View Re-Entry Plan

Please review the attached guideline regarding potential exposure to COVID-19 while in the clinical environment completing clinical training with a preceptor.

Clinical Placement Recommendation for Nursing Students with a Potential Exposure to COVID-19

Allen Prettyman, PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP, FNAP
Clinical Professor
Director DNP Program

Dear students,

We hope you are staying safe and healthy and are excited to begin the MEPN program in a few weeks.  This message is a follow-up to the one sent by Provost Folks on Friday, May 1^st.

As Provost Folks indicated, the university will be limiting in-person instructional activity and on-campus presence this summer.  While we had originally hoped to welcome you to our physical campuses July 1^st, this is no longer an option. We plan to deliver all of your level 1 content online, ensuring quality education and an engaging learning environment.  Please adjust your plans to be at the location of your cohort (Phoenix or Tucson) for the first day of fall classes on August 24^th.

We understand this is not an ideal way to begin your program – and we are disappointed not to be meeting and greeting you in person until August.  However, your safety (and the safety of our communities) is of upmost importance. In addition, our faculty are working hard to transition all of your coursework and clinical experiences so that they can be delivered using advanced technologies and state-of-the art simulations.

Please contact OSAA with any questions.

con-osa-entry@arizona.edu
520-626-3808

Thank you,

College of Nursing Office of Student & Academic Affairs

RISE 2020 – On Campus Requirement Canceled

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Resident Intensive Summer Experience (RISE) scheduled on campus for the week of August 17^th, 2020 has been changed to a 100% online format and there will not be any campus sessions. Students are required to attend RISE 2020 online during the week of August 17^th, 2020.

The RISE online schedule will be available in early June 2020 on the College of Nursing RISE webpage. Please cancel any travel reservations and contact Office of Student & Academic Affairs (OSAA) CON-OSA-ADVANCED@arizona.edu with any questions.   

Thank you, and Bear Down! 

Dear Students and Faculty –

We recognize that complying with clinical credentialing requirements have become quite challenging given the current COVID-19 situation. We have been monitoring the various agency requirements and extensions that are being granted. We have also considered carefully the various services that are either experiencing an influx of patients or temporarily limiting/suspending operations.  Therefore, until further notice, the UArizona College of Nursing has made the following changes to our student/faculty credentialing requirements for clinical instructions:

We will suspend updating your credentials for:

• MMR
• Varicella
• TB test
• Tdap
• CPR certification (BCLS, PALS, ACLS)
• Influenza
• Hep B series/test

For new students/staff we will continue to require documentation of your vaccination series as well as any CPR certifications you currently hold. Although, when the situation eases, you may be responsible for complying with these clinical credentialing requirements very quickly in order to attend on-site clinical experiences in acute or community-based settings.

We will continue to require:

• DPS fingerprint clearance card
• Health Insurance Verification
• RN License(s) for DNP students
• OSHA/HIPAA UAccess trainings

Unfortunately, we are unable to cancel or suspend those out of compliance emails from Castlebranch, however, our OSAA staff will not be sending additional emails for any of the suspended requirements. Simply delete the reminders for those items that we are suspending. When this is all over (hopefully soon), we will contact you when you will be required to comply, recognizing that this is a fluid situation that will undoubtedly continue to evolve. Again, for those with expired credentials, you may be required to act quickly before resuming your clinical experiences. Thank you for your patience. We hope this takes some of the stress out of your life.

Office of Student & Academic Affairs
The College of Nursing

March 27, 2020

To: DNP Program Nurse Practitioner Students
Re: Simulation Clinical Hours for 2020 Spring Semester

The College of Nursing (CON) supports your education and is dedicated to ensuring that you are prepared to practice upon completion of your program of study. A critical element of your program of study is the time spent in the clinical environment learning and honing your skills. The COVID-19 pandemic impact on completing clinical hours is being monitored by the CON on an ongoing basis.

In alignment with the University of Arizona recommendations and the DNP program clinical recommendations students have options regarding clinical training.  The CON will support each individual nurse practitioner students’ informed decision regarding their education and clinical training.

