Attendance

One student must log clinical hours and cases in Typhon daily. The preceptor is responsible for verifying attendance (clinical hours) in Typhon. If the student does not complete the required number of clinical hours for the semester, he/she cannot expect the preceptor to continue the preceptor/student relationship. Exceptions related to the unexpected illness of the student/family and/or preceptor should be discussed with course faculty and the parties involved.

When the student cannot attend clinical on a day that is scheduled, the preceptor and clinical course faculty must be notified immediately. The student should obtain a telephone number and e-mail to discuss the procedure of notifying the preceptor and faculty for unexpected absences. Failure to notify the preceptor as negotiated, prior to the beginning of the scheduled clinical day is unacceptable and may place the student and clinical placement in jeopardy. The student should present the faculty and preceptor with a plan to complete the lost clinical time.

Attire and Behavior

Students are representatives of Kentucky State University School of Nursing and must present themselves as ambassadors to their programs. Students are expected to be respectful to preceptors, faculty, staff, patients, and their families. Reports of unprofessional behavior will result in the student being counseled by clinical course faculty. Interactions with clients, staff, other health providers, and students are learning opportunities for the student to role model clinical expertise. Students are highly encouraged to observe their preceptor's interactions with support staff and others as it relates to advanced practices.

Evaluations & Clinical Objectives

The student should reflect and develop individual learning objectives that will meet and facilitate his/her learning needs and previous clinical nursing experience (e.g., assessment, skills acquisition-clinical use of the microscope, or suturing, etc.) that are not explicit in the course or clinical objectives. Guidelines for developing clinical objectives include:

1. The student will write specific clinical objectives according to individual learning needs. These objectives should be discussed with the preceptor each week. The objectives should also be submitted to the clinical faculty when evaluations are submitted.
2. Examples of clinical objectives include DNP skills, diagnostic reasoning, diagnostic labeling, interventions, evaluation methods, program development, record audits, and coding.
3. Clinical objectives must be measurable and evaluated at the end of the clinical day. Written objectives do not provide learning feedback unless the evaluation occurs. If the objective is not completed, it may be used in the subsequent clinical day until it is met.
4. Clinical objectives should reflect the level of competency the student would like to achieve at the end of the practicum. At least one clinical objective is expected to be documented weekly in the specified clinical course.

Preparation for Clinical Practicum

The clinical practicum extends the learning environment of the classroom to integrate theoretical concepts with clinical practice. Students should prepare for the clinical practicum by developing individual learning objectives as previously discussed. Students should prepare