Physician Assistant - Next Steps for Admitted Students

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August 2019

Orientation will be at least one full day event and attendance is mandatory for all incoming nursing students. Orientation date and details will be posted soon. Contact Kathy Devney in the nursing program at (440) 826-8079 or kdevney@bw.edu if you have any questions.

Students enrolling in the August 2019 cohort should begin their background checks shortly after paying their tuition deposit to the nursing program. 

Download: Background Check Instructions

All students are required to complete a comprehensive background check, including finger printing, as part of the initial enrollment process. The search will take about 4 weeks to complete and must be completed well in advance of the start for the program. Nursing students are required to have a clear background check to be permitted to begin the program and practice in the clinical setting. Students whose background checks reveal a criminal history or arrest record of any sort that cannot be successfully adjudicated will not be allowed to begin the nursing program. This is a requirement of all affiliating hospitals and clinics. 

Baldwin Wallace University contracts with Corporate Screening Services, Inc. for background checks, located at 16530 Commerce Court, Middleburg Heights, OH 44130. Phone: (800) 229-8606. Upon completion of the background check, the nursing program will work with Corporate Screening Services to confirm that a satisfactory background check was completed.

If you live out of state, please contact Kathy Devney in the nursing department at (440) 826-8079 or kdevney@bw.edu. Kathy can send you forms to get fingerprinted closer to home.

Drug testing will take place on the BW campus on July 24 and July 25, 2019. Please call the Administrative Coordinator, Kathy Devney to schedule.

Substance abuse is incompatible with the practice of nursing. The nursing program at Baldwin Wallace University recognizes its responsibility to maintain a drug-free educational environment and to ensure that students provide safe, high-quality nursing services while engaged in official school educational activities. In keeping with this goal, the faculty support the policies set forth by the University relative to the use of drugs and alcohol.

All newly accepted students will be subject to substance abuse testing as part of the pre-enrollment health requirements. Substance abuse drug testing will be performed at no charge to the student and will involve an observed collection procedure. Any student testing positive for illegal substances will not be permitted to enter the nursing program. Throughout the program if student drug or alcohol usage is detected in the classroom, clinical, or other campus settings, the student will be referred for appropriate follow-up according to the BW policies outlined in the BW student handbook.

As guests in the health care facilities at which the nursing program affiliates, students will be subject to the policies of the agency, which may include random urine testing. If student drug or alcohol usage is detected in the clinical setting, the student will be tested at the clinical agency in accordance with agency policies. Detection of drug or alcohol usage while in the clinical setting will result in immediate dismissal from the nursing program.

All students returning to the accelerated BSN program after an absence will again be subject to substance abuse testing.

Students enrolling in the August 2019 cohort should start this process shortly after paying their deposit to the nursing program.

Download: BW Health Form

Prior to orientation, students must have personal health documentation on file in the nursing program office with proof of the following:

• Appropriate immunizations, or written validation of titers establishing immunity, for measles (rubeola), German measles (rubella), mumps, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, chicken pox (varicella), hepatitis B and polio.
• Health status that qualifies the person to work directly with patients (Refer to "Required Functional Abilities for Nursing Students")
• Tuberculin (Tb) Testing: The two-step Mantoux Tb skin test is required to be completed by the student's healthcare provider as part of the BW health form. This is an annual requirement of the affiliating clinical agencies and will need to be repeated by the student during the program prior to expiration with documentation provided to the nursing program. Students who have a medical history of a false positive, allergy to the Mantoux test, BCG vaccination or are a converter are required to undergo Tb QuantiFERON testing (interferon-gamma release assay [IGRA]) for Tb infection through their provider, annually.

Students should be able to obtain any of the above immunizations from their family physician. Immunizations may also be available from county health agencies.

Health and Immunization forms should be returned directly to the nursing department.

September 2019 - Annual Influenza Vaccination

After enrolling in the accelerated BSN program, students must have an annual influenza vaccination administered before influenza season (on or before September 30). This vaccination will be at the student's expense. The student must provide written validation to the nursing program that the vaccination has been received before the student will be permitted to continue in the clinical area beyond the first fall semester.

Clinical Experience

As a guest of the health care facilities that provide clinical experiences, students are subject to the policies of the agency, which include meeting the above standards for immunizations, and the ability to work directly with patients (Refer to “Required Functional Abilities for Nursing Students" contained in the Baldwin Wallace University accelerated Bachelor of Science health form). Because clinical experience is an essential element of the Accelerated BSN program, the inability to work in direct patient care will result in the student not continuing in the program.