The College of Nursing is committed to ensuring to the best of its ability the clinical competency of all students graduating from the DNP program and that students meet competency requirements for graduation and preparedness for the National Certification Exam. A minimum of 500 face-to-face clinical hours is required by the National Certification Agencies prior to graduation and to be eligible to sit for the certification exam. To support nurse practitioner students during the COVID-19 pandemic, the DNP program is adding simulation experiences to be used to meet the required 180 clinical hours for the spring 2020 semester.

All nurse practitioner students have already earned 24 simulation hours of during CSI.  In addition, all nurse practitioner students will have 8 hours of simulation hours incorporated into their spring clinical course and those hours will be applied to the spring clinical hour requirement. Thus, students have already earned 32 simulation hours. Students need to complete the remaining 148 hours (180-32=148) with a combination of face-to-face clinical hours if possible and simulation to meet the 180-hour requirement for your clinical course.

Students who have already completed 148 clinical hours or more are to stop clinical hours with their preceptor and do not need to complete any additional simulations for the spring semester.  These students have met the requirements for the clinical portion of their course (620a, 629a, 615 or 642a depending on specialty).

Students who have not achieved the 148 clinical hours have two options:

1. If you are still in a clinical environment, you can continue in clinical with your preceptor until you achieve 148 clinical hours and as soon as you achieve 148 clinical hours you may stop clinical.  
2. If you are no longer allowed in a clinical environment or have elected to stop clinical with your preceptor, you may complete the remaining clinical hours by completing approved simulations.   You must complete sufficient simulations until you reach a total of 148 clinical hours at which time you will meet the requirements for the semester.

Nurse practitioner students are required to communicate with their Clinical Supervising Faculty (CSF) and clinical course chair about which option they choose.  Clinical hours accomplished above 148 hours for the spring semester cannot be applied to future semesters.  Faculty are planning for summer and will share those details closer to the start of summer semester.

Regards,

Allen Prettyman, PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP, FNAP
Clinical Associate Professor
Interim Director DNP Program
Director of Faculty Practice

Dear PhD,  DNP, and RN-MS in Clinical Systems Leadership Students:

Thank you for working with your faculty as we adapt to delivering your clinical experiences in the online and virtual worlds when necessary. There is no change in the delivery of your lecture/didactic courses. The Office of the Provost published a memo on Revised Academic Grading and Eligibility Policies (March 20, 2020) stating:

During the Spring 2020 term only, and at the discretion of the individual student, any course may be graded on a pass/fail basis, and these courses will count toward program requirements and satisfy future prerequisite requirements if a passing grade is earned. A student wishing to move to the pass/fail grading option must notify the registrar by the last day of class for the Spring 2020 term.

Please speak with Jose Munoz or Amanda Gluski in OSAA before requesting that your graded work be converted to Pass/Fail. There are several important factors for you to consider before making this request:

1. Pass/Fail coursework on your transcript could impact certification processes and delay the approval of your academic program.
2. For all PhD courses and for DNP core courses, a grade of C, D or E will record as a failure.  If you have questions, please email OSAA staff at CON-OSA-ADVANCED@arizona.edu
3. There are limits to the use of P/F in the Graduate College and this cannot be done indiscriminately.
4. Pass/Fail coursework on your transcript could also impact your potential for additional graduate program admissions in the future.

Please reach out to Jose and Amanda as you make your decision so we can provide you with helpful guidance.  Stay safe and reach out to us often; we are here to support you.

Sincerely,

Ki Moore, PhD, RN, FAAN
Dean, The College of Nursing

Dear BSN, BSN-IH, and MEPN students:

I hope you are adapting to your academic course delivery in the online and virtual environment.  The Office of the Provost published a memo on Revised Academic Grading and Eligibility Policies (March 20, 2020) stating:

During the Spring 2020 term only, and at the discretion of the individual student, any course may be graded on a pass/fail basis, and these courses will count toward program requirements and satisfy future prerequisite requirements if a passing grade is earned. A student wishing to move to the pass/fail grading option must notify the registrar by the last day of class for the Spring 2020 term.

