Programs handbooks

Nursing: Standards and procedures

Ethics and conduct

Professional code of ethics

Nursing students must learn to function in accordance with the accepted standards of practice mandated by the profession. For this reason, professional conduct standards for nursing students at PCC are based on the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics and the Oregon State Board of Nursing Nurse Practice Act and are in accordance with the Portland Community College Student Code of Conduct (see the College policies: conduct, professional standards, and ethics section). Professional communication and behavior are expected in all interactions and settings, and unethical or unprofessional conduct may result in a disciplinary or program dismissal review process. Refer to the Due process for violations section for information about program dismissal and appeals. See the grievance process regarding the process for submitting student concerns.

Professional standards and conduct requirements
Critical elements guidelines: safety, integrity, and accountability

The faculty members of the PCC Nursing program have a professional responsibility to ensure that all graduates possess the knowledge, skills, and moral dispositions that are essential to nursing. The professional standards of Safety, Integrity, and Accountability are considered essential to nursing education and practice, are critical elements of the PCC Nursing program, and must be adhered to by students.

  • Safety (actual and potential): The student will act in a safe manner.
    • The following indicate that the critical element of Safety has not been met:
      • Any act or omission that actually and/or potentially endangers the patient, others, and/or self.
      • A failure to conform to the essential standards of acceptable and prevailing nursing practices. Actual injury need not be established (OSBN Div. 45).
      • Implements actions or decisions that the student is inadequately prepared to take or make or is outside their scope of practice.
    • Examples of unsafe behaviors include, but are not limited to:
      • Violating or threatening the physical, psychological, microbiological, chemical, thermal, or other safety of the patient, peers, or staff.
      • Carrying out a procedure in clinical settings that the student has not passed in the on-campus clinical skills lab.
      • Failing to follow instructions or directions in clinical or lab settings.
      • Examples of meeting the critical element of safety include, but are not limited to:
      • Following infection control protocols, such as washing hands before and after caring for a patient and wearing proper personal protective equipment.
      • Administering medications using the five rights.
      • Accurately verbalizing to the clinical instructor the classification, use, and nursing considerations before giving a medication.
      • Correctly transferring a patient.
      • Obtaining instructor help before carrying out any invasive procedure or any procedure for the first time.
  • Integrity: The student will display behavior of integrity and honesty.
    • Honesty is a professional characteristic that is vital to the practice of safe nursing, and is expected of all students. Dishonesty places the public at risk and therefore indicates a violation of this critical element.
    • The following indicate that the critical element of integrity has not been met:
      • Demonstrated incidents of dishonesty, misrepresentation, or fraud.
      • Any act or omission that violates the ethical standards of nursing practice.
    • Examples of failing to demonstrate Integrity include but are not limited to:
      • Plagiarizing – submitting the work of another as one’s own, or purposefully not citing words or ideas borrowed from another source.
      • Cheating – using unauthorized notes during an examination, taking an exam for another student, copying answers from another student’s exam, or providing information from exams to other students by any means, including posting on electronic media, which includes social media sites.
      • Violating patient, family, student, and program confidentiality.
      • Discussion or posting on social media networks of learning experiences including but not limited to the following: classroom activities, exams (written or D2L), skills lab, SIM lab, and clinical
      • Stating completion of requirements (labs, math tests, etc.) that have not been completed.
      • Entering inaccurate, incomplete, falsified, or altered documentation into a health record or agency records.
      • Providing dishonest accounts of personal and/or professional actions.
    • Examples of meeting the critical element of Integrity include, but are not limited to:
      • Adhering to the PCC Student Code of Conduct: policy and procedures.
      • Adhering to facility HIPAA protocol.
      • Providing accurate, complete, and honest documentation of personal and professional actions.
      • Admitting that paperwork left in the faculty’s box was after the time it was due.
  • Accountability: The student will demonstrate accountability by accepting responsibility for individual actions and maintaining clinical competency.
    • To be accountable, nurses follow a code of ethical conduct that include moral principles such as fidelity, loyalty, veracity, beneficence, and respect for the dignity, worth, and self-determination of patients, as well as adhering to the scope and standards of nursing practice. (ANA Code of Ethics, Provision 4).
    • The following indicate that the critical element of accountability has not been met:
      • Failure to demonstrate accountability and responsibility for behaviors and/or omissions.
      • Demonstration of irresponsible behavior.
    • Examples of failing to demonstrate accountability include but are not limited to:
      • Failure to report classroom, skills lab, SIM, and/or clinical errors or omissions.
      • Failure to take responsibility for personal and professional actions.
      • Failure to notify faculty of inability to attend required learning activities.
    • Examples of meeting the critical element of accountability include but are not limited to:
      • Being thorough in preparing for clinical practice by looking up unfamiliar terms, patient diagnoses and medications, and reviewing skills that may be performed.
      • Meeting established deadlines.
      • Consistently arriving at scheduled classes, labs, and clinical sites on time.
      • Identifying and acknowledging when behavior falls outside of established standards and identifying self-corrective actions.
Process for violation of a critical element

