School of Health Sciences Clinical Requirements

A satisfactory health examination by a licensed, practicing physician or Certified Nurse Practitioner is required of students before entrance into their program. The health form includes a health history, health examination by a primary care provider, and evaluation of student’s ability to perform the essential functions of the programs in the School of Health Sciences. Additional examination(s) may be required for changes in the student's physical and/or mental health while in the program of study. Failure to disclose a change in medical condition may result in dismissal from program. Reportable changes in medical status include, but are not limited to: hospitalization for any reason, evaluation at a hospital emergency room for any reason, surgery, injury, pregnancy, new medical or mental health diagnosis not included on original student health form, and/or medications not included on original student health form. Please note that a change in health status may require medical clearance prior to returning to class/clinical. Depending on the medical issue, essential functions, technical performance standards, and/or a limited or complete health exam/health form may also be required. (See Student Change in Medical Status)

Essential Functions are generally required for all programs in the School of Health Sciences. The essential functions are necessary for admission, progression, and graduation from all programs; for the provision of safe and effective care, and to protect the safety and health of all SoHS students. These functions are deemed so essential to the health professions that they are included on the student health form and are evaluated by the student’s medical provider upon acceptance to the program. See the Student Health Form for specific details of the following required categories of Essential Functions: motor capability, sensory capability, communication capability, problem solving ability, behavioral skills, and professionalism. If the ability to perform these essential functions with or without reasonable accommodations result in the inability to meet identified student learning outcomes, the student may be at risk of not successfully completing the course and/or program. Variations of this are addressed in program-specific Technical Performance Standards.

In addition to the Essential Functions, each program has identified professional technical performance standards needed to provide safe and effective patient care. To successfully progress and complete a program, students must meet the established technical standards for their respective program. The abilities and expectations for the Program must be met by all students admitted, with or without reasonable accommodation. Technical Performance Standards may be identified in the following categories: behavioral/emotional/social coping, interpersonal, communication, professional behavior, temperament, cognitive, critical thinking/problem solving, environment, sensory abilities (visual, hearing, smell, tactile touch), motor skills, mobility, physical stamina, and self-care.

At any time during the course of study, if there is a significant change in the student’s medical status, the student is required to notify the program’s Academic Program Director or designee of the changes. Reportable changes in medical status include, but are not limited to: hospitalization for any reason, evaluation at a hospital emergency room for any reason, surgery, injury, pregnancy, new medical or mental health diagnosis not included on original student health form, inability to perform essential functions of the school, inability to perform any of the program-specific Technical Performance Standards, and/or medications not included on original student health form. Additional examination(s) may be required for changes in the student's physical and/or mental health while in the program of study.

Changes in medical status may require medical clearance prior to returning to class/clinical. Depending on the medical issue an evaluation of essential functions, technical performance standards, and/or a limited or complete health exam/health form may also be required. These requirements are individualized based on the student’s medical change, as determined by the designated medical compliance officer for the program. The intent of these requirements is to assure the student may safely resume class and clinical activities, as well as provide safe care to patients. Failure to disclose a change in medical condition may result in dismissal from course or program.

Students must have current BLS for Healthcare Providers (CPR & AED) certification. Two-year CPR must be Health Care Provider – Adult/Child/Infant. Only courses titled “Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers” by the American Heart Association are accepted. Students may be asked to produce the original documentation at any time and should not provide the original to the school, only a copy. The grace period for CPR training extends to the end of the month in which the card was issued.

Any student without certification or required proof will be unable to attend clinical until such requirements are met. Unexcused clinical absence(s) and lost points in the related clinical class will ensue.

Faculty and students must complete OSHA training annually and before assignment to a clinical setting. Extensive training using the Passport platform provided by the college will be enforced for programs with hospital clinical rotations.

The Dental Program provides training using Dentalcare.com which is a platform provided by The Proctor & Gamble Company. Fire Safety, Hazard Communication, Active Shooter, Signs and Tags, and Coronavirus training is provided through the college.

Records of training will be kept by the employer; training completion date will be recorded in the health database.

Students in a program that completes clinical/internship experiences must have professional liability insurance while functioning in the student role. Professional liability insurance is included in the SoHS differential tuition for each enrolled student. It is possible that a student could be required to purchase additional professional liability coverage if indicated by a program’s clinical affiliation agreement. This insurance covers students in the school for education-related clinical and internship experiences only while in good standing and while enrolled in the program. No other activities beyond instructor led clinical experiences, preceptor-supervised clinical experiences, academic internships, and approved preceptor-supervised externships with affiliated sites are covered. Additionally, coverage ceases when not in good standing with the program and upon graduation.

A professional appearance contributes significantly to student and staff success during clinical/internship experiences. General appearance should not be distracting in the work environment.

