3 - Clinical Education Policies

Radiation science education combines the knowledge of theory and the application of these principles in competent and compassionate patient care.  National programmatic accrediting bodies recommend fully integrated didactic and clinic program components.  In the Department of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences clinic education is an integral part of the total curriculum and is divided into two categories: 

• Laboratory or Simulation Instruction:  instruction in laboratories and/or simulated clinic settings with faculty demonstration and supervised performance by students. 
• Clinic Instruction/ Practicum:  regularly scheduled assignments in the patient care setting for the purpose of acquiring the necessary level of confidence, consistency and competency of clinical performance. 

The Department has established policies on clinic education to promote organization and consistency in the clinic education of students within the programs.  These policies also ensure the clinic education complies with programmatic accreditation standards. 

At no time is a student permitted to perform in the simulation laboratory or a clinic setting without supervision by faculty or certified practitioners serving as clinical preceptors for the program.  Though it is necessary for students to demonstrate proficiency in required procedures, direct or indirect supervision is always mandatory during the learning experience.  Clinic supervision policies in each program are in compliance with respective programmatic accreditation standards.  

Clinic education objectives, evaluations, and rotation schedules are developed by each program’s faculty and supervised by the program’s clinical coordinator.  Clinic rotation assignments are integrated with didactic and laboratory course content since they are complementary to one another.  Clinic rotation assignments are made based on each student’s skills and previous rotation experiences; therefore, students cannot request specific clinical rotations for convenience. Students may only attend clinic during their assigned hours, and all make-up time must be approved in advance by the clinic affiliate and the clinical coordinator.  Clinic time may not be made-up in advance of an absence.

Since clinic education is a credit-hour course and specific competencies must be demonstrated, students are routinely evaluated in all clinic activities based upon specific technical and behavior performance objectives. Objectives and evaluation forms for each rotation and/or semester level are provided to students and clinic supervisors.  The evaluation process varies between programs but includes assessment by the clinical coordinator, clinic site supervisor or preceptor.  In addition, satisfactory completion of clinic logs, writing assignments, presentations, clinic competencies, clinic examinations and other qualitative, or quantitative performance measures are required. Student progress/performance is obtained through written evaluations from the clinic and/or discussions between the clinic preceptors and the clinical coordinator.

Given the importance of personal responsibility and performance in clinic education activities, all programs employ the Zerograde system for identifying and correcting any deficiency in clinic performance or essential competencies. Other policies for correcting clinical deficiencies may be outlined in the clinic course syllabi.  

Students are required to provide documented proof of the following prior to the start of the program. The documentation is submitted through the tracking system used by the College of Allied Health and MIRS Department.  These documents include; CPR certification, medical insurance coverage, complete immunization records, drug test results, criminal background check, completion of OUHSC online HIPAA (Privacy and Security) training course, and completion of OUHSC online Environmental Health and Safety (Blood Borne Pathogens, Tuberculosis, Fire Safety, and General Safety/Hazard Communication) training courses. Students will be asked to submit proof of renewal for some of these items each semester or each year. 
 
CPR certification must be obtained through the American Heart Association Basic Life Support for the Healthcare Professional course.  Students must be recertified prior to expiration of their current card and provide proof of updated certification through the electronic tracking system. 

Medical insurance coverage must be current and maintained throughout the entire program.  Students not enrolled in the University Academic Health Plan must submit a request for a waiver prior to each semester demonstrating alternative coverage.   

Students are required to keep their immunizations, CPR certification, drug screen, and background check current throughout the enrolled semesters. Any item which will expire during a particular semester must be renewed prior to the beginning of that semester in order to remain compliant. Although students will receive a reminder through the electronic tracking system, students are responsible for meeting these requirements whether or not they receive this reminder. 

In order to accommodate time constraints, up to 2 hours of clinic time per semester may be used for the purpose of fulfilling these immunization compliance requirements. If additional time is required, it must be made up before the end of the semester by following proper procedure for make-up time. 

Failure to complete or submit required documentation before the deadline will result in the hold of enrollment.  Also, any student without appropriate documentation during clinical rotations will be forced to suspend all clinical activities until the documentation has been updated, and may incur a Zerograde.  

If you need a copy of your records, the MIRS Department does not make copies. Students can use the tracking system to retrieve and print additional copies of the uploaded items. Students must take their immunization records, CPR card, medical insurance card, drug test, background check report, Environmental Health and Safety training and HIPAA training documentation with them to clinic for review by the clinic affiliate.
 