All students will be granted due process as covered in the due process for violations section.

College policies

Students are required to read, understand, and follow college and program policies, standards, and ethical guidelines. In addition to reviewing the policies linked in this section, any additional requirements described in the section for one’s program of study should be reviewed and followed. Students assigned to clinical sites are required to learn and follow the policies, rules, and regulations required by the site. Students are encouraged to reach out to program faculty and staff with any questions or clarification needed.

Comprehensive links to college policies can be found on the following webpages:

The policies of particular relevance to students include:

Conduct, professional standards, and ethics

It is especially important for students to comply with the following policies regarding conduct, professional standards, and ethics.

HIPAA

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued the HIPAA Privacy Rule to implement the requirements of HIPAA (Centers for Disease Control Public Health Law). Under this law, patients’ health information is protected. This includes individually identifiable health information that is transmitted or maintained in any form or medium (electronic, oral, or paper).

What does this mean for Healthcare and Emergency Professions students?

In the course of their study, healthcare and emergency professions students will work in patient-focused settings, which could include providing patient care at the dental clinic, at off-site clinics, with ambulance services, and in hospitals, and/or could include responsibilities for managing patient data. Additionally, patient data and images, including radiographic images, will be part of the classroom and lab instruction. Often, students will act as patients during lab and practice sessions and confidentiality policies will apply. Students will have access to confidential patient data in these settings and are expected to:

  • protect patient and student confidentiality at all times,
  • comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA),
  • strictly follow all policies and procedures at the facilities in which off-site clinicals, internships, practicums, and co-ops are held,
  • uphold the professional ethics guidelines of their field of study, and
  • adhere to Portland Community College’s confidentiality policies, including Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Specific guidelines related to HIPAA and confidentiality include, but are not limited to:

  • Any information (including images, and written or verbal) related to patient care is strictly confidential and is:
    • not to be shared, copied, or discussed with anyone outside of the direct care of the patient, and
    • not to be removed from a healthcare facility or service unless written permission has been given by the clinical agency to remove such information. Information may be disclosed only as defined in HIPAA guidelines for educational purposes.
  • Radiographic images that are used for image critiques, case study, or lab sessions must have all patient and hospital identification removed. Students attending critique sessions away from their home sites may bring radiographic images only on approved devices that follow HIPAA requirements. No images taken with cell phones are allowed.
  • Photographs, recordings, and videos of patients must never be taken, whether a patient gives permission or not. If patient images are being considered for an educational purpose, the student must check with the instructor who will determine policies at the practicum site.
  • Absolutely no reference to a patient, even if de-identified, should ever be shared electronically via email outside of MyPCC email or on social networking sites such as Facebook. The instructor may direct students to share select de-identified patient information via MyPCC email or D2L for course preparation or learning purposes.
  • No facility or facility staff information should be shared via personal email, on social networking sites, or by other means outside the learning environment.
Required training
  • Read about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
  • Students are required to complete a HIPAA training module through the college’s third-party vendor, CastleBranch.
  • Ongoing training and guidance will be provided as appropriate throughout the instructional courses.
  • Students participating in off-site clinicals, internships, practicums, and co-ops are required to attend their clinical site’s HIPAA training to become educated on the facility’s confidentiality policies and procedures.
Violations of HIPAA and confidentiality

