Please click here to open a view-only Google doc of the Undergraduate Nursing Policies.
For questions about policies, please consult with your advisor. These policies are established
Additional, more General Information
Email is the standard of communication at USM. We will not send email to a non-USM email account, per university policy.
Students are expected to check their USM email account multiple times per week, including breaks and in the summer, and reply promptly to email as needed. We also expect that students will read email content fully and with attention to detail.
Emails related to coursework, registration, health requirements, paperwork, clinical, and practicum placement will be sent to your @maine.edu email address. These emails are typically time-sensitive and require that students respond promptly. Your progression in coursework, and especially in clinical, can be negatively impacted if you are not frequently checking and answering your @maine.edu email.
Please do not forward your USM email to another email account such as Hotmail, or Yahoo, as you may not receive messages sent through our list serves.
When replying to email please ensure that all replies are sent through your @maine.edu email address.
USM Alert is the emergency warning system of the University. All students are automatically enrolled in this system after matriculation to the university. You can learn more and update your alert settings here: usm.maine.edu/usmalert
Information about Campus Closures & when Decisions are Made: usm.maine.edu/finance/weather-delays-and-cancellations
Nursing students are placed on the School of Nursing undergraduate program. DO NOT unsubscribe from the email list until after you graduate.
USM-CONUNDER@lists.maine.edu
The School of Nursing uses the listserv to send information to students about clinical and curriculum changes, pin ordering information, meeting notices, and other timely information. Students may also use these listservs to share public information.
Lindsay Larsen, lindsay.larsen@maine.edu, administers the listserv. If you are not receiving messages from the School of Nursing, please contact Ms. Larsen to make sure that you are on the appropriate listserv for your program.
Enrollment Caps:
Course enrollment limits are typically set by individual academic departments in consultation with the respective dean and vary based on the course level and type. Nursing courses have strict enrollment caps and, in some cases, waitlists. Most courses also require students to meet specific prerequisites.
Lab and Clinical Enrollments:
Enrollment in lab and clinical courses will never exceed the established course capacity. Clinical placement swaps are not permitted under any circumstances. Requests for lab section changes should be referred directly to Netty Provost.
Exams will not be given early. If an exam must be missed due to extraordinary circumstances, the course faculty member(s) must be notified personally prior to the exam. Exam make-up may be arranged with the faculty member(s), who reserves the right to change the examination format or defer the exam. A course syllabus may expand upon this policy.
Everyone associated with the University of Southern Maine is expected to adhere to the principles of academic integrity central to the academic function of the University. Any breach of academic integrity represents a serious offense. Each student has a responsibility to know the standards of conduct and expectations of academic integrity that apply to academic tasks. Violations of academic integrity include any actions that attempt to promote or enhance the academic standing of any student by dishonest means. Cheating on an examination, stealing the words or ideas of another (i.e., plagiarism), making statements known to be false or misleading, falsifying the results of one's research, improperly using library materials or computer files, or altering or forging academic records are examples of violations of this policy which are contrary to the academic purposes for which the University exists. Acts that violate academic integrity disrupt the educational process and are not acceptable.
Evidence of a violation of the academic integrity policy will normally result in disciplinary action. A copy of the complete policy may be obtained from the office of Community Standards and Mediation, online at usm.maine.edu/community-standards-mediation/academic-integrity or by calling and requesting a copy at (207) 780-5242.
A student in nursing assumes responsibility and accountability for nursing care personally delivered to individuals, families and communities. Responsibility refers to the execution of duties associated with a particular role assumed by the student (e.g., primary care provider for client experiencing surgery or community health nurse providing care for abusive parents). The student is responsible for using the nursing process to help clients promote, maintain, and/or restore health. A responsible student prepares thoroughly in order to be competent in knowledge and skills. The responsibility of the student also involves a willingness to perform ethically within the guidelines of the profession. See American Nurses Association: Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. 2001.
Whenever students in nursing perform care, they must be accountable. Accountability refers to being answerable for one's own actions. A student in nursing is accountable to self, the client (s), the nursing profession, the University of Southern Maine School of Nursing, the faculty, clinical agency and to society. Accountability is achieved when a student assumes responsibility for professional competence and uses a systematic process to care to client (s).
Required Accountability and Responsibility Behaviors:
Preparation for client care: Each student must obtain the clinical assignment as designated by faculty. Prior to providing direct client care, the student is expected to read key sections of the client’s medical record. The key sections will include, but are not limited to, admission information, history and physical exam, recent lab and diagnostic reports, recent nursing notes and charting, medical orders, notes from other disciplines (such as medicine, OT, PT, nutrition, etc.), code status, and discharge planning.
Safe and effective nursing care: Each student is responsible for providing safe and effective nursing care to client (s). This is accomplished by thorough preparation and utilizing input from faculty and staff nurses. Additionally, should an error occurred while providing care, it is the student's responsibility to report the problem immediately to the faculty.
Attendance at laboratory and clinical experiences: Attendance is mandatory at all assigned laboratory and clinical experiences.