The University requires annual criminal background checks of students as a condition of admission and enrollment.  In addition, several clinic affiliates associated with the College of Allied Health require such checks.  A background check must be completed by all persons having any interactions with patients.  It is the student’s responsibility to maintain a copy of the check for review by appropriate clinic personnel.  The clinic affiliates have the ultimate right to accept or refuse a student based on results of a background check. Should a clinic refuse a student based on the results, the student may be unable to complete the required clinic rotation for that semester. This may prevent a passing grade in that course, thus delaying or preventing graduation. 

Clinic affiliates may ask the student for results of the background check before rotations begin or on the first day of the rotation. Clinical coordinators will provide additional information prior to the start of clinic rotations to assist students in complying with the needed documentation.    

The full criminal background check policy can be found here.

MIRS follows the OUHSC Drug Screening policy found here.

All enrolled students must complete the online HIPAA Privacy and Security training annually. Students should retain a copy of this certificate for their records and submit as required. The HIPAA training must be completed within thirty (30) days from the first day of classes unless the department or college requires earlier completion, and annually thereafter.

The HIPAA Privacy Regulations established national standards regarding uses and disclosures of all patient-related information and place stringent requirements on practitioners, trainees, and researchers to protect the privacy of patients and research participants and selected others. Additional information about HIPAA, including the University’s HIPAA policies and forms, is available at http://www.ouhsc.edu/hipaa/. 

When completing assignments that include patient-related information, students must follow these guidelines: 

• Maintain confidentiality concerning all protected health information (PHI); 
• The OUHSC IT Virtual Desk Top Manager is the only approved area for students to maintain clinic records that may contain identifying data, such as medical images. Refer to Section 4: Virtual Desktop Policy for more information. Students must not maintain potentially identifying data on their personal laptops.  
• Restrict the use and/or disclosure of protected health information, even though permitted, to the minimum necessary to accomplish the intended educational purpose.
• To the extent consistent with the minimum necessary standard, de-identify patient images and other documentation by removing identifying information such as the following, before leaving the clinic setting or before using for teaching or research purposes: 
  • Names (including patient, physician an institution)
  • All geographic subdivisions smaller than a state, including street address, city, county, precinct, ZIP code, and their equivalent geocodes
  • All elements of dates (except year) for dates that are directly related to an individual, including birth date, admission date, discharge date, death date, and all ages over 89 and all elements of dates (including year) indicative of such age, except that such ages and elements may be aggregated into a single category of age 90 or older
  • Telephone numbers
  • Vehicle identifiers and serial numbers, including license plate numbers
  • Fax numbers
  • Device identifiers and serial numbers
  • Email addresses
  • Web Universal Resource Locators (URLs)
  • Social security numbers
  • Internet Protocol (IP) addresses
  • Medical record numbers
  • Biometric identifiers, including finger and voice prints
  • Health plan beneficiary numbers
  • Full-face photographs and any comparable images
  • Account numbers
  • Any other unique identifying number, characteristic, or code
  • Certificate/license numbers
• Maintain confidentiality by refraining from discussions about patients seen during clinic rotations when outside of the classes, and on any social media site, including closed, private, or secret groups on social media sites.

Any breach in HIPAA compliance must be reported as soon as identified to the appropriate University Privacy Official. Talk to your clinic coordinator or program director to help with reporting a HIPAA breach.   

For questions regarding HIPAA, contact the University Privacy Official at 271-2033; for questions regarding compliance in general, contact the department or the Office of Compliance at 405-271-2511.  

Clinical education requirements place students in the patient care setting of several clinic affiliates, each with its own institutional policies and procedures.  The following guidelines apply to clinical rotations in all affiliates. 

