Senior Information

Dear Students,
We have prepared some information that you will need to know prior to the start of the new term. Please take note of the new information.

If you have questions or concerns, you can reach us by email at sao50@pitt.edu or visit the Student Services Office located in room 239 Victoria Building.

Best Wishes,

Linda S Holden, MSN, RN
Associate Director of Student Services,
Undergraduate Program

Dates to Remember

Spring Term 2124
January 2012
3	Tuesday	New Student Orientation & Registration Session (Room 239 VB) – 1:00pm
4	Wednesday	Spring term classes begin
16	Monday	University Closed (Dr. martin Luther King’s birthday observance
17	Tuesday	Add/drop period ends for the spring term 2124
March 2012
1	Thursday	Spring Term Deadline for students to submit Monitored Withdrawal form to Student Services Office
*4-11*	Sunday-Sunday	Spring Recess for students
9	Friday	University Closed
19	Monday	Summer Term enrollment begins
26	Monday	Fall Term enrollment begins
April 2012
20	Friday	Spring Term: Last day for undergraduate day classes
23-28	Monday-Saturday	Final Exam Period
28	Saturday	Spring Term Ends Official date for degrees award in spring term
29	Sunday	Annual Commencement Convocation
May 2012
2	Wednesday	Spring Term Grades

University Academic Calendar

Requirements for Clinical Sites - Forms and Clearances

It is essential to remember that all students participating in clinical portion of courses will be denied admittance until special requirements by the clinical site are turned in to the correct departments. The basic requirements for all undergraduate students are:

Student Uniform
Health form
Clearances (ACT 33/34/73)
HIPAA Certificate
CPR Card

Please review the detailed requirements below:

Uniforms

All students are required to wear a University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing student uniform during clinical rotations unless specified by the instructor.

Uniforms should be ordered and received prior to the first day of classes. Please note, newly admitted transfer students starting at sophomore level, should order uniform during the summer before the start of the fall term clinical. Uniforms are purchased through American Discount Uniform Inc.

American Discount Uniform is a mail order company that ships directly to the student. American Discount Uniform has established secure on-line ordering for additional or replacement uniforms. Students are urged to go to www.americandiscountuniform.net click on the "Custom Nursing and Healthcare Programs" tab and enter "uop" as the password. If there are any problems with your order, please contact the company directly by calling 724-339-5177.

You are reminded to review Policy 91, Dress Code for Students. You are expected to comply with the regulations.

Health Forms

Undergraduate students must have a health evaluation upon admission and annual update until completion of the program. Students will not be permitted to register or participate in clinical activities until the completed health form has been submitted. Policy 20

Health Forms If you have just been admitted into the school, you will submit the INITIAL HEALTH APPRAISAL FORM before the start of the term. However, current students entering the sophomore level and up will submit the ANNUAL UPDATE HEALTH FORM to Pitt-Student Health Services before March 1. Submit the original document to Student Health, but keep a copies for yourself and the clinical site. Make sure the health form is turned in to:

University of Pittsburgh - Student Health Service
Medical Arts Building
3708 Fifth Avenue
Suite 500
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Failure to turn in your health form by the due date will result in a hold placed on your account which will prevent class(es) registration for t

Clearances

The PA Child Abuse History (ACT 33), PA Criminal Record Check (ACT 34), and the FBI Fingerprint Criminal History (ACT 73) clearances MUST be obtained for Sophomore year and renewed prior to the start of Senior year.

The FBI Fingerprint Criminal History clearance must be obtained by ALL Sophomores, Juniors who had not previously done the FBI clearance in Sophomore year, and by all Seniors. Many Community Health settings and some Transitions settings also require fingerprinting every year, so Seniors are required to renew.

When applying for the FBI Fingerprint Criminal History clearance, PLEASE REMEMBER TO APPLY THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WELFARE ONLY. Your results will be sent to the mailing address listed on the application.
DO NOT apply through the Department of Education since it is used for all prospective school employees, school contractors, and student teachers. You will not receive the results if you apply through the Department of Education.

*Note: ACTs 33, 34, and 73 for the state of Pennsylvania can be retrieved on the same webpage at http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/findaform/childabusehistoryclearanceforms/index.htm

Please be aware that it can take up to 12 weeks to obtain these clearances. You are advised to APPLY IN PLENTY OF TIME PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF THE FALL TERM. Recommended application date July 1st.

Students applying for the FBI Fingerprint Criminal History clearance in their home state other than Pennsylvania should register on the FBI website at http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/background-checks or contact the local state police barracks. The FBI website has instructions that include pre-registration, paying the fees to register, followed by printing out a blank fingerprinting card, which must be taken to the police to fingerprint them legibly enough for the FBI to analyze. The applicant must then submit the fingerprint card and form to the main FBI lab in Clarksburg, WV. Results will be sent back to applicant within four to six weeks.

Refer to the Frequently Asked Questions section when applying for the FBI Fingerprint Criminal History clearance through the FBI’s website at http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/background-checks/faqs

*Note: Some facilities may still require yearly renewal of all clearances. Students are responsible for any costs incurred to obtain these clearances.

