NURS Z484 Leadership and Management: 

  • NURS Z380 Professional Role Development: Transitions
  • HSCI Z381 Health and Illness Across the Lifespan
  • NURS Z382 Population Health: Promotion and Prevention 
  • HSCI Z383 Inquiry and Research in Healthcare 
  • NURS Z384 Population Health: Chronic Illness
  • NURS Z386 Assessment Across the Lifespan 
  • HSCI Z388 Healthcare Policy and Health Disparities
  • NURS Z483 Professional Issues in Nursing Leadership

One course from the list above may be taken concurrently with NURS Z484. 

Section 4: Practice and Clinical Experience Policies and Procedures

RN-BS Practice and Clinical Requirements

RN-BS students are required to participate in planned practice and clinical experiences. Requirements are outlined on the RN-BS Practice and Clinical Experiences webpage.

Evaluation of Clinical Experience (NURS Z484) Laboratory/Clinical Performance

The NURS Z484 clinical experience laboratory/clinical performance is an integral part of the course and is graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Expectations of the clinical experience are identified in the course syllabus. When the evaluation is satisfactory, the letter grade for the course's didactic or theoretical component is the grade assignment for the course. If the clinical experience is unsatisfactory, the grade for the course is F.

Health and Clinical Practice Requirements

Students assigned to a clinical site for NURS Z484 may need to comply with health and clinical practice requirements. Compliance is verified before and immediately following all deadlines. Failure to comply and/or maintain health/clinical practice requirements will negatively impact the student's time to degree. There are no exceptions.

Criminal Background Screening and Drug Screening

The Decker School of Nursing reserves the right to require students to undergo background screening to meet agency requirements. Screenings may include a criminal background check, drug screening and/or fingerprinting. 

Incident Reporting

An incident is defined as any unusual occurrence, with or without injury, that interferes with the functioning of the system or the patient. Examples include but are not limited to, patient falls, incorrect procedures, medication administration errors/occurrences, exposure to blood and/or body fluids, delays in treatment or concerns about patient care.

Students involved in an incident must immediately report it to their course faculty and the appropriate charge nurse or other supervisor of the unit, agency or system where the incident occurred.

Incident reporting is critical to maintaining and improving student and patient safety. Procedures following incidents are individualized and may include a revision of procedures or a root cause analysis. Not all incidents will result in disciplinary action, but failure to report an incident will. 

Occupational Exposure

Students who experience occupational exposure must notify their course faculty immediately and will follow the policy/practice of the clinical agency where the exposure occurred.

Clinical Uniform

Decker School of Nursing RN-BS students are responsible for maintaining professional behavior and appearance in all practice and related experiences. Students should follow the agency's dress code where they are placed.

Universal Precautions

The Decker School of Nursing adheres to standard precautions published by the .

Section 5: Grading Policies

Second-Read Policy

A student may request a second read on written assignments within one week of a paper being returned.

Students must first discuss the grade and paper with the faculty member who graded the paper.

Students may then request a second read for a paper if they feel the grade given is not deserved.

If a second read is requested, the program director will assign a faculty member to read a clean copy of the paper using the grading rubric developed for the paper.

The first and second readers will meet to determine the final grade, which may be lower, higher or the same as the original grade. 

If students wish to pursue a different grade after meeting with the faculty of record, they may follow the Decker College Grievance Policy.

Section 6: Additional Information

Student Representation on Decker Committees

Student representation is encouraged on the following Decker committees:

  • Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
  • Undergraduate Admissions and Academic Standards Committee
  • Dean’s committees as needed

Students interested in serving on a committee should contact decker@binghamton.edu.

Career and Internship Assistance

Students are encouraged to use resources from the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development. Professional and faculty advisors may also be helpful to students with career and internship questions.

Expenses

Students in Decker's RN-BS program should expect to incur costs for additional items related to coursework and practice experiences. These costs are in addition to the standard University tuition and fees.

Decker students are also responsible for malpractice insurance fees, which are incorporated into the University bill each semester a clinical nursing course is taken.