Any action that violates patient or student confidentiality will have long-lasting consequences for the student’s career and a serious impact on their standing in the program. All actions will be addressed quickly and will prompt a review process in which program probation or dismissal is considered. See Due process for violations. The off-site clinical, internship, practicum, or co-op facility could impose further disciplinary actions, including immediate dismissal from the site.

Dress code

The purpose of these guidelines is to establish clear dress code and appearance standards to maintain a safe, professional, and inclusive environment at Portland Community College (PCC) in the Healthcare and Emergency Professions Pathway (HEP). These requirements ensure safety and infection control, as well as prepare students for clinical and professional settings. These guidelines are in accordance with applicable PCC policies. Students participating in clinicals, internships, practicums, co-ops, and other external educational settings may need to adhere to additional procedures and guidelines set by their assigned facility.

Dress code
  • Attire:
    • Clothing should be clean, neat, and appropriate for an academic setting.
    • Attire should not have offensive language, images, or messages in accordance with the college’s Nondiscrimination and Non-harassment Policy.
    • Footwear should be safe and suitable for the lab and clinical environment. Closed-toe shoes made of leather or a similar material that is resistant to needles and liquids are required.
    • Hats are not permitted in clinical settings (hair coverings worn for religious purposes are not an issue).
  • Uniform standards:
    • Certain programs may require uniforms or specific attire. These requirements must be followed.
    • Uniforms and shoes should be clean with no wrinkles or tears, properly fitted, and worn as intended.
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):
    • Students in labs, workshops, and other hands-on environments must wear appropriate PPE as specified by their instructors.
    • PPE may include items such as safety glasses, gloves, lab coats, and closed-toe shoes. There may be additional/different PPE requirements based on the nature of the program.
Appearance
  • Grooming standards:
    • Students are expected to practice good personal hygiene.
    • Hair, including facial hair, should be clean and well-maintained.
      • Hair should be secured to prevent it from getting caught in equipment or interfering with the task at hand.
      • Facial hair should be groomed to ensure a proper seal with an N-95 mask, if required.
    • Students should avoid strong fragrances that may cause discomfort or allergic reactions.
    • Nails: Federal and state laws specify that artificial nails should not be worn when having direct contact with patients. The maximum nail length is 1/4 inch and nails should not pose a risk of tearing gloves. Nail polish, if worn, should be tidy and unchipped for hygiene purposes.
    • Ensure hands are clean and washed before touching or performing clinical procedures.
  • Tattoos and piercings:
    • Visible tattoos that conflict with professional standards and college policies may need to be covered.
    • Piercings are allowed provided they do not interfere with tasks, such as patient care. In some settings, jewelry that could get caught on equipment and pose a safety risk is not allowed. Please refer to program-specific requirements for further details.
Accommodation and exceptions

In cases where assigned facilities for clinicals, internships, practicums, and co-ops have specific dress and personal appearance codes, those regulations and any applicable process for accommodations will be used by the facility. For circumstances when PCC is the decision maker, the college will provide reasonable accommodations or modifications that do not fundamentally alter any program standard or compromise safety, health, and hygiene standards.

All students are responsible for adhering to the appearance and dress code standards of the Healthcare and Emergency Professions pathway, program, and the clinical setting (if applicable). For safety reasons, students who do not comply with the dress code will be asked to leave the course session to correct their attire and return only after making the necessary changes. Attendance and tardiness rules will apply when such corrections are necessary. Students not in compliance with these standards could be subject to a disciplinary review process. See Due process for violations.

