Attendance Policy

Berkshire Community College

Practical Nursing Program

Attendance Policy

BCC’s Nursing Program Attendance Policy reflects both the minimum amount of class, laboratory, and clinical attendance hours mandated by MABORN for nursing education programs and the program’s philosophy that professes engagement in all components of nursing education is essential to making critical connections between class, laboratory, and clinical experiences. MABORN mandates 1080 didactic and clinical hours for Practical Nurse Programs. Full attendance is considered the full number of hours as designated on the class, laboratory, and clinical schedules. Students are required to sign an attestation of receipt of the Attendance Policy during the first week of entering or reentering the program and an updated signature in the event of any amendments to the policy as they are made.

Student achievement of the course’s student learning outcomes are dependent on attendance and participation in each of the learning component areas of the program. Class, laboratory, and clinical components are taught with a simple to complex model, building on nursing concepts. Therefore, attendance is required in all nursing program education components to ensure fulfillment of both regulatory and learning requirements.

Faculty recognize that extenuating circumstances may require a student to miss one or more of the learning sessions. Therefore, an allowance has been made for limited absences, regarding adherence to regulatory requirements and responsibility for missed learning session content, as indicated *below for each of the program’s learning components. This allowance is to afford flexibility for students to meet periodic attendance challenges. However, regardless of reason for the absence(s), students are responsible for completion of all assignments, activities, and objectives of missed session(s). Refer to the program’s Medical Leave Policy for need of absences due to prolonged medical circumstances.

In addition, adherence to the Attendance Policy further demonstrates professionalism in nursing.

Patterns of tardiness, leaving learning sessions early, and absences are not consistent with the

professional standards expected of nursing students (https://www.nsna.org/nsna-code-of-ethics.html )

and will result in disciplinary action as per the program’s Dismissal Policy Including Remediation Plan.

Attendance Policy Procedures

CLASSROOM – * Attendance

Students missing ≥7% of class time per nursing course will result in documentation by faculty and receipt of documentation by the student of the occurrences on an Academic Concern Form completed by the faculty member teaching the class and may result in the student missing too much class content in order to meet student learning outcomes. Missing one week of class time out of fifteen weeks =7%.
Students missing ≥10% of scheduled classes will result in documentation by faculty and receipt of documentation by the student of the occurrences on a Critical Incident Form and will be required to meet with the Dean of Nursing and the Chair of the Program to discuss a remediation plan. Missing 1.5 weeks of class time out of fifteen weeks = 10%.
Students missing ≥14% of scheduled classes will result in documentation by faculty and receipt of documentation by the student of the occurrences on a second Critical Incident Form. Students will be required to meet with the Dean of Nursing and the Dean of Students and will be in violation of professional standards as well as the mandated number of hours required by MABORN for Practical Nurse programs. Students will be dismissed from the Nursing Program as per dismissal policy. Missing two weeks of class time out of fifteen weeks = 14%.
Students will receive a zero for any missed graded class work not submitted within one week of the missed class.
Students who anticipate missing more than7% of class time due to an illness, should refer to the Medical Leave Policy.
CLASSROOM - * Tardiness/Incomplete Attendance

Students are expected to be seated and ready to participate in class activities at the start of each class by the start time indicated on the course schedule.
Students should make every effort to contact faculty prior to class if they will be late for or need to leave early from the class for an unavoidable reason.
There will be a designated, marked late seat section in the classroom to minimize class disruption with late arrivals.
Students being tardy for class three times, within one semester, will result in documentation by faculty and receipt of documentation by the student of the occurrences on an Academic Concern Form completed by the faculty member teaching the class.
Students leaving early from class three times, within one semester, will result in documentation by faculty and receipt of documentation by the student of the occurrences on an Academic Concern Form completed by the faculty member teaching the class.
Any further issues with tardiness/early departure will result in a meeting with the Dean of Nursing and/or designee and will result in documentation by faculty and receipt of documentation by the student of the occurrences on a Critical Incidence form for unprofessionalism.
Arrival more than 30 minutes after the start time, according to the class schedule, will be recorded as an absence, not as tardiness. The policy for class absence will then be followed.

COLLEGE LABORATORY – *Attendance
Students are required to call or email the scheduled lab faculty to report a planned absence before a scheduled lab. Students who fail to notify the appropriate lab faculty of an absence will result in documentation by faculty and receipt of documentation by the student of the occurrences on an Academic Concern Form for unprofessionalism from the lab faculty.
Students are required to be prepared for all college laboratory sessions in uniform with nametag, stethoscope, and lab skills book as directed by faculty.

A student who is absent from a campus lab or dismissed from lab by faculty due to lack of preparation is responsible for making up the content of the missed lab on the following faculty planned lab makeup date.
A student may not progress to the next lab skill until the missed skill is satisfied. It is the responsibility of the student to contact and schedule make-up time with the lab faculty.
It is possible for students to run out of time in the semester to successfully complete formalized psychomotor skills if multiple failures and/or lab absences occur.
Failure to successfully complete all formalized psychomotor lab skills will result in a failure to meet student clinical learning outcomes for clinical and campus lab, and the student will receive a course failure.
COLLEGE LABORATORY – * Tardiness/Incomplete Attendance