Each program will address their specific requirements for the program’s Uniform and Dress Code. The dress code applies whenever and wherever the uniform is worn. Most affiliating clinical agencies require students to wear full uniform when present in the facility, and the faculty expects students to comply with the Uniform and Dress Code during all clinical experiences. Student uniforms are to be worn only when functioning as a student of the college.  Students may not visit friends or family in the clinical setting while in student uniform or during scheduled clinical time. Students are not to wear the school uniform while working as an agency employee. Courses that do not require uniforms in the clinical areas, or have specific requirements for clinical settings, will specify the dress code requirements in the course syllabus. In these circumstances, the attire should be consistent with professional business attire and should be neat, fit properly, modest and conservative. Examples of clothing that would not be considered professional business attire would include shorts, jeans, hoodies (sweatshirts with hoods) or any type of attire where the midriff is exposed. In the classroom setting casual clothes are allowed but should also be clean, neat, fit properly, modest, conservative, and not distracting from classroom activities.

All uniform garments must be clean and non-wrinkled and be the chosen uniform for the program of study.  Appropriate undergarments must be worn in the clinical settings. Appropriate is defined as high waist, solid, neutral skin color, no thong styles. No colors and/or designs on either the skin or undergarment should be visible through the pant fabric. Shoes are to be clean and polished and the appropriate color and style specified by the program of study.

The Greenville Technical College name and picture id badge must be worn for all clinical experiences.  Students must comply with agency requirements for the wearing of additional identification.  Some affiliating clinical agencies require student issue of agency-specific badges. These must be worn with college badge in a manner that both can be visible. Badges should be worn on the upper right or left chest. Badges should not have unauthorized pins, logos, decorations, etc. affixed. At the end of each course or upon withdrawal, the agency specific badge must be returned to the course instructor. Failure to comply will result in an incomplete in the course.

Students are required to maintain a high standard of personal hygiene. Personal cleanliness is a must at all times. Care should be given to controlling objectionable body odor and unpleasant breath. Cosmetics are to be worn in moderation and be consistent with the expected appearance of a healthcare professional.

The hair is to be clean and groomed, pulled back close to the head, and away from the face.  If the hair falls in front of the face when leaning over, it must be pulled back and/or up in some fashion. Hair color must be consistent with colors occurring naturally in humans. Hair accessories must not be distracting or extreme. Distracting extremes in hair styling, dyeing, bleaching and coloring are not permitted. Some programs may also have specific guidelines regarding nails, false eyelashes, jewelry, perfume/cologne, smoking, chewing gum, and tattoos.

SoHS Faculty are responsible for the appropriateness of dress and appearance of SoHS students under their supervision. SoHS faculty and administration, through their interpretation of the Dress Code Policy and Program specific Dress Code Policy, shall observe the appearance and dress of SoHS students to ensure compliance with the provisions of this policy directive. If a specific situation is not directly addressed in these policies, the SoHS faculty and administration will use their professional judgment regarding the students’ professional appearance. Occasions of lack of conformity with this provision of this policy directive shall be promptly and appropriately addressed through coaching, having the student return home to dress in proper attire, and/or disciplinary action.

In summary, the student must conform to the policy of the affiliating agency as well as the SoHS Dress Code, and program specific policies related to uniforms and dress code. Students out of compliance will be disciplined as above, and if noncompliance continues, may be dismissed from the program.

Students are responsible for their own transportation to all clinical and externship activities. Some travel may be required up to 2 hours away. Students are expected to arrive for their clinical/internship, regardless of location, at or before the appointed time. The college does not provide any transportation to clinical/externship sites. Clinical assignments cannot be adjusted due to student preference of site, distance traveled, gas prices, professed fears of driving on the interstate, vaccination status, etc. 

Students enrolled in a program must hold in confidence all client/patient related information and only release it to the person who owns it, those faculty, staff, or administration who have need to know (HIPPA), and those individuals or agencies who fulfill the requirements under the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). Instruction on confidentiality within the health care setting will be included in the OSHA training, and students will be asked to sign a Confidentiality Statement prior to beginning clinical experiences. In short, students may not release information to anyone regarding a patient. This includes their health or participation status, copying or reproducing any reports, or passing unauthorized information by telephone. Failure to protect any client's right to confidential treatment may result in a failing course grade, dismissal from program, and civil liability for a breach of confidentiality.

If a student plans to become or continues to be employed once admitted to a program, it is important that they consult with their faculty/major advisor on how a working schedule may affect their performance in the program. While the faculty/major advisor is sympathetic to a student’s need for employment, employment schedules cannot take priority over the academic and clinical/internship.

Additionally, it may be deemed as a conflict of interest, therefore inappropriate, for a student’s clinical experiences to occur at their workplace. It is the student’s responsibility to notify their course faculty if they are assigned a clinical experience in their workplace prior to the clinical.