For First Year Students:
Mandatory Clinical Placement Requirements (submitted during program orientation in September)
First-year PN students at Confederation College require the following clinical requirements:
- Basic Life Support (annual certification is required for the BScN Program)
- Mask Fit Testing (recertification is required every two years)
- An annual Workplace Hazardous Material Information System (WHMIS) Certification
- Level 3: Police Vulnerable Sector Check (PVSC) (obtain after April 1, 2024). A PVSC needs to be completed at the beginning of each academic year (this process could take up to 12 weeks) and remain current for the entire academic year. The check is used by our placement organizations (not the College) as a screening requirement of field placement. A criminal record may prevent you from participating in field placement experiences, thus preventing you from completing program requirements and registering with the College of Nurses of Ontario. Some placement organizations will allow positive criminal record checked students in their environments, but only after meeting with and talking to the student. It is up to the placement agency who they allow and do not allow in their organizations. The key here is to communicate soon and be efficient with your requirements. The only way to ensure that clinical placements will not be in jeopardy based on your PVSC is to have a clear PVSC. For additional information, please visit the Thunder Bay Police Service website. The Thunder Bay Police Service has now gone to an online application process and has streamlined the process of obtaining your PVSC. Please make sure you fill in your name and the name of program on the PVSC request letter that we have provided to you PRIOR to submitting your application.
Students may submit a Mask Fit or WHMIS Certification from a current employer or academic setting, if that certification was obtained after April of the year that you first enter the PN Program (e.g. for those students starting the PN Program in September 2024, please have your certificates dated no earlier than April 2024).
There are several options available to Confederation College students for obtaining these required certifications – see below. Begin the process of obtaining these required certifications as soon as possible. Students must submit these required certifications no later than September 15, 2024, or March 1st , 2025 for the Winter Cohort electronically, and to the attention of Lorena Elman and to the following email address: [email protected].
First-year PN students at Confederation College are also required to contact the Health Centre and make arrangements to obtain the following required injections:
- A completed Immunization and Communicable Disease Form
- A completed Confederation College Health Centre Questionnaire (found online at our Health Centre website)
- An up-to-date Immunization Record
- Two-step Tuberculosis [TB] skin test (associated with a cost)
- Chicken Pox
- Hepatitis B
- Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR)
- Tetanus Diphtheria
- Blood Serology (please contact the Health Centre for specifics)
Please note, our clinical partners are requesting that every student obtain a blood serology for MMR, Varicella, and Hepatitis B as a clinical requirement. You will be required to submit laboratory documentation proving immunity to MMR, Varicella, and Hepatitis B. If you are found not to have immunity, you must obtain booster vaccines, and complete the series of these boosters (if necessary).
Students are encouraged to make appointments quickly to avoid delays – for example, two-step Tuberculosis tests occur over the course of two weeks and blood serology may take several days/weeks to be reported and made available to the student. Health information is private and students must only submit their private health information to the Health Centre.
Prior to entering any clinical setting in any Semester you MUST complete all field requirements. Our clinical partners are requesting that every student obtain a blood serology. The Thunder Bay District Health Unit does not provide ‘blood serology’ testing or tuberculosis skin testing. Please obtain a laboratory requisition for blood serology from your Family Doctor, the Confederation College Health Centre, or any Walk in Clinic and go to any Life Labs for this blood testing (appointments with a Life Lab can be done online; please check their website). You will be required to submit laboratory documentation proving immunity to Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella, and Hepatitis B. If you are found not to have immunity, you must get and complete any booster vaccine series. The Confederation College Health Centre will review documentation of immunization. We DO NOT accept original documents and ask that you copy your documents prior to visiting the Health Centre.
Students, who do not meet any of the above requirements, may not participate in clinical practice courses.
Students are encouraged to obtain an annual flu shot and the COVID-19 vaccination. Students must submit these items electronically to the attention of Lorena Elman and to the following email address: [email protected].
Students incur all fees associated with the above certifications or recertifications, and are not included in program fees. These included, but not limited to Basic Life Support, Mask Fit, WHMIS, Level 3 PVSC, one or two-step Tuberculosis skin tests, and any boosters required for immunization requirements.
For further questions please contact Meaghan Wojciechowski, Academic Manager - Healthcare Programs, School of Health, Negahneewin and Community Services, [email protected].
