Overview
At Cleveland Clinic Akron General, our nurses are deeply committed to their profession and eager to help student nurses take those first steps toward their nursing careers. We believe we have a responsibility to help new nurses and understand the need for professional role models and a supportive environment.
We’re certain that students and faculty will find their experience at Akron General both enriching and rewarding as they progress in their career as a Registered Nurse. Our goal is to provide solid clinical experiences for students from affiliated nursing schools in a collaborative, educational environment.
Information for Instructors & Coordinators
Whether you are a nursing instructor or coordinator, you will find all the information you need to facilitate processes involved with student clinical experiences at Cleveland Clinic Akron General. If you have any questions please contact Teresa Westerheide-Haller, professional development specialist and student education coordinator, at 330.344.6178 or via email at WesterT@ccf.org.
Affiliation Agreement
An affiliation agreement is required for placement of students at the Akron General. Contact Kim Kerr at KerrK@ccf.org to check on the status of an agreement between Akron General Health System and your school.
Affiliation agreements are not meant to be completed by individual instructors or students. A sample Akron General Health System agreement, which provides minimum expectations, is made available for the nursing coordinator or school official.
Instructor Affirmation/ Attestation
A compiled affirmation/attestation log must be verified annually each school year by the nursing coordinator or a school official for all instructors who will be assigned to Akron General Health System for student clinical rotations and submitted via email to WesterT@ccf.org or mailed to:
Teresa Westerheide-Haller
Staff Development – Student Coordinator
Cleveland Clinic Akron General
1 Akron General Ave
Akron, Ohio 44307
Student Affirmation/ Attestation
It is expected that your School shall ensure that all participants assigned to Akron General are in compliance with Health Requirements prior to commencement of assignment. Participant’s health records will stay with the School and be available to the training Site upon request. To that end, we do not need health or influenza vaccination records, but need to know they are being verified by the school annually.
Please submit a list of students with a documented declination for receiving influenza vaccination via email to WesterT@ccf.org by the following dates:
- Oct. 1 for Fall Semester placements
- Jan. 1 for Spring Semester placements
A sample Akron General student influenza declination log is made available for the nursing coordinator or school official to use or you may communicate via methods convenient for your program.
Clinical Requests/Placement of Students
Clinical requests are to be submitted via email to WesterT@ccf.org by the following dates:
- May 15 for Fall Semester placements
- Oct. 15 for Spring Semester placements
- April 15 for Summer Semester placements
Clinical requests cannot be guaranteed if the requests are not submitted by the time frame indicated. The request must indicate: unit requested, number of students, level of students, start date, stop date time and any exception dates.
Preceptorship Program Placements
Preceptor requests are to be submitted via email to WesterT@ccf.org. The form must be completed by the following dates:
- May 15 for Fall Semester placements
- Oct. 15 for Spring Semester placements
- April 15 for Summer Semester placements
Preceptorship placements will be contingent upon availability of volunteer preceptors and units. The Ohio State Board Preceptor Qualification Form will be utilized for recruitment and distribution to the staff by the Student Education Coordinator unless otherwise specified.
Orientation of Faculty to Akron General
- New faculty must have an introductory session with Teresa Westerheide-Haller, professional development specialist and student education coordinator. To schedule an appointment contact Teresa at 330.344.6178 or via email at WesterT@ccf.org.
- In addition, a walk-through orientation and unit specific orientation is required. Teresa will provide contact information for the unit director. New faculty may also tour Akron General with an experienced faculty colleague.
- Continuing faculty will receive appropriate updates from Staff Development.
Required Paperwork
- Faculty must submit a Confidentiality Form and McKesson Horizon Clinicals Agreement.
- Submit the Student Contact, Compliance & Confidentiality Form. This will be your verification that all students have completed orientation training, confidentiality education, documentation requirements and expectations.
Faculty Badges
Nursing Faculty are required to wear an Akron General ID badge when working with students or performing duties related to students.
- The ID badge is obtained from the Badging Office located in the reception office of the Human Resource Building on Akron General's main campus. The contact phone number is 330.344.2199.
- The Badging Office hours are Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. This ID badge allows for faculty access to McKesson Horizon Clinicals documentation for reading purposes. Students’ activities should be performed by the student and not by faculty.
Hospital policy and practice also allows the nursing student access to the Medication Administration Dispensing Unit to administer medications. This access is not provided to the faculty who should not directly administer medications.
Student Badges
Students are required to wear an Akron General ID badge when working with patients or picking up assignments.
- Teresa will provide ID badges to you for your students prior to the rotation beginning.
- Please be sure to make arrangements by contacting Teresa at 330.344.6178 or via email at WesterT@ccf.org to pick up your badges in a timely manner.
This ID badge allows students to document in McKesson Horizon Clinicals. Students’ activities should be performed by the student and not by faculty.
The student badges allow the nursing student access to the Medication Administration Dispensing Unit to administer medications. This access is not provided to the faculty who should not directly administer medications.
Scheduling Rooms
- Space for computer training is available for the faculty by contacting Teresa at 330.344.6178 or via email at WesterT@ccf.org.
- Rooms for pre- and post-conference are available for the faculty by contacting Teresa at 330.344.6178 or via email at WesterT@ccf.org.
Student Education
- Access General Student Orientation
- Access Student orientation for documentation
- It is expected that faculty will review education modules that students are required to complete.
