RN to BSN PROGRAM HANDBOOK

I.CONFIDENTIALITY AND HIPAA (HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND
ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1996)
In 1996 Congress passed federal regulations to provide portability of health insurance when an
employee leaves a job as a way to be able to change insurance carriers without a break in coverage. The
act contains other provisions that have a major impact on the practice of healthcare providers.
The Administrative Simplification Clause of HIPAA Title II addresses Electronic Transaction Standards,
Unique Identifiers, Privacy Standards and Security Standards concerning all data pertaining to the care of
each individual patient in any healthcare facility. The provisions under the privacy and security standards
impose strict compliance with confidentiality on the part of all who have access to patient records. All
healthcare providers are required to have documented training regarding these patient privacy regulations.
All School of Nursing students are required to attend a formalized training session on HIPAA regulations
provided by the College and/or by the clinical agency. Students are expected to adhere to all HIPAA
provisions and standards related to .patient privacy.
J. CLINICAL UNIFORM/DRESS CODE
The nursing student is expected to maintain a professional appearance in clinical experiences and
conform to the dress code requirements of the cooperating agency. A badge identifying the learner as a
RN to BSN Fisher College student will be worn at all times. Lab coats may be required by some agencies.
Perfumes, colognes, aftershaves, or other highly scented lotions may not be worn in the clinical area.
Students who are out of compliance with the dress code may be asked to leave the clinical setting.
K. TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
All RN to BSN students must have abilities and skills in the following four areas: communication,
observation, motor function and endurance, and behavioral. Reasonable accommodations may be made
for some disabilities. However students must be able to perform in a reasonably independent manner,
with or without accommodations.
Communication
• Must be able to communicate' effectively with patients, families, and members of the health care
team through oral, written, and interpersonal means.
• Must be able to obtain information, describe patient situations, and perceive both oral and
nonverbal communication (including ability to understand normal speech without seeing the
speaker's face).
• Must be able to speak, comprehend, read and write in English at a level that meets the need for
accurate, clear and effective communication; examples include but are not limited to: giving
clear oral reports, reading watches or clocks with second hands, reading graphs, reading and
understanding documents printed in English, writing legibly in English, discriminating subtle
differences in medical terminology.
Observation
• Must be able to observe a patient accurately; examples include but are not limited to: listening to
heart and breath sounds; visualizing the appearance of a surgical wound; detecting bleeding,
unresponsiveness or other changes in patient status; detecting the presence of foul odor; and
palpating an abdomen.
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