Students should make every effort to contact faculty prior to lab if they will be late for or need to leave early from the lab for an unavoidable reason.
Students being tardy for lab three times, within one semester, will result in documentation by faculty and receipt of documentation by the student of the occurrences on an Academic Concern Form completed by the faculty member teaching the lab.
Students leaving early from lab three times, within one semester, will result in documentation by faculty and receipt of documentation by the student of the occurrences on an Academic Concern Form completed by the faculty member teaching the lab.
Any further issues with tardiness/early departure will result in a meeting with the Dean of Nursing and/or designee and will result in documentation by faculty and receipt of documentation by the student of the occurrences on a Critical Incidence form for unprofessionalism.
Arrival more than 30 minutes after the start time, according to the lab schedule, will be recorded as an absence, not as tardiness. The policy for lab absence will then be followed.
CLINICAL/DATA COLLECTION - * Attendance
Students are required to call the clinical unit at the health care facility at least one hour before the scheduled clinical session/data collection begins to report a planned absence.
In addition, students are also required to contact their clinical faculty by email or text at least one hour before the scheduled clinical session/data collection begins to report a planned absence.
Students are required to be prepared for all clinical sessions/data collections including uniform, name tag, stethoscope, PPE and assignments completed in order to safely care for their patients.
Students who are not in uniform or prepared to safely care for their patients will be dismissed from clinical and expected to leave the clinical unit. The student will be marked as absent and will result in documentation by faculty and receipt of documentation by the student of the occurrences on a Critical Incident Form by clinical faculty. Student will receive zero scores for each of the clinical evaluation criteria on the Clinical Evaluation Tool for that clinical day and will be required to attend the next clinical makeup day as scheduled.

A student who misses data collection and/or clinical is responsible for the content and assignments for the clinical week, regardless of the reason for missing the clinical hours and will be given an alternate assignment to make up hours missed. 2 or more absences from data collection and/or clinical will result in documentation by faculty and receipt of documentation by the student of the occurrences on an Academic Concern Form.
All clinical absences must be made up on the scheduled dates given at the beginning of the semester. There are only 3 scheduled makeup days for each semester and most will occur on Saturdays.
Students making up clinical will have a case study assignment to complete in addition to clinical hours missed.

CLINICAL/DATA COLLECTION *Clinical Absenteeism - Warnings
Multiple Absences - No more than 3 absences will be allowed in any given semester. Students who miss 3 clinical days will result in documentation by faculty and receipt of documentation by the student of the occurrences on an Academic Concern Form and will be required to meet with the Dean of Nursing and Program Chair to establish a remediation plan as per the Dismissal Policy with Remediation Plan.
Excessive Absences - Students with more than 3 clinical absences will result in documentation by faculty and receipt of documentation by the student of the occurrences on a Critical Incident Form, meet with the Dean of Nursing and the Dean of Students to be dismissed from the program due to the inability to complete course outcomes and clinical program hours as per Dismissal Policy with Remediation Plan.

No Call No Show #1 - A student who does not call both the clinical unit and the clinical faculty to report a clinical absence will result in documentation by faculty and receipt of documentation by the student of the occurrences on a Critical Incident Form for unprofessionalism, zero scores, for each of the clinical evaluation criteria, on the Clinical Evaluation Tool for that clinical day. Student will be required to make up that time as per the scheduled dates given at the beginning of the semester.

No Call No Show #2 - A student who does not call both the clinical unit and the clinical faculty to report a clinical absence a second time will receive zero scores, for each of the clinical evaluation criteria, on the Clinical Evaluation Tool for that clinical day. This will result in documentation by faculty and receipt of documentation by the student of the occurrences on a second Critical Incident Form. Student will be required to meet with the Dean of Nursing and the Dean of Students to be dismissed from the program for unprofessionalism as per the Dismissal Policy with Remediation Plan. Failure to meet with the Dean of Nursing and Dean of Students will result in dismissal from program and notice to the student via email.

Medical Non-compliance - A student who misses clinical due to noncompliance to immunizations or CPR, will result in documentation by faculty and receipt of documentation by the student of the occurrences on an Academic Concern Form for unprofessionalism and zero scores, for each of the clinical evaluation criteria, on the Clinical Evaluation Tool for that clinical day. Student will be required to make up that time as per the scheduled dates given at the beginning of the semester. The scoring for the clinical makeup day will replace the score for the day of absence.
Illness - A student absent from clinical due to illness will receive zero scores, for each of the clinical evaluation criteria, on the Clinical Evaluation Tool for that clinical day and will be required to make up that day as per the scheduled dates given at the beginning of the semester. The scoring for the clinical makeup day will replace the score for the day of absence.
Make up Attendance - If a student cannot attend an assigned makeup as per the scheduled dates given at the beginning of the semester, they will be given zero scores, for each of the clinical evaluation criteria, on the Clinical Evaluation Tool for that clinical day.

Medical Leave - Students who are ill and will miss more than 1 clinical day due to a specific illness, should refer to the Medical Leave Policy.

CLINICAL/DATA COLLECTION *Tardiness/Incomplete Attendance

• Clinical tardiness results in unsafe patient care due to lack of or a curtailed shift report. Students are considered tardy when they arrive later than the designated start time, at the designated location, within the health care facility, as defined by each clinical instructor.

• A student who is late for clinical will not be allowed to participate in clinical that day, will be dismissed from clinical and expected to leave the clinical unit. will receive zero scores, for each of the clinical evaluation criteria, on the Clinical Evaluation Tool for that clinical day and will be required to make up that day as per the scheduled dates given at the beginning of the semester. The scoring for the clinical makeup day will replace the scores for the day of absence.

Revised: PN Faculty Committee, 5/30/19, 11/06/19, 11/13/19, 11/20/19, 1/27/20; Reviewed 5/28/20; Revised 11/5/20, 12/17/20, 4/28/21, 8/17/21, 11/8/21. Revised 5/24/22