Please contact an academic advisor in the College of Nursing prior to requesting your graded work be converted to Pass/Fail. There are several important factors for you to consider:

1. D and E grades will be converted to a “F” and will be considered a failure in your nursing program.
2. Decisions to convert courses may impact the potential for graduate program admission in the future.
3. For MEPN students only, a grade of B or higher is required to receive a passing grade in all clinical courses.

Thank you for working with your faculty as we adapt to delivering our academic programs and clinical experiences in the online and virtual environment.  Reach out to us and to your advisor (Brandie Holt or Chris Sogge) as you make your decision in order for us to provide you with helpful guidance. Stay safe.

Sincerely,

Ki Moore, PhD, RN, FAAN
Dean, The College of Nursing

Dear Pre-Nursing students:

I hope you are adapting to your academic course delivery in the online and virtual environment.  The Office of the Provost published a memo on Revised Academic Grading and Eligibility Policies (March 20, 2020) stating:

During the Spring 2020 term only, and at the discretion of the individual student, any course may be graded on a pass/fail basis, and these courses will count toward program requirements and satisfy future prerequisite requirements if a passing grade is earned. A student wishing to move to the pass/fail grading option must notify the registrar by the last day of class for the Spring 2020 term.

Please contact your academic advisor in the College of Nursing prior to requesting your graded work be converted to Pass/Fail. Do not seek advice from a pre-health advisor.

There are several important factors for you to consider:

1. Decisions to convert courses may impact admission to the BSN program. This is particularly true for your nursing prerequisite courses (sciences, statistics).
2. Decisions to convert science courses may impact admission to graduate programs in the future (Nurse Practitioner, Anesthetist, Midwife).

Please reach out to us and to your advisor (Brandie Holt or Chris Sogge) as you make your decision in order for us to provide you with helpful guidance. Stay safe.

Sincerely,

Ki Moore, PhD, RN, FAAN
Dean, The College of Nursing

Dear Summer 2020 BSN-IH Cohort,

We hope you are staying healthy and practicing self-care during the COVID-19 pandemic. We look forward to welcoming you into the Wildcat Nursing community as you take this important step in your nursing career. We are excited about this “first in the country” program that combines integrative therapeutics with biomedical interventions in order to fully optimize health and well-being for our patients, families and communities. 

However, due to recent events and the COVID-19 precautions, we have made the difficult decision to postpone summer enrollment in our Bachelor of Science in Nursing Integrative Health program from Summer 2020 to Fall 2020. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many clinical agencies have temporarily postponed student experiences. In order to ensure you have the exceptional education you deserve, we feel this is the best option to ensure the maximum health and safety of our faculty, staff, and students. 

We understand that you have worked very hard to secure your seat in our program and the admissions process is competitive, and we truly hope that you will be able to join us this Fall. You are guaranteed a spot in the Fall 2020 cohort – please confirm your intent to attend to the email below.

We want to extend our gratitude for your flexibility and patience during this evolving process and we encourage you to reach out to CON-Admissions@arizona.edu with any questions or concerns you may have.

Thank you and be well,

Ki Moore, PhD, RN, FAAN
Anne Furrow Professor
Dean
College of Nursing, The University of Arizona
1305 N. Martin Ave Tucson, AZ 85721
520.626.3808

Dear Summer 2020 Cohort MEPN students,

We hope you are staying healthy and practicing self-care during the current COVID-19 situation. We look forward to welcoming you into the Wildcat Nursing community as you take this important step in your nursing career. However, due to current events and the COVID-19 precautions, we have made some updates to the structure of your program and would like to share them with you.

Classes will begin as planned on May 18, 2020. The first sequence of courses will be delivered completely online. This means that you do not need to relocate to Tucson or Phoenix in May. In the coming weeks, you will be receiving more detailed information about your program of study and the technology you will need for these courses.

The second sequence of courses – including clinical content - will begin July 6, 2020. We hope that the COVID-19 pandemic will have subsided and we can provide students with both online and on-ground experiences. Please plan to relocate to Phoenix or Tucson by July 6, 2020.  If necessary, on-ground clinical experiences will be replaced initially with an excellent clinical simulation software program. We will keep you updated as we receive more guidance from University Administration.