The BW network access gives you access to BW email, Blackboard and lots of online resources you’ll use as a nursing student and member of the BW community.

Students enrolling for August 2019 should set up your BW email shortly after enrollment. You will start getting important emails almost immediately regarding orientation, forms that must be filled out and returned prior to orientation, ACEMAPP, and other timely requirements.

To set up your BW network account, go to myaccount.bw.edu and confirm your identity. You will need your BW student ID number, which is printed on the blue card that was enclosed with your letter of admission. 

If you need help with your student ID, contact the office of admission at (440) 826-8012 or admission@bw.edu.

Once you answer the identity questions, you will receive a username and password and your BW email will be displayed.

CPR basic life support (BLS) certification must be completed and on file with the nursing program prior to orientation. Students who do not fulfill this requirement will not be permitted into the clinical setting, and this will impact progression in the program. All hospital affiliations for the BW accelerated BSN program require nursing students to be certified in CPR. Bring your CPR card to the nursing office when you come in to pick up program materials or, at the latest, bring it to orientation. Copies of CPR cards are not accepted — you must present the original.

Requirements

CPR Basic Life Support (BLS) certification must be American Heart Association CPR for Healthcare Providers with AED (automated external defibrillator). Red Cross or other versions of CPR certification are not acceptable. BLS certification must be AHA, and the training cannot be fully online. Students may select either the BLS Instructor-Led Training that is classroom based (students are with an AHA Instructor for their entire learning experience) or a blended learning delivery method (a combination of eLearning with in-person skills session for CPR & psychomotor skills), but not a fully online training.

Sources of Certification

CPR certification classes are readily available. The American Heart Association provides a website where you can search for course dates and locations. The online version is acceptable, but you will still need to find a location to complete the hands-on practicum.

Expiration

CPR certification is good for two years. The expiration date on your card must occur after December 31, 2020, or else the nursing program will not accept it for program purposes. Your CPR card must be valid throughout the program. There is no time allowance for retesting during the program.

August 2019

• Complete the 2019-2020 FAFSA after January 2, 2019.
• Program costs and financial assistance – August 2019 cohort.
• The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has information on additional education loan and scholarship opportunities for nursing students.

Baldwin Wallace provides professional liability insurance for nursing students while they are at a clinical site at no cost to the student. This policy provides coverage while on site at the clinical setting only. This coverage does not extend beyond the active clinical experience under the auspice of this nursing program.

Proof of medical insurance coverage must be provided to the director of the nursing program prior to orientation. Students must provide their own personal health insurance while a student at Baldwin Wallace. Neither the University nor clinical affiliates cover student health-related incidents.

Books are covered in the cost of the program and will be distributed through the BW Bookstore on orientation day. One uniform, a lab coat, t-shirt and a stethoscope are also provided.

Uniforms: Students will need to be fitted for uniforms at Affordable Uniforms – located at 24777 Lorain Road, North Olmsted, OH, 44070, (440) 801-1520 - and place a uniform order early in the summer so that uniforms can be received on orientation day. Additional uniforms may be purchased at Affordable Uniforms.

Lab coat & t-shirt: Students should get fitted for the lab coat and t-shirt in Kathy Devney's office in the nursing department when they come to campus for the drug screen at Health Services

Shoes: Students are responsible for the purchase of their shoes. Shoes must be white with a soft, non-slip sole. Shoes must have a closed back. Crocs, sandals, clogs, etc. are not permitted in the clinical setting.

Baldwin Wallace provides student parking for nursing students while they are on the BW campus at no cost to the student. All students are required to follow University parking regulations. Visit campus access services for parking regulations and details. Students are responsible for any citation fines, payable at the BW cashiers office in Bonds Administration Building. Unpaid fines are attached to the student bill after ten days.

Parking permit: Students will receive and email from the administrative assistant. Attached to the email will be a parking permit application form. This form should be filled out and returned prior to orientation so the student can obtain their parking permit at orientation.

BW is located just 20 minutes from Cleveland, and nursing students find many affordable housing options within the surrounding communities. Baldwin Wallace has limited campus-owned apartments for nursing and other graduate students

View graduate housing options >

Baldwin Wallace is committed to providing all students equal access to learning opportunities. The disability services for students (DSS) office is the campus office that works with students who have disabilities to provide and/or arrange reasonable accommodations. Students who have or think they may have a disability (e.g. mental health, attentional, learning, vision, hearing, physical or systemic) are invited to contact DSS to arrange a confidential discussion at (440) 826-2147 or disability@bw.edu. Find additional information about how to get connected with DSS.