CE4. Attendance
Attendance
Consistent with the expectations outlined in AP-5 Professionalism, attendance is expected for all clinical education experiences. Guidelines for attendance in clinical education experiences consider the needs of both students and the patient care environment. Student considerations include promoting success and development as professionals. Student absence or lateness can disrupt the continuity of a clinical experience and therefore can have an impact on student achievement of objectives. Student absence or lateness can also have an impact on patient care and staff members; therefore, steps must be taken to minimize burden on the clinical setting.
Schedule for Clinical Education Experiences
Students are expected to adhere to the schedule set by the clinical facility. For full-time clinical experiences, this may include weekend and holiday work schedules, rather than the Institute’s academic calendar.
Punctuality
Students are expected to be punctual for all clinical education experiences. If a student is going to be late, they must contact the clinical education facility in the manner agreed-upon with the clinical instructor and notify the CI of their estimated time of arrival. In the case where this has not been discussed, the default manner of contact will be telephone.
Tardiness is a serious matter which will be reflected in a student’s performance evaluation and may impact the student’s grade. At the discretion of academic and clinical faculty, a student may be required to make up time missed due to tardiness.
Integrated Clinical Experiences (ICE):
1. Inclement Weather Policy: In the event the Institute is closed for inclement weather, students should be in contact with their clinical site to determine appropriate plan for attending part-time clinical experiences.. Students must contact clinical facility prior to the start of the scheduled clinical session to determine proper steps in relation to inclement weather.
2. Absence: Attendance is expected due to the relatively brief and integrated nature of these experiences within the curriculum, as well as reliance on peers during the clinical learning process. There is no time built in to the schedule for personal or professional reasons.
3. Notification: In the case of unplanned absence due to illness or emergency, students will notify the clinic and the clinical education team before the start of the scheduled clinical hours.
4. Make Up Time: Make-up time due to unplanned absence will be discussed jointly between academic and clinical faculty and the student and a decision will be made. Consideration of clinic factors and student attainment of objectives will be considered.
Full Time Clinical Experiences and Final Internship
1. Inclement Weather Policy: In the case of full-time clinical experiences and internships, students are expected to make every reasonable effort to report to the clinical facility for usual scheduled clinical hours unless instructed otherwise by clinic personnel. This applies even if the Institute has canceled classes for the day. If travel to the facility is impossible, or if lateness is unavoidable, the student is expected to contact the clinical facility before the start of the scheduled clinical hours to report the absence or delayed arrival. The student must also report such absences to the clinical education team.
2. Absence:
Full-time Clinical Education Experiences:
Students may be allowed up to 3 absences (planned or unplanned) without a requirement for make-up time.
Planned: Students may request in advance a maximum of 2 days total for personal or professional reasons. Students who request personal or professional time should carefully consider the impact of their absence on others, including patients, peers, and the clinical site team, as well as the potential impact on continuity of one’s own learning and ultimate success. Consideration should also be given to the potential for unplanned illness or emergency during the clinical experience. Illness/emergency absence time may not be used for personal or professional issues.
Unplanned: In the case of illness or emergency requiring a student absence, make up time will be managed in collaboration between the clinical education team and clinical site. Please see Notification and make up procedures are outlined below.
Clinical Internship
Students participating in clinical internship are expected to comply with all attendance policies and procedures established by the internship facility. During the first phase of the internship, while students are enrolled in PT843n and completing degree requirements, attendance expectations will be consistent with attendance policies for other full-time clinical experiences. Missed time may delay completion of degree requirements and could jeopardize the student’s continuation in the internship. Such decisions will be made jointly by the Clinical Education Team (faculty) and the internship facility. Following completion of PT843n and graduation, interns will be subject to attendance policies of the internship facility. Attendance patterns throughout the internship year are expected to reflect that the intern is taking full professional responsibility for meeting all patient care and other job requirements and furthering the student’s professional development and learning.
3. Notification of Absence/Planned Time Off Requests: For unplanned absences (illness or emergency), students will inform the clinical facility before the start of the scheduled clinical hours to report the absence. The student will also email the Clinical Education team to report the absence.
For planned religious observances, students should email the clinical education team regarding the planned absence dates prior to the start of the clinical experience. From there, the team will advise students on how to proceed in informing the clinical site.
For planned absences (personal/professional) students should make a request before the clinical experience begins by completing a Planned Absence Request Form. The Clinical Education Team will consider the absence and consult with the SCCE/CI prior to making a decision. The Clinical Education Team will make every effort to respond in a timely manner. Planned absence requests are not guaranteed until approved; therefore, students should refrain from confirming any plans until they receive a response.
4. Make-up Time: Generally, absences up to 3 days total will not require make-up. Time that exceeds 3 days for any reason will be discussed jointly between clinical education team faculty and the SCCE/CI and a decision will be made. Student performance will be a primary consideration in this discussion and all decisions around make-up time. Students are expected to be flexible in scheduling making-up time because the clinic’s and CI’s schedule are paramount. Time that is not able to be completed for make-up may have an impact on successful completion of the clinical experience and curricular progression (see AP10-Curricular Progression).
Consequences of Non-adherence to Attendance Policy:
Adherence to the attendance policy and procedures are part of professionalism and will be reflected in assessment of student performance and subject to DPT Program Professional Behavior Actions (see AP7-Professional Behavior Actions).