• Clinic affiliates provide the specific experience(s) to fulfill clinic education objectives. Students may be asked and should assist in any area the affiliate requests as needed to provide adequate patient care and expand a student’s experience.  Tasks expected of practitioners, such as transporting patients and stocking supplies, may be requested of students and should be provided as needed. 
• Students should observe the policies for clinic personnel in the affiliate, such as patient care protocols and safety procedures.  
• Each program has a faculty member in the role of clinical coordinator. This person’s purpose is to visit affiliates to assess student progress; discuss student progress with clinic instructors/preceptors and supervisors; observe and advise students in clinic tasks; and seek input and suggestions from clinic personnel regarding improvement of clinic education.  
• Students should have cell phones, smartphones or other electronic devices put away and turned off while in clinic. They should never be used in patient care areas.     
• An affiliate may request students observe specific starting and concluding times. Provided these demands do not interfere with other scheduled program activities, students are expected to comply with these requests.  
• Students are prohibited to interrupt patient care to question or dispute a request made by the clinic supervisor or preceptor, that isn’t life threatening.  Resolution of such conflicts should occur at a time in which patient care will not be compromised. If requested by the student or the clinic affiliate, the program’s clinical coordinator will assist in the resolution of the issue.  
• To avoid putting students in an awkward position, the department requests clinic personnel direct questions and comments regarding policies, procedures, and personnel of the program directly to appropriate college faculty or administration. Students should avoid such discussions and bring the issue to the attention of the clinical coordinator, or program director.  
• Students should demonstrate responsibility and dependability regarding the use of time, equipment, and supplies at their disposal in the clinic setting. 

Students scheduled for clinic rotations a minimum of two days per week will qualify for 1 clinic day of personal leave during that semester. Personal leave will be defined as any single day taken in relation to illness, child or family care, quarantine/isolation procedures, personal reasons, etc.  If utilized during the semester, it does not supersede or waive clinical paperwork obligations, which still must be completed by deadlines identified in the course syllabus. Additionally, students may not receive these hours “back” after the conclusion of the semester’s available make-up time as a means of making up deficits in clinical paperwork or other assignments. The 1 clinic day allotment does not rollover from semester to semester nor can it be used from future semesters’ allotment. Additionally, leave taken for religious holidays or reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities is governed by a separate policy. Students must notify the Clinic Coordinator AND the clinic site of the absence prior to the scheduled time of their rotation. Absence from a clinic rotation occurs when a student misses any portion of a scheduled clinic rotation.  Email communication of absences is required to the clinical coordinator. Clinic sites/preceptors should be contacted by phone and a voice message left if staff is not available.  If the Clinic Coordinator and the clinic site/preceptor are not notified about the absence, a Zerograde will be issued without a warning and the student will be required to make up the missed time. When absences are known in advance, the student should provide advance notification.

The 1 clinic day of personal leave only applies to time in the clinic site during scheduled clinic hours. It cannot be used to miss clinic discussion, seminars, practice laboratories, etc. When absences occur for clinic discussion, seminars, and practice laboratories, or when the student misses clinic time beyond the 1 clinic day of personal leave, then the absence must be made up with equivalent time and similar a missed activity. It is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements for make-up with the Clinic Coordinator in advance of completing any make-up time or activities.  Failure to follow these guidelines may result in a Zerograde that could impact the final clinic course grade. 

It is up to the discretion of the Program Director and Clinic Coordinator to offer an incomplete grade (“I”) if the student misses a considerable amount of time that cannot be made up prior to the deadline identified in the course syllabus. The incomplete grade will allow the student to make the missed time up between academic semesters. When possible, the student should begin making up missed time before the next semester begins. In some instances, due to the sequential nature of the MIRS curriculum, students may not be able to progress at the normal pace if they miss more clinic time than can be made up between academic semesters, regardless of reason.  In this case, the curriculum delay may postpone the student’s graduation date.  

If the student has missed clinic time that cannot be made up during the regular semester (or between semesters), the student will earn one Zerograde reduction to the final course grade for each occurrence of clinic absence that cannot be made up.

Make-up time is not required if a student has been authorized to be absent for attendance at an approved professional meeting.  The student must fulfill all requirements specified in advance by the faculty for attendance at the meeting in order to be exempt from make-up of clinic time.   

When absence from clinic assignments is authorized by the Clinic Coordinator in the final months of the program for employment interviews and similar activities, students are not required to make-up the missed clinic time. The maximum number of hours that may be excused for this purpose is 8 hours. Absences exceeding this limit must be made-up according to department policy.  

Students who experience a possible injury in class or clinic should notify the appropriate course coordinator, clinic supervisor, Clinical Coordinator and/or Program Director depending on the incident and seek treatment at the nearest facility.   For student safety, the College of Allied Health requires all students to have health insurance coverage while enrolled at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. 

