At the School of Health Sciences on the Gippsland campus, the following general instructions apply.
* Internal students will be required to attend laboratory sessions for both science and nursing components. At the commencement of semester students will be given a laboratory safety handbook; it is essential that all safety regulations be adhered to.
* Non-attendance at nursing laboratory sessions without a medical certificate may mean exclusion from clinical placement. A medical certificate should be forwarded to the unit adviser.
Clinical practice
In the clinical setting the student will have an opportunity to apply theory to practice under supervision. Reflective participation in practice is encouraged through a professional journal and group debriefing in the clinical setting.
Attendance
For students of the Gippsland campus, clinical experience is obtained in a wide variety of health agencies throughout the Gippsland region and occasionally in neighbouring regions.
The duration of clinical experience is two days a week for first-year students in first semester, to blocks of weeks thereafter.
Generally speaking the student's day on clinical experience commences with a 7 am start at the venue. Any variation in times for attendance at clinical or field experience will be notified in advance. Students work a seven-hour day excluding lunch.
Attendance is mandatory for the clinical component of each subject. Make-up for time missed will be arranged in consultation with the clinical coordinator.
Students on clinical placement
During clinical placement students are expected to discuss their clinical learning needs and clarify what is required of them by the teacher and nursing staff. Students are accountable for providing safe nursing care. Students must ensure they are supervised by the clinical teacher/registered nurse for the initial performance of all new learning experiences. Consultation must take place with the clinical teacher before students undertake any care or procedure for which they are not yet theoretically prepared.
It is the student's responsibility to ensure supervision of practice. Students are supernumerary to health workers in clinical centres and on field experience. They are learners primarily in all settings. The attending students are reminded that they bear a responsibility to the people entrusted to their care. It is vital that any information the student has access to remains confidential. At all times students are responsible and accountable for their own actions.
Whilst in the clinical area students are reminded that they are guests of the agency and are expected to behave and dress in a professional manner.
Drugs
Students should be aware of their legal position regarding the administration and storage of drugs. In addition, it is the policy of the campus that where drugs are required to be checked by two people prior to administration under the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 (Victoria), the student and supervisor (clinical teacher or registered nurse) are considered as one person.
Where a student's skill or knowledge is found to be inadequate, access to the clinical component of the subject will be denied.