The webinar scheduled for March 25, 2020 will continue as planned. If you are unable to join us live, a recording will be made available.

We know this is a difficult time. If you have additional questions please contact the Office of Student & Academic Affairs: studentaffairs@nursing.arizona.edu.

My best for you as begin your MEPN program at the College of Nursing.

Sincerely,

Ki Moore, PhD, RN, FAAN
Anne Furrow Professor
Dean
College of Nursing, The University of Arizona

3/16/2020 at 10:46 AM MST

Hello all,

There will be a Facebook Live event with the provost at 11am MST today where Provost Lisa Folks and Dean of Students, Kendal Washington White, will answer questions about Spring classes moving online through the end of the semester, students being encouraged to stay home and more.

Please join if you have the time.

https://www.facebook.com/uarizona/

Thank you,

3/15/2020 at 9:30 AM

Dear BSN, BSN-IH, and MEPN Students,

As a follow up to Dean Moore’s email yesterday (below), I wanted to reach out to provide some additional details.  This has been a difficult decision for our UA leadership but we are asking students NOT to travel back to Tucson, Phoenix or Gilbert at this time as you will not be having any on-campus or on site activities.

Most hospitals have placed restrictions on what and where students could practice and several hospitals have also canceled all student rotations for now.  We fully understand the significance of in-person clinical experiences in the hospital and other community agencies, as well as in our own skills lab and simulation centers, however this is a time-sensitive issue and in the interest of doing our part to slow the spread of COVID-19 infection, we are cancelling all in person classes, simulations and skills lab activities.

To be clear, this means that in addition to all of your classes now being delivered online via Zoom or other means, all of your clinical experiences will no longer be taking place as originally planned but though alternative remote case studies and other means to virtually simulate clinical experiences. Your clinical faculty members will be reaching out to you personally with more specific information about your clinical group.

I thank you for your patience and understanding as this has unfolded over this past week.   We will do our best to keep you updated as the situation continue to evolve.

Sincerely,

Connie
Connie Miller, DNP, RNC-OB, CNE

March 15, 2020 at 11:06:03 PM MST

Hello PhD students, I hope you were able to enjoy your spring break during these challenging times. You have received many emails from UArizona administrators and Dean Moore regarding COVID-19. https://www.arizona.edu/ has latest updates for COVID-19 information pertaining to UArizona. Here are some other reminders:

1. Spring break now officially ends on Wednesday 3/18. If you have CON-related business or activities scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, please contact your instructors, advisor or chair for further guidance.
2. Please do not travel to campus for any reason. Stay home. You are fortunate in that all PhD nursing courses are already online and that you’re familiar with D2L. Unlike some other CON programs, continuing your courses will not involve a sudden shift in course format. However, please do not hesitate to contact your instructors for any questions about your courses.
3. Should you become ill, please notify your instructors, advisor or chair.

4. For those of you taking your oral exam, defending your dissertation proposal, or defending your final dissertation, please note that these activities must occur via Zoom. All of you are Zoom-savvy by now, which is to your advantage. The Graduate College has suggested  some options for the public portion of the final dissertation presentation. Please review the options below with your committee and decide what works best for you:

   • Videoing and posting what would have been the public presentation to a departmental website or youtube
   • Synchronously Zooming the public portion.
   • Simply cancelling the public portion 

   For the duration of the public health emergency you do not have to request the Graduate College’s permission to cancel or restructure the public portion of the final dissertation defense.

5. Those of you working on dissertation research that involves human subjects, please see the COVID-19 Guidance for Research Students and Postdocs https://research.arizona.edu/covid-19-guidance-research-students-postdocs. Please discuss any questions about your research requiring human contact (e.g., consenting, data collection) with your dissertation chair.

