Student Responsibilities
Whether you are in the RN-BSN, MSN, Post Graduate FNP Certificate, or DNP Programs, you need to be aware of your responsibilities as a student.
Program/Course Responsibilities
Students are to meet initially with their advisor to create their student study plan either in person (by appointment) or by email. Any deviation from the student study plan must be discussed with the advisor before any course changes can be done; otherwise, students may be charged for courses that they are unable to take. In addition, they will be removed from the course. Other student responsibilities include:
- Utilizing only GSU email for correspondence (except as in course [Blackboard] messaging);
- Checking GSU email regularly;
- Read and be familiarized with all aspects of the Student Nursing Handbook and syllabi for your program and courses;
- Complete all assignments by the due dates (late assignments will be penalized);
- Notifying course professors of emergencies which precludes you from attending class or being late submitting an assignment prior to the course time or assignment due date;
- If attending a hybrid or online course, check and respond to Blackboard discussions and other course communications in a timely manner (24 to 48 hours);
- Maintain and regularly update required health forms, malpractice insurance, and license;
- Be prepared for course discussion;
- Do not deviate from student study plan without prior permission from advisor;
- Make sure incomplete grades are resolved in timely manner (a student may have no more than one incomplete in a nursing course at a time);
- If needed, it is the student's responsibility to apply for an extended incomplete. It is the instructor’s decision to decide if an incomplete can be awarded.
Academic Dishonesty
The Department of Nursing adheres to the University’s Academic Conduct Policy (see page 34). If dishonesty in any form (i.e., plagiarism, cheating, forging signatures, etc.) is discovered the instructor will proceed according to university and course policy. This may include a grade of zero for an assignment, additional penalties, and/or a grade of “F” for the course. Students found to have infractions against the Academic Conduct Policy in two courses will be dismissed from the Nursing Program with no option for readmission. A reminder: receiving a grade of “D” or below may result in dismissal from the program.
Required Health Forms/Background Check
Students must submit all required health forms upon admission to the program, which includes a copy of your current/valid license, CPR card, malpractice and personal insurance, yearly updated Two-Step TB test, and the health forms listed below during their first semester in the program. These forms can be found at the Current Student Academic Advising Page .
- Incident Report (if applicable)
- Informed Consent
- Potential Disease Exposure Form
- Refusal of Hepatitis B Vaccine
- Student Handbook Sign-Off Sheet
- Student Health Form (to be signed by your physician and submitted with copies of immunizations records)
- Universal Precautions Training Acknowledgement (to be submitted yearly with test score)
- Criminal Background Check and Drug Testing as required by the clinical site
Failure to submit the forms will result in a hold being placed to prevent you from registering for the following term and/or starting clinical hours. The hold will not be removed until all forms have been submitted.
Students are also responsible to maintain a copy of the above required records for themselves in the event that they need to show them to the clinical faculty member or preceptor/residency supervisor for their clinical.
Clinical Site Responsibility
Students in the MSN, Post-Graduate Certificate, and DNP programs are responsible for identifying their own clinical sites. This process should start at least the semester prior to the clinical course or longer. In order to assisting students, the Department of Nursing has a Clinical Site Coordinator who maintains a book which provides a listing of organizations with which GSU currently has affiliation agreements. Students may access and review the clinical site listings in the Department of Nursing during normal business hours but an appointment needs to be made with the Clinical Site Coordinator for viewing the book and/or filling out required forms. Once the preceptor/residency supervisor is contacted and agrees to work with the student, the student should schedule a meeting with both the course instructor and the preceptor/residency supervisor to ensure that the course objectives are congruent with the student’s proposed clinical experience and that the course objectives can be met at the agency or institution. A clinical affiliation agreement must be in place or one must be initiated by the course instructor if one is not already in place.
Once the site and preceptor/residency supervisor are in place and the agreement is executed, the student, preceptor/residency supervisor, and instructor should meet at least twice during the clinical. It is up to the student to coordinate times between the instructor and preceptor/residency supervisor.
Graduate Applications
It is the students’ responsibility to submit all paperwork required during the first week of the term in which they plan to graduate to the Registrar’s Office: see link. Students graduating from the Certificate Program need to fill out the appropriate graduation application listed on the Registrar’s Office Forms Page entitled “Application for Award of Certificate.” It is also the student’s responsibility to ensure that a signed student study plan is in their student file in the Department of Nursing (required for graduation). Applications will not be accepted after the deadline by the Registrar’s Office and the Department of Nursing WILL NOT accept late applications. It is the students' responsibility to ensure that they have turned in their graduation application on time, if they choose to graduate in the term in which they complete the program. Applications that are turned in late will be processed for the following term.
Professional Appearance/Demeanor
Students must dress professionally: no jeans, and no cap/headwear (unless for religious reasons). Modest, professional-looking attire is required and essential to project your professionalism and to represent Governors State University in a positive light. Therefore no transparent clothing, no sandals, and no décolletage are appropriate. A white, full-length uniform lab coat is worn with the GSU nursing patch sewn on the left shoulder sleeve. Shoes should be clean and closed toes. No sandals or flip flops are allowed. Jewelry should not be displayed if directly working with patients. Avoid artificial nails, nail polish and rings when providing direct patient care.
Adherence to HIPPA rules are enforced. Therefore, no conversations regarding patients and no communication about them should be posted online or discussed with any identifying information.
Certification/APN Licensure
If you plan to apply for advanced practice licensure after graduating from master’s or post-master’s certificate programs, there may be other eligibility requirements that must be met. Licensure requirements are set by the Board of Nursing in each state and may vary from state to state. It is your responsibility to contact the Board of Nursing in the appropriate state and obtain the information.
Certification examinations for clinical specialists, family nurse practitioner, and nurse administrator are offered in many different content areas. Graduates of the CNS program may apply for certification through American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Graduates of the FNP and FNP certificate program may apply for certification either through ANCC or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Graduates of the Nurse Administrator program may apply for certification through ANCC. It is recommended that the student review the ANCC and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners website for the latest information regarding certification. Governors State University is not responsible if the ANCC changes their requirements.