Program-specific requirements

In addition to the Healthcare & Emergency Professions pathway dress code and appearance standards, Nursing program students are required to adhere to the guidelines below.

Dress code for Nursing program
  • Uniform: Navy-blue scrubs, white lab coat, and leather (or leather-like) closed-toe shoes impermeable to needles and liquids.
  • Clinical visits: Clean and professional business casual clothes or PCC uniform with a name tag may be worn when visiting a clinical or community setting.
  • Uniform requirement: Students must have the required uniform by the first day of class, as it may be needed for lab, simulation, and clinical experiences.
  • Uniform quantity: Recommended to have three tops, three pants, and one lab coat, due to typically having two clinical days and one lab day per week.
  • Undershirts: Solid black, white, gray, navy, or similar color long-sleeved or turtleneck shirts are allowed under scrubs.
  • Scrub jacket: Navy-blue scrub jacket with a PCC Nursing program patch (placed 2 inches down the left sleeve) can be worn over a navy-blue scrub top.
  • Accessories: A stethoscope and a watch with a second hand or equivalent may be required.
  • PCC Nursing patch: Each uniform top and white lab coat must have a PCC Nursing program patch (placed 2 inches down the left sleeve). Specific details will be provided before the fall term.

Attendance

  • There is a high correlation between attendance and successful completion of course requirements. Students are expected to attend all classes, clinical skills labs, clinical simulation labs, and clinical days at the regularly scheduled times and arrive on time. Instructors will determine if an absence is excused or unexcused. Unexcused absences from clinical and labs may result in a failing grade for the course. In the event of an absence, the student is responsible for obtaining content missed.
  • If a student is going to be absent or late to a clinical setting, the student must notify the clinical instructor before the start of the clinical shift. See instructions from the clinical instructor for specific information regarding communication of absences/tardiness in the clinical setting (see below for make-up policy).
  • If a student is going to be absent or late to the skills lab setting, the student must notify the skills lab faculty before the start of their scheduled lab.
  • All clinical and required lab (simulation and assessment) excused absences will be made up by the end of the term. Passing the Nursing course will be based on the satisfactory achievement of the course outcomes.
  • Clinical make-up will occur in the clinical setting. If necessary, learning outcomes for the course will guide the instructor in assigning a make-up experience which could include any or all of the following: 1) alternate clinical site, 2) simulation lab, or 3) case studies.
  • Clinicals missed due to school closure will be offered only if the scheduled clinical make-up day has not already been accounted for. Otherwise, clinicals missed due to school closure will be made up through a specially-scheduled SIM lab session. Please see the College policies section for more information about closures.
  • The student is responsible for attending make-up time for excused absences. In-clinical arrangements will be made with the clinical faculty, and in-simulation lab arrangements will be made with the simulation lab faculty.
  • The PCC Nursing program is not obligated to change schedules to accommodate students’ work schedules, transportation, or personal needs.

Communication

Personal and professional communication

Students in the Healthcare & Emergency Professions pathway are trained to become professionals in their chosen careers. In these roles, they will have the privilege of interacting with a diverse group of people. During the course of their professional education, students will strengthen their personal communication skills to improve effectiveness with people. Communication involves interactions between students, patients, faculty, staff, and guests located on campus or at off-campus learning sites (agencies, clinical facilities, or other settings). Respect for individual differences in opinions, beliefs, gender, lifestyle practices, religious, racial, cultural, or social backgrounds should be demonstrated by using effective listening and communication skills, as well as showing respect for physical space and privacy issues.