Most important, please take care of yourselves. These are frightening and frustrating times and we must all work together to stay safe yet keep moving forward through the semester.  Resources for support are available through the CON, Graduate College, and Counseling and Psych Services (CAPS; https://health.arizona.edu/counseling-psych-services). Do not hesitate to contact me at any time if you have questions or concerns.

Best regards, Lois

Lois J. Loescher, PhD, RN, FAAN

3/15/2020 at 4:36 AM MST

Dear Entry to Practice Program Students,

I have received additional emails asking if the message below applied to our programs in Phoenix as well as Tucson.  Do not make plans to travel back to either Phoenix (BSN-IH and MEPN programs) or Tucson (BSN and MEPN) at this time.

I have been asked if you didactic classes and clinical rotations will be delivered using online and virtual simulation until the end of spring semester. The status of the Corona Virus is being monitored continuously and we are following directions from central Administration.  I will provide you with updates as we receive them on when classes and clinical experiences will return to on ground “face-to-face” delivery.  We are doing our best to provide you with updated information.

Dean Moore

3/14/2020 at 6:34 PM MST

Dear Entry to Practice Students

It has been a rapidly changing time as we try to contain the spread of the Corona Virus.  I have confirmed with  Provost Folks that in order to take the best precautions to insure your health and well-being, we have concluded that you SHOULD NOT return to campus until further notice.  Please do not make travel plans to return to Tucson.  Your didactic classes and clinical rotations will be delivered using online and virtual simulation.

We will all miss having you on campus but your health is our priority.  We will be in communication regarding our plans to provide you with the best education that you deserve.

Dean Moore

3/13/2020 at 6:10 PM MST

Good afternoon everyone --

We would like to remind you that OSAA remains open for your support. However, for your safety and the safety of our community, we are changing how we will meet with you and provide our services. Please use our online resources and plan to meet with us via phone or Zoom. Finally, check your UA email frequently for student updates from the College of Nursing.  We are here to answer your email and phone calls (626-3808) 8 am to 5 PM, Monday through Friday.

Since we are making every effort to reduce the foot traffic into the College of Nursing and protect the safety of our entire learning community, please plan to call, email or Zoom with us at the following sites: 

College of Nursing student information and resources: /resources/student-resources

Undergrad advising scheduling website: student.trellis.arizona.edu [Zoom and Phone appointments only]

Undergrad program questions: Send email to con-osa-entry@arizona.edu

Doctoral program questions: Send email to con-osa-advanced@arizona.edu

Nursing admissions: Send email to con-admissions@arizona.edu

Academic Success Coach, Deb Nesbitt: dnesbitt@arizona.edu

Writing Specialist, Leslie Dupont: ldupont@arizona.edu

In addition, the UArizona Libraries will remain open. Health Sciences library will require your CatCard for access starting Wednesday, March 18^th for ALL HOURS. The Health Sciences Library will be staffed and remain open 8 am to 6 pm Monday through Friday.  Please call us with any concerns or questions. We’re happy to assist. 

Best, 

Your OSAA team

3/13/2020 2:28 PM MST

Dear Amazing Students,

We are looking forward to welcoming you back from Spring Beak. As you have seen in communication from President Robbins, the start of classes has been delayed until Wednesday March 18^th to allow time for us to transition from in-person instruction to distance/remote/online modes of delivery. Refer to the technical standards that are on the College of Nursing Website that will be important for online classes and exams /resources/student-technology-needs

Any assignments that were due on March 16^th or 17^th can be submitted on March 18^th. Although classes and simulations will be delivered using remote technology, clinical experiences will continue whenever possible. We have received restrictions and/or postponements from some of our clinical partners.  Watch for communication from your clinical instructors regarding plans for clinical rotations or simulation and email them if you have questions.  

Your health and safety are our top priority. Communicate with your clinical faculty if you are concerned about your own health and safety in order to prepare for reasonable accommodations. Be mindful of the health and safety of our community and your patients. It is important that you self-identify if you have traveled widely or in regions with an identified outbreak of the virus, and if appropriate self-quarantine.  

Continue to watch for communication from central administration and check the University of Arizona Website for updated information. The University of Arizona Website has useful information: https://www.arizona.edu/coronavirus-covid-19-information. The situation will be re-assessed no later than April 6, 2020. 