• If injury or possible exposure in a non-OU Health facility, immediately notify clinical preceptor and report to nearest care facility.
• If injury or possible exposure in an OU Health facility, immediately notify clinical preceptor and report to Student Health, see contact information below.
• If severe injury or severe illness occurs in the College of Allied Health contact EMS and notify Office of Academic and Student Affairs.

OUHSC Oklahoma City campus students should contact Student Health Services at 405-271-9675.   

OU-Tulsa students should contact Student Health Clinic at 918-660-3102. 

Additionally, for blood/body fluid exposure, students should follow the OUHSC Blood-Borne Pathogen Exposure Protocol found on the Student Health Clinic website.
 

Programmatic clinic dress codes address patient and student safety as well as professional appearance to instill patient confidence.  Though some affiliates have employee dress codes that differ from those of students, the dress codes for students comply with standards at all facilities and must be observed at all times by students when at a clinic affiliate for any school activity regardless of the amount of time.  On days when not in the clinic environment, students are expected to dress in a manner consistent with an academic environment. Proper identification of personnel in clinical facilities is a courtesy to patients and other personnel encountered and a strict requirement for safety and accountability reasons.  Identification as a student indicates ties to a respected university and engagement in the educational process.  Required identification for students while in the clinical environment includes: 

• OUHSC photo identification card attached to the lapel, unless a specific hospital ID is provided for use.
• Identification is worn so the name and photo are visible to the patient at all times.
• Designated white lab coat and navy, blue-colored scrub-uniform purchased from the Uniform Shoppe with the MIRS Department patch sewn in the appropriate location:
  • 6221 E. 61st Street 
    Tulsa, OK 74136         
    (918) 494-7682          
  • 10503 N. May Avenue
    Oklahoma City, OK 73120
    (405) 755-6600
• Lab coat with MIRS patch sewn on the left sleeve of the white coat below the shoulder.  
• The scrub top with the MIRS department patch sewn on the left sleeve.

These guidelines comply with hospital professional dress codes and requirements. Guidelines are provided so that students may present a professional appearance and protect the health and safety of themselves and their patients.

• Clinic attire must be clean and tidy.  The purchasing and cleaning of clinical clothing is the student’s responsibility.    
• Strong odors such as perfume and aftershave should be avoided since people who are ill frequently become nauseated by even pleasant odors. Daily bathing and use of deodorant are essential.  
• Hair longer than collar length must be controlled by neatly tying it back or pinning it up in order to prevent hair from coming in contact with patients, germ-laden surfaces, or falling into sterile fields.  It is wise to wash hair daily to safeguard against bacteria and other organisms.  
• Men should be clean shaven. Beards and moustaches should be kept short and neatly trimmed to prevent hair from coming in contact with patients, germ-laden surfaces, or falling into sterile fields.  
• Fingernails should be kept short and rounded to avoid injury to patients and damage to equipment. Shorter nails are more hygienic with hand washing. If nail polish is used, avoid faddish or extreme shades such as black, blue, purple, green or yellow colors. No nail jewelry or nail art is allowed. Chipped nail polish, and artificial or extender nails are prohibited. 
• Jewelry such as long necklaces and elaborate earrings are not permitted since they may scratch a patient, be grasped by a patient, or become caught in equipment. Frequent hand washing makes the wearing of rings and bracelets inconvenient and increases the risk of loss since they should be removed when washing hands. 
• Body jewelry visible during clinical rotations is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to nose, eyebrow, lip, tongue, and chin jewelry.
• Tattoos must be appropriately covered during clinical rotations. 

Uniform attire requires:  a white lab coat with the departmental patch sewn on the left sleeve or left breast pocket; department designated navy blue-colored scrubs that are hemmed to the top of the shoe and are neatly pressed; a solid white, form-fitting short or long-sleeve T-shirt worn under the scrub top; white socks, and all white leather athletic shoes (no colored shoe laces or markings and no high-top styles).  

Alternate uniform attire requires: A lab coat does not have to be worn if the following conditions are met:  Navy blue-colored scrubs as outlined above with the departmental patch sewn on the left sleeve or left breast pocket.  Scrub tops designed to be tucked in must be tucked in at all times.  Scrub pants and top combinations must not show the student’s bare skin when he/she is bending over or performing common tasks at clinic.

