Students are expected to follow rules of common courtesy in all email and online messages. If faculty deems any messages or communication to be offensive or inappropriate the message may be forwarded to administration. Appropriate action will be taken, up to and including expulsion from the course.
The School of Nursing has a responsibility to the public and Kentucky Stakeholders to produce safe, professional, and ethical registered nurses. The School of Nursing cannot tolerate unsafe and/or nonprofessional behavior. Students violating this policy will not be allowed to return to clinical or virtual classroom, and will be required to attend a faculty meeting to discuss program status.
A nursing student demonstrating violent behavior can be dismissed from the School of Nursing with no possibility of readmission and the academic transcript will reflect these actions stating:dismissed from program; not in good standing. This policy is consistent with the School of Nursing's core nursing competence for safe practice.
Violent behavior includes, but is not limited to, horizontal or lateral violence, physical, verbal abuse, and bully in against fellow nursing students, professors, clinical agency staff, and clients. If necessary, legal charges could be made depending on the nature of incident.
Horizontal (or Lateral) Violence takes on many different characteristics but include overt and covert nonphysical hostility such as criticism, sabotage, undermining, infighting, scapegoating or finger pointing, and bickering.
Physical Abuse defined by one or more episodes of aggressive behavior, usually resulting in physical injury with possible damage to internal organs, sense organs, the central nervous system, or the musculoskeletal system of another person.
Verbal Abuse involves the spoke or written word with cruel intentions and can include profanity. This form of abusive behavior can leave a victim feeling emotionally attached with feelings of lowered self-worth, hurt, and depression.
Bullying defined by Kentucky Safe Schools as “Bullying happens when a person with greater power takes unfair advantage of a less powerful person and these negative actions are repeated into a pattern of behavior. Bullying means there is an imbalance of power so that the victim cannot successfully defend himself or herself. Power can be physical size, strength, numbers, social standing, verbal skill, economic power, cultural or ethnic power, level of intelligence, popularity, gender, etc. Bullying is the persistent abuse of an underdog. The bully watches for opportunities to pick on the victim and the victim feels tormented and defenseless.”
If faculty deem a student *unsafe and/or that the student demonstrates **inappropriate behavior either on campus or in the clinical setting, the faculty members will meet with the course team members and determine consequences of the student’s behavior. The student may be placed on probation. If the student demonstrates further unsafe practice and or inappropriate behavior, he/she will be dismissed from the program. Faculty reserve the right to determine automatic/immediate dismissal based on competencies of safety and professionalism.
* Unsafe practice is defined as a threat to self, patients, and/or others.