Professionalism
SRNAs have been instructed to project their best image to our clinical partners as well as to the patients they serve. Their dress and demeanor should honor and advance the distinguished profession of nurse anesthesia.
Clinical coordinators may dismiss a student from the clinical area for violations of professional standards. Examples of such behavior include failure to contact the clinical site coordinator at least two weeks before the start of the clinical rotation; failure to prepare for assigned clinical cases; inability to work with assigned clinical preceptors; failure to report to the clinical site or notify the clinical site and program office of absences per program policy; or patient safety violations. The program administrators will meet with students who have been dismissed from the clinical area by the clinical coordinator to determine further action. Violations of professional standards may result in remediation with the student being subject to dismissal.
The criteria for assessing professionalism include, but are not limited to:
● Ability to work effectively as a team member in all activities
● Adherence to attendance and punctuality policies
● Appearance and attire that is appropriate for the place and situation as defined by the clinical or didactic faculty
● Appropriate ethical behavior in all situations
● Demonstration of appropriate communication skills
● Appropriate problem-solving related to disputes, including following established protocols and chain of command
● Completion of assignments and tasks in a timely manner
● Overall attitude that demonstrates interest in learning and willingness to actively engage in learning activities
● Evidence of consistent and thorough preparation for clinical responsibilities
● Physical appearance that conveys a professional demeanor (no facial piercings, no visible tattoos, business casual attire)
● Adherence to rules regarding jewelry, watches, fingernail polish, and other accessories as described by the clinical sites
Students need to familiarize themselves with OR dress codes at each clinical site. With respect to OR dress code:
● Lab coats need to be clean, pressed, and in good condition when worn over professional clothing. Do not interview patients in areas outside the operating room in stained scrubs or casual street clothes.
● Scrub garments, a cap covering ALL hair, shoe covers, protective wear and masks must be worn according to each site’s policies and procedures. Please review the policies of each clinical site with respect to acceptable OR attire.
● Masks, caps, and shoe covers are discarded when leaving the operating room environment for other patient care activities.
● Students must NOT wear artificial nails and must keep their natural nails clean. The goal is to achieve standards consistent with infection control and patient safety.
● Body art should be concealed.
● No piercings or jewelry should be worn in the operating room.
● Colognes and perfumes should be used sparingly, if at all.
● Makeup should be conservative and avoid extreme colors.
● Hair color should be conservative and avoid extremes.
● If facial hair is worn, it should be well groomed and in accordance with CDC guidelines to ensure proper fit for respirator use.
Students must remain professional in the face of unprofessional behavior from others. Arguing or displaying a negative attitude with faculty and clinical instructors will not be tolerated and can result in counseling and/or disciplinary action.
Consequences for violation of professionalism policies delineated here include these steps:
1. Written warning, kept in the file of the involved student.
2. Probation and possible reorganization of clinical rotations for the affected student.
3. Dismissal hearing.
Based on the severity of the infraction, one or all of these steps may be omitted at the discretion of the program administrators.
Department of Nurse Anesthesia Code of Conduct
With input from both students and faculty, the following guidelines were established to form a “Code of Conduct” for members of the RFU Nurse Anesthesia community:
• Define what professionalism means to you--it must include behaviors in both didactic and the clinical arena
• You never get a second chance to make a great first impression -- be mindful about what you say to students outside of our program because it could set the tone for how they view our profession as nurses and CRNAs in the future.
• Stay positive.
• Be inclusive: Competition between classmates is not acceptable.
• Be open, honest, and considerate when dealing with classmates.
• Do not harass: Harassment includes (but not limited to) mockery or defaming comments to classmates or faculty about another classmate, and/or comments based on religion, race, sex, socioeconomic status, academic status, or disability.
• Competition is only with self--not with your other teammates.
• Be kind to each other. You all will be together for 36 months. Being kind to each other can greatly decrease the stress of the program.
• Be humble. (all of you are the best of the best. Understand that anesthesia school is a new journey)