HIPAA Certificate

The HIPAA module should be completed in the Introduction to Professional Nursing in the spring term of freshman year. If not completed during class, the module material and the test must be completed on the students own time to be eligible to participate in clinical. Please click on the link below and log in. Download a copy of the certificate verifying that the module has been completed and return a copy to Student Services. The certificates are completed and submitted once every four years. You can sign up at https://cme.hs.pitt.edu/servlet/IteachControllerServlet?actiontotake=loadmodule&moduleid=6381 and complete the following training module:

HIPAA - UPMC Information Privacy and Security Awareness Training for Students, Trainees, Health Professionals and Other Individuals Who Are NOT UPMC Employees (submit only once at the end of your freshman year).

CPR Requirements

CPR School policy requires all sophomore, junior, and senior students to be certified in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) before entering the clinical arena. Course validation will be required at the beginning of the term to verify successful completion of such a course.

The American Heart Association (AHA) – BLS - Healthcare Provider Course Certification (Policy #363) must be completed before beginning clinical rotations. This course certifies students in adult, infant/child, 2-rescuer CPR, and in the use of the AED. This Basic Life Support course consists of a written test in addition to manual training. Due to the possible need to perform CPR on an actual patient, an on-line course will not be accepted! The AHA—Healthcare Provider Course Certification is valid for two years.

To find a training center near you, go to http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/classConnector.jsp?pid=ahaweb.classconnector.home#

*Note: The School of Nursing does NOT accept CPR certifications from the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association – Heart Saver Certification

Due Dates

Uniforms are to be purchased before the start of the fall term for sophomore, junior, and senior students.
School of Nursing Initial Health Appraisal Form - submit the Original form to Office of Student Health Services prior to the start of your first term classes, but keep several copies for yourself and the clinical site (address is listed on first page of the health form).
School of Nursing Health Annual Update Form - submit the Original form to Office of Student Health Services before March 1 annually, but keep several copies for yourself and the clinical site (address is listed on first page of the health form).
Copy of the Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance - ACT 33. Initial Sophomore year and renew again prior to Senior year. Submit copy to the Student Services Office by August 15th. Keep the original certificate and make copies for the clinical site.
Copy of the Pennsylvania Criminal Record Check Clearance - ACT 34. Initial Sophomore year and renew again prior to Senior year. Submit copy to the Student Services Office by August 15th. Keep the original certificate and make copies for the clinical site.
Copy of the FBI Fingerprint Criminal History Clearance - ACT 73. Initial Sophomore year and renew again prior to Senior year. Submit copy to the Student Services Office by August 15th. Keep the original certificate and make copies for the clinical site.
HIPAA - UPMC Information Privacy and Security Awareness Training for Students, Trainees, Health Professionals and Other Individuals Who Are NOT UPMC Employees. Submit copy of the certificate to the Student Services Office only once at the end of your freshman year, but to the clinical site as needed.
Copy of the American Heart Association – BLS - Healthcare Provider Course CPR Certification. Renew every two years. Keep the original card and make copies to submit by August 15th to the Student Services Office and the clinical site).

*NOTE: The Student Services Office will not be able to accommodate requests to make copies for students once the documents have already submitted.

Transportation to Agencies

Clinical Site Transportation

Students must assume responsibility for all transportation to clinical practice sites, community health agencies, and field trips. Please refer to the School of Nursing website under the Student Resources section for information on public transportation.

Assigning Clinical - exceptional Circumstances Justification Request

Exceptional Circumstance Justification Request Form

When clinical assignments are being made, the School of Nursing will take into consideration a student's exceptional circumstance that would justify being placed into a specific clinical or skills lab assignment. Such circumstances include but are not limited to: taking a course in the Honors College, NCAA athletes, or ROTC students. Requests that will not be granted include but are not limited to: having a friend in clinical with you, wanting a specific instructor or specific facility, submitting the form after the due date, etc.

Forms must be submitted to the Associate Director of Student Services, Undergraduate Programs in the Student Services Office by the following dates:

The deadline is as follows:

Fall Term Deadline is February 15
Spring Term Deadline is September 15
Summer Term Deadline is January 15

Students Taking Summer Courses at Another College or University

Summer Courses at Another College or University Form

Students planning to take summer courses at another college or university must complete the following form and have approval from the Associate Director of Student Services for credit transfer.

The form must be completed and turned in between February 1st and the end of the spring term.

Nursing Independent Study

Guidelines for NUR 1061 Independent Study

An independent study is a student-initiated experience planned to permit undergraduate students to pursue an area of interest in nursing with the guidance of a faculty preceptor. The student and faculty preceptor must fill out the Independent Study Information Sheet and contract in order to register for the course. Please be sure the Independent Study Information sheet and the contract have been signed by the student’s advisor before enrolling in the course.

Specialty Examinations

exam The curriculum for the Undergraduate Program incorporates Specialty Examinations into many of the nursing courses. These exams are part of the process designed to prepare the student in all facets of nursing, so that they are ultimately well-prepared to take the NCLEX upon graduation. The Specialty Exams will be a weighted part of the final course grade. This weighted grade will be stipulated in the course outline, where the instructor will provide further information.

