Placement Process Overview
In Preparation of the Field Experience:
Student's will identify their topic, host site and registered nurse
Student's will ask the host site if an Affiliation Agreement is needed
Student's will submit their site placement details to the CLPS team if an affiliation agreement is requested by emailing healthplacement@wgu.edu
Student's will complete compliance and site-specific requirements (if an affiliation agreement is requested)
Student's will obtain official clearance before engaging in hours
**To avoid delaying your degree progression, meet with your mentor to set a Field Experience Start Date and actively engage in networking to identify a potential Site and Licensed Registered Nurse for your C229 Community Health Field Experience. **
Discuss an anticipated Start Date with your Mentor
You will need ample time to network and identify potential registered nurses, as well as gathering and uploading compliance records, which can take time and may require updated immunizations. If establishing an Affiliation Agreement with your selected Field Experience site or renewing an expiring agreement is required, the process can take up to 6 months.
Any delay in starting these steps will impact your degree progression, resulting in a delay in your degree progression.
Students’ will assess the community to identify a primary health promotion or prevention topic from the WGU Approved Topic List.**Remember the focus is on positive health outcomes. Keeping general population health - not treatment focused on specific disease or conditions. **
Primary Prevention is before the development of a disease, conditions, or injury.
A health facility that has or is willing to enter into an Educational Affiliation Agreement with WGU. i.e., Hospital, Clinic, or Health Department willing to accept WGU Community Health students.
Recommended Sites and Registered Nurses
Nurses must be a licensed registered nurse or higher, with an active, unencumbered license.
Registered Nurse:
- Serve as a liaison/guide between the student and host site.
- Have agreed to support a student’s learning including providing feedback on student participation in a supportive and constructive way.
- Collaborates with the student and Clinical Instructor to recommend additional learning experiences consistent with the learning goals and topic selected.
- Signs the student’s time log to verify the relationship with the affiliated home site
Please visit the Compliance Requirements page linked here.
Immunization compliance is stringently required for Community Health placements at sites with an Affiliation Agreement. Compliance is required even if you are an employee at your selected Clinical Site and regardless of the policies at your Clinical Site.
Employment status and placement are not interrelated.
Submit your Field Experience Placement Details
If an affiliation agreement is being requested by your potential site, email healthplacement@wgu.edu with C229 Affiliation Agreement Request in the subject line and include the following information:
- Anticipated Placement Start Date:
- Current Employer:
- Primary Prevention Topic:
- Potential Host Site Name:
- Potential Host Site Address:
- Potential Host Site Phone Number:
- Potential Host Site Web Address:
- Contract Administrator Contact Information (name, email address, and phone number):
- Potential Licensed Registered Nurse Contact Information (name, email address, and phone number):
On the Documents & Form Tab of this website you will find links to required placement documents, compliance documents, and information regarding potential onboarding.
Documents must be complete and signed. Incomplete or incorrect documents will delay your placement and could impact your planned graduation date.
You cannot engage in hours prior to receiving the Clearance Confirmation Email from Clinical Learning and Placement Support.
Meet with your Course Instructor
The Course Instructor is a WGU employee who will:
Act as a liaison between students, RNs and WGU.
Act as the student’s primary resource for oversight of the learning objectives related to fieldwork including monitoring and evaluating the learning experience.
Collaborate with Registered Nurse and Student to determine student learning needs and learning opportunities so that appropriate activities are logged for field experience hours.
Assist in providing acceptable resources for field experience activities.
Assist students in accessing the Course of Study or associated resources.
Act as facilitator of course and subject matter expert.
Some placements require an Affiliation Agreement between WGU and the Clinical Site. Clinical Learning and Placement Support Coordinators will assist with establishing Affiliation Agreements as needed.