Communication methods and standards
  • Email: The primary mode for program and instructor communication will be via students’ PCC email address. See PCC’s Communication Policy.
  • D2L Brightspace: Communications specific to each course will be delivered via announcements and postings in D2L Brightspace learning platform.
  • Office hours: Full-time instructors are available for selected in-person and virtual office hours each week. Appointments are made through the individual instructor.
  • Chain of communication:
    • Course syllabus and D2L Brightspace: Refer to the course syllabus and D2L Brightspace for questions and concerns related to course requirements.
    • Course instructor: Refer questions and concerns directly to the assigned faculty instructor. Students who have difficulties with individual faculty should first aim to resolve the issues directly with that faculty. For clinical experiences, reach out to the assigned clinical instructor and clinical coordinator, if applicable.
    • If the preceding steps have been followed without questions or concerns being adequately addressed, the student may next contact the faculty department chair (FDC).
    • Individual questions, concerns, and comments about the program overall can be discussed with the program dean, as escalated by FDC.
    • There are opportunities for students to provide feedback about courses throughout the year through course evaluations. Some programs invite student representation on committees.
Use of electronic devices

Use of cellular phones or other electronic devices that may interfere with learning activities are prohibited during classroom, laboratory, and clinical laboratory practice activities and examinations, unless features such as amplification, magnification, or transcription tools are used as learning aids. Students should limit use of such devices to breaks and turn them off (or silence them) upon return. Use of cell phones for recording or taking images in the clinical setting is prohibited as it can be a HIPAA violation (see the HIPAA section). Permission from fellow students, faculty, and staff is required prior to any pictures taken on campus.

Social media

Students are expected to adhere to the following guidelines in order to maintain the professional and ethical standards of the program and the clinical affiliates:

  • Do not post anything that would violate FERPA (student privacy) and HIPAA (see the HIPAA section) (patient privacy) regulations. Activities that occur during clinical rotations or that involve patients are not to be shared.
  • Photos which contain any animal not owned by the student or activities surrounding the use of these animals in classes or labs shall not be posted to social media accounts unless as related to adoption, or when given express permission by the owner of the animal.
  • Be mindful of the language used when discussing the affiliate, program, fellow students, faculty, or staff, and avoid any comments that could be perceived as derogatory or harmful. Instead, address concerns by following the Grievance process.
  • Do not ask to connect with instructors on social networks in order to maintain an appropriate professional relationship. Upon graduation, instructors and students may connect if all parties agree.
  • Use good judgment before posting personal pictures. Be aware that information you post online may be available to anyone, and could be misconstrued.
  • See related college policies and guidelines:

Nothing in this social media section is intended to restrict any expressive activity that is legally protected.

Program-specific guidelines
Student Representative Committee (SRC)
  • The Student Representative Committee (SRC) provides a forum for faculty and student collaboration in order to:
    1. include students in the process of continuous quality improvement,
    2. engage students in processes designed to meet their learning needs and goals, and
    3. foster a culture of collaborative learning.
  • The SRC promotes professional communication/interaction and continuous improvements by exploring, implementing, and evaluating changes to improve student and faculty experience. The SRC is open to all interested students. Students who wish to participate should plan on attending all scheduled meetings throughout the year. The SRC does not replace other methods for communication or problem-solving, such as the Chain of Communication.
Social media
  • Nursing Students are expected to follow the social media guidelines shared in the electronics, technology, social media expectations, and etiquette.
  • When using social media in the context of PCC’s Nursing program, students will adhere to these specific requirements as well:
    • Regulations for copyright and fair use will be respected at all times. PCC or Nursing program identifiers, such as logos and graphics, are not to be used on personal social media sites.
    • Development of a group identified as a PCC Nursing program related site (i.e. Facebook, allnurses.com pages) must be pre-approved by the PCC Nursing program dean.
    • PCC’s name should not be used to promote a product, cause, political party, or candidate.
    • Use of the PCC Nursing program marks (logos and graphics) for school-sanctioned events must be approved (posters, flyers, postings) by the Nursing program dean.

MyPCC and Desire2Learn (D2L) Brightspace are the two online sites approved by PCC for dissemination of program and course information. Students using other sites not approved by PCC or PCC’s Nursing program are at risk of receiving and using incorrect information, which may negatively impact their academic endeavors in the PCC Nursing program.

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Fieldwork