BSN Comprehensive Exam

The School of Nursing requires all Senior-level Traditional Undergraduates and the 2nd Degree Accelerated students to take the BSN Comprehensive Examination in their last academic term prior to graduation. The student must achieve a passing score on the examination in order to graduate. Failure to achieve a passing score on the first attempt will require the student to register for and take subsequent examinations until a passing score is achieved. A student may take the examination up to three times within an academic term, including the initial attempt.

Graduating Requirements/Advising

It is very important that you schedule an appointment with your academic advisor before the end of the add/drop period to review your academic transcript and insure that you will have all of the course requirements in order to graduate.

You can obtain a copy of your academic transcript by logging onto PeopleSoft Student Administration. Check your academic transcript with the curriculum guide to make sure all of your course work will be complete in time to graduate.

Remember: It is important that you schedule an appointment with your academic advisor before the end of the add/drop period so that you can make sure you have registered for the necessary classes.

Transfer of Credits

If you are enrolled in courses through another college or university, please remember that we will need an official transcript sent to April Bruce immediately following the availability of grades from the school. Courses taken at another college or university will have to be completed and grades available before final certifications (verification of graduation) can be signed off on. We will not be able to submit final certifications until we receive this information. Please be sure the school submits this information to us ASAP or your graduation could be delayed.

Graduation Meeting
- The Graduation Planning meeting for spring term is not scheduled. Information regarding the dates for the meeting will be sent via email to all undergraduate students graduating in April 2011.
Graduation Application

Graduation applications are due in the Student Services Office by noon on Wednesday, January 18, 2012, or a late fee will be assessed!!!!! You can stop by the Student Services Office to pick up an application, download from the message sent to you via email, or click on the link (Graduation Application).

Calendar for Graduation and Related Dates for the Office of the University Registrar

Click here for more information concerning Graduation from the Office of the University Registrar

Certification of Enrollment

At your request, the Transcripts and Enrollment Verification office will verify to a third party your enrollment status and the number of units for which you are registered. Your enrollment status will also be provided to state and federal funding agencies at their request.
If you receive a form requiring verification of enrollment, bring or mail it to Transcripts and Enrollment Verification office in G-3 Thackeray Hall. You may request an enrollment verification by completing an Enrollment Verification Form at the counter in G-3 Thackeray Hall. You may also request an Enrollment Verification by printing an Enrollment Verification Form and mailing it to:

University of Pittsburgh
Transcripts & Enrollment Verification Office
G-3 Thackeray Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

There is no fee for Enrollment Verification requests for students and alumni.
There is a $2.00 fee for services to third parties.

Senior Year Expenses

The following is a list of estimated graduation expenses to help you anticipate the upcoming year. For additional expenses (tuition, clearances, miscellaneous fees, immunizations), please refer to the tuition & fees information below

Tuition & Fees

PA Permanent License & TPP (In State)	$70.00
NCLEX Exam	$200.00

Requirements to Receive a State Board of Nursing License

There are three basic things you need to do in order to receive a nursing license:

Apply for the licensure in the state you plan to practice nursing in.
Apply for a temporary practice permit (if applicable) in the state you plan to practice nursing in.
Register and pay for the NCLEX.

When applying for a nursing license, the first thing you want to do is go to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing website, at https://www.ncsbn.org/contactbon.htm, to acquire information on national rules, regulations, ACTs, and what steps to take when applying for licensure. All you have to do is click on the state you plan to practice in and the contact information and the website link will appear. Make sure you keep this contact information as you will need it later for confirmation purposes or to ask questions.

You can also click on the web address for that specified Board of Nursing site. Depending on the state, you may be able to apply online or download an application. However, some state requires you to request an application.

Remember, each state has its own fees, rules, and regulations regarding the application process, and it is impossible for us in School of Nursing to automatically know this information. Therefore, we ask you to read and understand the instructions first before filling out the application. It is your duty to understand the filing process.

Seniors Advisors

Students can retrieve advisor information from the Student Center in PeopleSoft.

Academic Advisory Board

Your student representative for Academic Advisory Board is Christina Radzevick. She will serve as a communications liaison for the senior academic group, when needed in cases involving academic integrity. All appointments are for one year. You can reach Christina via email at crr33@pitt.edu.

Dean's Student Advisory Council

Your student representatives for the Dean’s Student Advisory Council are Mark Hennessy and Emmanuelle Tietbohl. They will serve as a communications liaison for the senior academic group. Meetings are scheduled once per semester or as needed with the Dean. The appointment is for one year. You can contact your student representatives via email at meh81@pitt.edu (Mark) and eet8@pitt.edu (Emmanuelle).

PeopleSoft Instructions

Students can enroll in a class, check their grades, view class schedules and more by using the PeopleSoft Student Self Service feature of the my.pitt.edu web portal. Log into my.pitt.edu with your University username and password.

Undergrad

School of Nursing