- In addition, faculty are to give a unit specific orientation to their students highlighting information regarding student roles.
Evaluations
All instructors/coordinators and students should complete an evaluation of the clinical experience at the end of the semester or clinical.
The staff here at Akron General will also be completing an evaluation of the student learning environment. The information and responses will be collated from all of the evaluations and will be shared with the directors, staff on the units and schools.
Shadow a Nurse Program
Thank you for your interest in Cleveland Clinic Akron General.
Due to the overwhelming number of job shadowing requests, we are no longer accepting applications at this time.
Undergraduate Nursing
Welcome to Cleveland Clinic Akron General! We are dedicated to making your clinical time here with us an enjoyable and educational experience.
Prior to beginning your time with us you must complete education each school year, which reviews specific policies and procedures unique to the Akron General (exception: Akron General staff members). You will not be allowed to participate in patient care or your rotation until you have completed this Student Orientation. Students who are required to observe in the OR may also be required to complete this Introduction to OR Observation.
Guidelines Governing Student Nurses at Akron General
Standards
Student nurses will be held to the standards of competent professional nurses when performing all nursing duties. Akron General Registered Nurses maintain the ultimate responsibility for patient care.
Clinical Responsibilities
- Patient Report - Students must receive a patient report to find out your patient's needs, scheduled tests, lab results and condition. It is imperative that you notify your instructor and the primary care nurse when there is a change in your patient condition, or a problem with equipment. You must report off to the primary care nurse when leaving the floor or at the end of your clinical day using SBAR communication or your school approved communication process.
- Clinical Skills/Procedures - Students are to demonstrate safe practices and follow all Akron General Procedure guidelines. Your instructor must be present if you have not attained clinical competency in a procedure. Your instructor will provide guidance about which skills may be performed independently.
- Medications - Your nursing instructor will check ALL medications prior to your administration of medications. Students are to demonstrate safe medication practices and follow all Akron General Medication Administration procedures. This includes, but is not limited to knowledge of the Rights of medication administration, medication action, safe dosage, side effects and special considerations for administration.
Dress Code
You are expected to dress in a professional manner. The school of nursing student will wear appropriate uniform and ID badge while on duty in the clinical setting. Lab coats are permitted and ID badges are required when the student is completing data collection or picking up an assignment. Akron General does not provide lab coats to Advanced Practice Registered Nursing Students. No T-shirts, jeans or open toed shoes are allowed.
Protected Health Information (PHI)
- Medical Record/Electronic Records Access- All patient information is protected by HIPAA privacy and security laws.
- Users are reminded to only access patient information that is needed.
- Never share or give out your user name and passwords.
- Students may NOT photocopy any part of the patient's medical record or have in their possession any individually identifiable health information belonging to a patient.
- All patient information that is being thrown away must be placed in shredder boxes.
- Avoid using waiting rooms or public areas to interview patients or brief family members.
- Do not discuss patients in the cafeteria, elevators, hallways or outside in the picnic areas.
- Use extra care in protecting patient confidentiality.
Sharing information
Information about the patient's condition may be shared with the family if the patient gives permission (can be verbal), the patient is unconscious or confused, or if it is in the best interest of the patient. If you receive a call asking for a patient by name only, the patient's name, room number and condition information may be provided.
Documentation
After completing the McKesson Horizon Clinicals Documentation Training and/or clinical documentation specific to your assigned unit with your clinical instructor, you will receive a user ID and password and be able to document care for your patient.
Electronic Communication
Electronic communication devices such as cell phones, iPods, or iPads should not be utilized in clinical areas where you are able to be observed by patients, families, or visitors. You may utilize these devices for accessing needed references for patient care assignments, but should not do so in areas where you are in public view. Please also observe all requirements of your school regarding electronic devices.
The perception that you are using your devices for personal communication, even if you are not, must be avoided. This is important for building and maintaining trust with our patients, families and visitors.
Social Media
Students are strictly prohibited from posting or referencing patient information on social media sites. Even if an individual patient is not identified by name, there may still be a reasonable basis to believe that the patient could be identified from the information and that the disclosure could constitute violation of HIPAA Compliance, confidentiality, harassment/nondiscrimination and Akron General Policy.
Akron General reserves the right to demand that you remove any information from a social media site if the posting could impair or injure the reputation of, or otherwise harm Akron General or its patients and employees.
Service League Nursing Scholarship
The goal of Cleveland Clinic Akron General's Service League Nursing Scholarship is to provide financial assistance for students regardless of race, religion, sex, age, disability or national origin, who are accepted by an accredited college of nursing. The Akron General Development Foundation, through endowments funded by the Akron General Service League and other benefactors, will provide scholarships. The scholarships are awarded based on candidate's scholarship and financial need.
- Check back soon for 2019 application details.
Eligibility
- Candidate must be accepted by an accredited Baccalaureate Nursing Program in Ohio.
- Candidates must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or more.
- Applications will be available on or around January 1 of each year. Candidates may pick them up in the Human Resources Department, print one off the Internet or have one mailed to them.
- The deadline for the scholarship is March 1 of each year.
- Scholarships are awarded in April of each year and finalists must interview in person. Recipients are invited to attend the May Service League Luncheon Meeting.
For further information, please contact Nurse Recruitment at 330.344.6867.