Your education is our priority.  We are here to support you and create opportunities to help you succeed. Please reach out to us if you have other questions or need assistance.

Have a lovely healthy weekend

Dean Moore

Friday, March 13, 2020 1:55 PM 

Dear Amazing Students,

We are looking forward to welcoming you back from Spring Beak. As you have seen in communication from President Robbins, the start of classes has been delayed until Wednesday March 18^th to allow time for us to transition from in-person instruction to distance/remote/online modes of delivery. Refer to the technical standards that are on the College of Nursing Website that will be important for online classes and exams/resources/student-technology-needs

Any assignments that were due on March 16^th or 17^th can be submitted on March 18^th. Although classes and simulations will be delivered using remote technology, clinical experiences will continue whenever possible. We have received restrictions and/or postponements from some of our clinical partners.  Watch for communication from your clinical instructors regarding plans for clinical rotations or simulation and email them if you have questions.  

Your health and safety are our top priority. Communicate with your clinical faculty if you are concerned about your own health and safety in order to prepare for reasonable accommodations. Be mindful of the health and safety of our community and your patients. It is important that you self-identify if you have traveled widely or in regions with an identified outbreak of the virus, and if appropriate self-quarantine. 

Continue to watch for communication from central administration and check the University of Arizona Website for updated information. The University of Arizona Website has useful information: https://www.arizona.edu/coronavirus-covid-19-information. The situation will be re-assessed no later than April 6, 2020. 

Your education is our priority.  We are here to support you and create opportunities to help you succeed. Please reach out to us if you have other questions or need assistance.

Have a lovely healthy weekend

Dean Moore

3/13/2020 at 9:17 AM MST
Audience: DNP Students + faculty

The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting many things including academic and healthcare institutions.  In alignment with the other communication you have received from the University and the College of Nursing Dean Ki Moore and Division Chair Dr. Terry Bager have approved the following to support students’ academic and clinical progression in the DNP program.

Nurse Practitioner (NP) students in all specialties are strongly recommended (not required) to stop clinical hours effective 3/16.  IN support of the recommendation the DNP program has implemented the following:

• Students will receive 24 hours of clinical time for attending CSI
• Students will receive 8 hours of clinical hours for completing Zoom sessions with course faculty
• The 32 (24+8) clinical hours from simulation will be deducted from the required 180 clinical hours for the spring semester.
• Spring semester revised required clinical hour total is 148 clinical hours

If a student does not achieve the required 148 hours of clinical time by the end of the spring 2020 semester, they can request an incomplete grade from their course chair.  The spring 2020 clinical hours can be completed in the summer 2020 semester and then applied to the spring 148 clinical hour requirement.

A student anticipating not completing the total required clinical hours for their NP specialty by the end of the fall 2020 semester will proactively meet with their academic advisor and clinical supervising faculty member (CSF) before the fall midterm evaluation to develop a plan that supports achieving the date of their projected graduation.

Regards,

Allen Prettyman

3/8/2020 at 9:28 AM MST

The health and safety of our students is our top priority in light of the evolving situation around the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

With a case of COVID-19 confirmed at a Phoenix-area hospital where our undergraduate students participate in clinical care, it is important to remember that students’ participation in patient care is voluntary and educational. Students are not an essential or crucial part of patient care. 

As such, until we better understand this emerging illness, we recommend that students not be involved in the direct care of patients who present with symptoms that may lead to a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. 

We are mindful that when students have completed their nursing education and are licensed RNs, they will have an ethical duty to be involved in the care of patients. But as nursing students, they have no ethical obligation to treat a patient who may have COVID-19. Students may choose not to participate in direct patient care of these patients in order to reduce the spread of the virus to other members of the healthcare team, their family, their fellow classmates and to the campus.

We urge everyone to protect themselves from COVID-19 by following tried and true infection control practices: 

• Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid close contact with sick people.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with your elbow or a tissue and throw the tissue away immediately. 
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces with a household cleaning spray or wipe. 