Tardiness: Students will arrive on time to laboratory and clinical experiences. If a student is going to be late, s/he should notify the faculty member personally via phone as soon as possible to explain circumstances.
Absences: Faculty recognize that an absence may be necessary due to extenuating circumstances. If a student needs to be absent, the faculty must be notified personally via phone before the laboratory/clinical experience.
Make up: The student is responsible for attaining the objectives of the course. Based on what the student has missed during an excused absence, the faculty will delineate the method (s) of making up the laboratory and/or clinical experience. The student must complete this requirement. Failure to do so will result in failure in the course.
If at any point in the semester, if you encounter difficulty with the course or feel that you could be performing at a higher level, consult with your instructor. Students experience difficulty in courses for a variety of reasons. The following are resources on campus for students.
For writing skills or time management, you can make an appointment to see a student tutor at the Learning Commons located in both libraries in Portland and Gorham. For more information, visit http://www.usm.maine.edu/learningcommons.
If you need accommodations due to a disability, please contact the Disability Services Center for confidential assistance and accommodation authorization. Timely notification of accommodations is essential. For more information, visit, http://usm.maine.edu/dsc.
University Health and Counseling Services is a student resource that promotes the health and well being of the USM community. More information can be found at www.usm.maine.edu/uhcs.
Students are expected to maintain professional confidentiality regarding clients' identities and sensitive information by not including identifying information (client initials, address, employment, etc.) in coursework or course notes; guarding any notes carefully; limiting discussions of clients to clinical instructor/seminar faculty, fellow students during clinical conference and with appropriate staff members of the clinical agency. This expectation is required by federal law with fees and punishment for disclosure of a patient's personal health information. It is also important to treat any sensitive information related to peers and faculty with confidentiality, accountability, and responsibility. The University of Southern Maine is committed to ensuring the privacy and security safeguards set forth under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) along with the recent changes imposed by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH). For more information, please visit https://usm.maine.edu/orio/hipaa-resources
The School of Nursing subscribes to the American Nurses’ Association (ANA) Guidelines for Ethical Practice. All students should read the full guidelines with interpretive statements here: https://www.nursingworld.org/coe-view-only
In summary, these guidelines state that:
The nurse practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and unique attributes of every person.
The nurse’s primary commitment is to the patient, whether as an individual, family, group, community, or population.
The nurse promotes, advocates for, and protects the rights, health, and safety of the patient.
The nurse has authority, accountability, and responsibility for nursing practice; makes decisions; and takes action consistent with the obligation to promote health and to provide optimal care.
The nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility to promote health and safety, preserve wholeness of character and integrity, maintain competence, and continue personal and professional growth.
The nurse, through individual and collective effort, establishes, maintains, and improves the ethical environment of the work setting and conditions of employment that are conducive to safe, quality health care.
The nurse, in all roles and settings, advances the profession through research and scholarly inquiry, professional standards development, and the generation of both nursing and health policy.
The nurse collaborates with other health professionals and the public to protect human rights, promote health diplomacy, and reduce health disparities.
The profession of nursing, collectively through its professional organizations, must articulate nursing values, maintain the integrity of the profession, and integrate principles of social justice into nursing and health policy.
All students at USM must follow the policies in the Student Code of Conduct.
The University of Southern Maine is committed to making our campuses safer places for students. Because of this commitment, and our federal obligations, faculty and other employees are considered mandated reporters when it comes to experiences of interpersonal violence (sexual assault, sexual harassment, dating or domestic violence, and stalking). Disclosures of interpersonal violence must be passed along to the University’s Deputy Title IX Coordinator who can help provide support and academic remedies for students who have been impacted. More information can be found online at http://usm.maine.edu/campus-safety-project or by contacting Sarah E. Holmes at sarah.e.holmes1@maine.edu or 207-780-5767.
If students want to speak with someone confidentially, the following resources are available on and off campus: University Counseling Services (207-780-4050); 24 Hour Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-871-7741); 24 Hour Domestic Violence Hotline (1-866-834-4357).
The University of Southern Maine is an EEO/AA employer and does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender expression, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information or veteran’s status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Sarah E. Harebo, Director of Equal Opportunity, 101 North Stevens Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5754, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).
Students are expected to follow the format of The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA). The APA Publication Manual presents explicit style requirements for authors and students in the preparation of manuscripts, assignments, and papers.
Assignments are due on the date specified in the syllabus or negotiated with the faculty member. Any assignment received after the designated date will be considered late. Exceptions to the due date will be made only under extraordinary circumstances and must be negotiated before the assignment is due. A course syllabus may expand upon this policy. It is the discretion of the faculty on the consequences of late assignments. whether late assignments are accepted or a standard value deduction.
Students should keep an original copy of all assignments submitted. If a student wishes to contest a grade on an assignment, they may submit this original copy to the Associate Dean of the School of Nursing with a request for a second reader. The second reader and student will remain anonymous. The final grade for an assignment submitted for a second reading will be the average of the original grade and the grade given by the second reader.