Optional Uniform Attire: 

A long-sleeved navy blue-colored scrub jacket with the patch sewn on the sleeve may be worn in clinics that allow long-sleeve jackets.  The jacket style is designated by the department. The optional scrub jacket does not replace the need to wear a designated short sleeve scrub top, nor is it a substitute for the white lab coat which may be required to be worn by the clinic sites.  A long sleeve, form fitting white t-shirt may be worn under the navy blue-colored scrub top (with departmental patch) in clinics that permit it.

Uniform attire requires:  a white lab coat with the departmental patch sewn on the left sleeve or left breast pocket; department designated navy blue-colored scrubs that are hemmed to the top of the shoe and are neatly pressed; a solid white, form-fitting, short or long-sleeve T-shirt worn under the scrub top; white socks, and all white leather athletic shoes (no colored shoelaces or markings and no high-top styles).  

Alternate uniform attire requires: A lab coat does not have to be worn if the following conditions are met:  Navy blue-colored scrubs as outlined above with the departmental patch sewn on the left sleeve or left breast pocket.  Scrub tops designed to be tucked in must be tucked in at all times.  Scrub pants and top combinations must not show the student’s bare skin when he/she is bending over or performing common tasks at clinic.

Optional Uniform Attire:

A long-sleeved navy blue-colored scrub jacket with the patch sewn on the sleeve may be worn in clinics that allow long-sleeve jackets.  The jacket style is designated by the Department of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences. The optional scrub jacket does not replace the need to wear a designated short sleeve scrub top, nor is it a substitute for the white lab coat which may be required to be worn by the clinic sites.  A long sleeve, form fitting white t-shirt may be worn under the approved navy blue-colored scrub top (with departmental patch) in clinics that permit it.  

Uniform attire requires: a white lab coat with the departmental patch sewn on the left sleeve or left breast pocket; department designated navy blue-colored scrubs that are hemmed to the top of the shoe and are neatly pressed; a solid white, form-fitting, short or long-sleeve T-shirt worn under the scrub top; white socks, and all white leather athletic shoes (no colored shoelaces or markings and no high-top styles).  

Alternate uniform attire requires: A lab coat does not have to be worn if the following conditions are met:  Navy blue-colored scrubs as outlined above with the departmental patch sewn on the left sleeve or left breast pocket.  Scrub tops designed to be tucked in must be tucked in at all times.  Scrub pants and top combinations must not show the student’s bare skin when he/she is bending over or performing common tasks at clinic.

how the student’s bare skin when he/she is bending over or performing common tasks at clinic.

Optional Uniform Attire:

A long-sleeved navy blue-colored scrub jacket with the patch sewn on the left sleeve may be worn in clinics that allow long-sleeve jackets.  The jacket style is designated by the Department of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences.   The optional scrub jacket does not replace the need to wear a designated short sleeve scrub top, nor is it a substitute for the white lab coat which may be required to be worn by the clinic sites.  A long sleeve, form fitting white t-shirt may be worn under the approved navy blue-colored scrub top (with departmental patch) in clinics that permit it.  

Uniform attire requires a fingertip-length white lab coat with the departmental patch sewn on the left sleeve or left breast pocket; department designated navy blue-colored scrubs that are hemmed to the top of the shoe and neatly pressed; a solid white, form-fitting short or long-sleeved T-shirt worn under the scrub top; white socks, and all white leather athletic shoes (no colored shoelaces or markings and no high-top styles).  

Compliance with state and federal regulations for safe handling of radioactive materials dictates the dress code for nuclear medicine students. Students MUST wear their lab coats at all times while rotating in an area with radioactive materials, unless prior authorization by the clinic RSO is given.  (For example, Children’s Hospital does not require white lab coats for psychological reasons. 

Optional Uniform Attire:

A long-sleeved navy blue-colored scrub jacket with the patch sewn on the sleeve may be worn in clinics that permit it.  The jacket style is designated by the department. The optional scrub jacket does not replace the need to wear a designated short sleeve scrub top, nor is it a substitute for the regulatory mandated lab coat for radioisotope handling.  A long sleeve, form fitting white t-shirt may be worn under the navy-blue scrub top (with departmental patch sewn on left sleeve) in clinics that permit it.  Scrub tops designed to be tucked in must be tucked in at all times.  Scrub pants and top combinations must not show the student’s bare skin when he/she is bending over or performing common tasks at clinic.