We continue to monitor guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the Arizona Department of Health Services. We are exploring options, such as teleconferencing and online learning portals, which could be utilized to continue the education of students should an outbreak necessitate further action. We will share updates as additional information becomes available.

For course support assistance please contact the Office of Learning and Healthcare Technology Innovations at 520-626-HELP or CON-ServiceDesk@arizona.edu

For all other needs contact the Office of Student & Academic Affairs at 520-626-3808.

Ki Moore

View Re-Entry Plan

Dear Students and Faculty –

We recognize that complying with clinical credentialing requirements have become quite challenging given the current COVID-19 situation. We have been monitoring the various agency requirements and extensions that are being granted. We have also considered carefully the various services that are either experiencing an influx of patients or temporarily limiting/suspending operations.  Therefore, until further notice, the UArizona College of Nursing has made the following changes to our student/faculty credentialing requirements for clinical instructions:

We will suspend updating your credentials for:

• MMR
• Varicella
• TB test
• Tdap
• CPR certification (BCLS, PALS, ACLS)
• Influenza
• Hep B series/test

For new students/staff we will continue to require documentation of your vaccination series as well as any CPR certifications you currently hold. Although, when the situation eases, you may be responsible for complying with these clinical credentialing requirements very quickly in order to attend on-site clinical experiences in acute or community-based settings.

We will continue to require:

• DPS fingerprint clearance card
• Health Insurance Verification
• RN License(s) for DNP students
• OSHA/HIPAA UAccess trainings

Unfortunately, we are unable to cancel or suspend those out of compliance emails from Castlebranch, however, our OSAA staff will not be sending additional emails for any of the suspended requirements. Simply delete the reminders for those items that we are suspending. When this is all over (hopefully soon), we will contact you when you will be required to comply, recognizing that this is a fluid situation that will undoubtedly continue to evolve. Again, for those with expired credentials, you may be required to act quickly before resuming your clinical experiences. Thank you for your patience. We hope this takes some of the stress out of your life.

Office of Student & Academic Affairs
The College of Nursing

3/17/2020 at 4:17 AM

Dear College of Nursing Colleagues,

Deans have had almost daily communication with Provost Folks regarding mitigation of the Corona Virus on U of Arizona campuses. An important message I want to share with you is that online format for all of our educational programs will continue through the remainder of Spring 2020 semester. The one exception is that some DNP students have not had their clinical experiences postponed, Dr. Prettyman is monitoring this very closely and communicating with DNP faculty.  I will keep you informed of updates as I receive them.

Thank you for all of your creative efforts to insure our students continue to receive an excellent education in our College.

Ki

3/16/2020 at 10:46 AM MST

Hello all,

There will be a Facebook Live event with the provost at 11am MST today where Provost Lisa Folks and Dean of Students, Kendal Washington White, will answer questions about Spring classes moving online through the end of the semester, students being encouraged to stay home and more.

Please join if you have the time.

https://www.facebook.com/uarizona/

Thank you,

Will Holst

Monday, March 16, 2020 8:13 AM

All,

The leadership from Banner/University of Arizona Health Plans - Cortney Ware, our Director of Faculty Practice – Allen Prettyman, and I met this morning regarding the CHA Project.

In keeping with current University response to activities, and for the protection of both the membership of University Care Advantage and our Faculty, only visits scheduled for this week will proceed. No further scheduling will take place, and all future appointments will be cancelled and rescheduled once the UA resumes normal activity.

The NPs scheduled for visits this week will screen for illness in the home and not attend to any home where someone is ill.

Judith will also screen for illness when she makes her reminder calls, but no appointment replacements will be done.

The NPs will follow Universal Precautions with the addition of cleaning all equipment with antibacterial wipes between any visits.

Any specific questions can be addressed to me, Allen, or Judith. Theresa Allison, our Assistant Coordinator is currently out of town, but she is available by email should a specific question for her come up.

Let’s all be healthy! And let’s keep our members healthy too.

