Excused Absences

Students should communicate proactively with their instructor and the Director of Nursing regarding absences to avoid unnecessary academic penalties.

Clinical locations reserve the right to make decisions on student eligibility to practice at their site based on CDC (Center for Disease Control) recommendations and requirements regarding specific health situations.

Excused Absences - Excused Absences include, but are not limited to:

Acute illness or death of an immediate family member (spouse, child, mother, father, sibling, grandmother or grandfather).
Hospitalization of self or an immediate family member
A communicable illness or injury for which the physician has temporarily excused you from activities (A doctor's signed notice is required)
An emergency or family situation approved by the Director of Nursing

Required Documentation for an Absences to be Considered Excused

Students must submit documentation within seven (7) days of the absence to the Director of Nursing via email. Acceptable forms of documentation include:

Obituary and proof of relationship to the deceased (e.g., same last name, family tree, letter from funeral director)
A signed physician’s note specifying dates the student is excused and the release date the student can safely return to classes and the clinical location.
A signed physician’s note specifying dates the student's child needs to be kept at home and the release date.
Hospital or clinic discharge papers or admission summaries that clearly show dates of care with a signed doctor's release.
Failure to submit the required documentation within seven (7) days will result in an unexcused absence and a zero for any missed work.

NOTE: The Director of Nursing may request additional documentation before approving an excused absence.

Make-up Assignments after an Excused Absences for Didactic/Lecture Classes

Once an absence is approved as an excused absence, the instructor will assign a make-up assignment or rescheduled exam.
Students will have one (1) week from the time the absence becomes excused to complete the assigned make-up work.
Make-up work will not be accepted beyond the one-week deadline, and the student will receive a zero for the missed assignment(s) or exam.
Make-up work will receive a 10% reduction applied to the grade.

Every absence carries the penalty of loss of instruction given during the absence which may result in a lower grade for the course. Limited excused absences for personal health or family concerns are approved and monitored by the Director of Nursing. In the case of a prolonged absence, it may be necessary to withdraw from one or more courses. See Extended Leaves

Return to a Clinical Location after an Excused Absence

Students absent due to surgery, injury, illness (physical/mental), pregnancy, or labor & delivery must obtain a signed doctor's notice from their physician indicating that they may return to clinical practice at full capacity and can perform all required skills and duties by a listed date.
The clinical release form (which shows the date the student can return to the clinical location) must be submitted to the Director of Nursing's email, with the Nursing Administrative Coordinator copied, before the student can return. LINK (see Nursing Campus Resources)
The Director of Nursing will notify the appropriate faculty member, and the doctor's release will be placed in the student’s file.
Students may not return to a clinical location if they are unable to perform at full capacity.
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure documentation is submitted within the designated timeframe.

Late or incomplete documentation will not be accepted, and the absence will remain unexcused.