In caring,

Audrey

Audrey ‘Amparo’ Russell-Kibble, DNP, FNP-C, FAANP

3/13/2020 at 5:26 PM MST

Dear Amazing Staff Colleagues,

Thank you for your patience and understanding while the leadership team developed a plan to continue College of Nursing operations in response to increasing concerns about the COVID-19 virus. As you have seen in communication from President Robbins and Provost Folks, the start of classes has been delayed until Wednesday March 18^th to allow time for us to move away from in-person instruction. The situation will be re-assessed no later than April 6, 2020. 

Please continue to watch for communication from central administration and check the University’s central conoravirus information page for updated information: https://www.arizona.edu/coronavirus-covid-19-information

Your health and safety are our top priority. Refer to the memo from President Robbins today (3/13/20 at 3:37 PM) where he encouraged staff to work remotely.  Work directly with your supervisor to make arrangements for you to carry out your responsibilities off campus.  As stated by President Robbins you are permitted to be on campus. Our goal is to continue to carry out College of Nursing operations without compromising your health.

Additional guidance is available on the Human Resources’ coronavirus information page at: https://hr.arizona.edu/coronavirus-information

I appreciate your dedication to and support of the College of Nursing mission. 

I wish you a restful and healthy weekend

Ki

3/13/2020 at 1:49PM

Dear Amazing Faculty Colleagues:

Thank you for your patience and understanding while the leadership team developed a plan to continue College of Nursing operations in response to increasing concerns about the COVID-19 virus. As you have seen in communication from President Robbins and Provost Folks, the start of classes has been delayed until Wednesday March 18^th to allow time for us to move away from in-person instruction.  Students will be informed that any assignments that were due on March 16^th or 17^th should be submitted on March 18^th. If you prefer a later date, please communicate with your students.

My thanks to all of you for working so creatively to find new strategies and technology for delivering our classes and simulation experiences to students. Clinical experiences will continue whenever possible, we have received restrictions and/or postponements from some of our clinical partners. We will also not have clinical groups in the simulation labs because of risk for COVID-19 virus exposure. Please work with your Division Chair to plan alternative learning experiences as necessary.

Please continue to watch for communication from central administration and check the University of Arizona Website for updated information. The University of Arizona Website has useful information:https://www.arizona.edu/coronavirus-covid-19-information. The HR website also provides helpful information about Coronavirus: https://hr.arizona.edu/content/coronavirus-information . 

Your health and safety are our top priority. Please communicate with your Division Chair if you are at risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 infection in order to plan for reasonable accommodations. The situation will be re-assessed no later than April 6, 2020. 

I hope you have a restful and healthy weekend.

ki

3/6/20, 4:30 PM MST

The health and safety of our students is our top priority in light of the evolving situation around the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

With a case of COVID-19 confirmed at a local hospital where our undergraduate students participate in clinical care, it is important to remember that students’ participation in patient care is voluntary and educational. Students are not an essential or crucial part of patient care.

As such, until we better understand this emerging illness, we recommend that students not be involved in the direct care of patients who present with symptoms that may lead to a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19.

We are mindful that when students have completed their nursing education and are licensed RNs, they will have an ethical duty to be involved in the care of patients. But as nursing students, they have no ethical obligation to treat a patient who may have COVID-19. Students may choose not to participate in direct patient care of these patients in order to reduce the spread of the virus to other members of the healthcare team, their family, their fellow classmates and to the campus.

We urge everyone to protect themselves from COVID-19 by following tried and true infection control practices:

• Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid close contact with sick people.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with your elbow or a tissue and throw the tissue away immediately.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces with a household cleaning spray or wipe.

We continue to monitor guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the Arizona Department of Health Services. We are exploring options, such as teleconferencing and online learning portals, which could be utilized to continue the education of students should an outbreak necessitate further action. We will share updates as additional information becomes available.

For course support assistance please contact the Office of Learning and Healthcare Technology Innovations at 520-626-HELP or CON-ServiceDesk@arizona.edu. For all other needs contact the Office of Student & Academic Affairs at 520-626-3808.

Ida “Ki” Moore, PhD, RN, FAAN

Dean and Anne Furrow Professor