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 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. 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.
As per MABORN requirements, clinical rotations must include the required number of hours in pediatrics, maternity and psychiatry sites. Students are required to complete all scheduled hours during these specialty rotations to meet clinical outcomes. If a student is unable to attend a scheduled specialty rotation due to not meeting the clinical sites’ requirements or due to absences, they will be unable to pass the course.
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).
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 – Tardiness
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CLASSROOM - * Tardiness/Incomplete Attendance
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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.
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Students who arrive after the beginning of class will wait to enter until a class break occurs. Sign will be posted on classroom door(s) once class begins.
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Students should make every effort to contact all faculty prior to class if they will be late for or need to leave early from the class for an unavoidable reason. Students will still wait until the break to enter the class.
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Students who are late will be required to complete the Nursing Late Form at break time and turn it in to the faculty teaching the class. If form is not handed in, then student will receive a class absence.
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Students being tardy or leaving early for class three times, within one semester, will result in documentation by faculty.
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Academic Concern Form completed by the Department Chair.
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Any further issues with tardiness/early departure will result in a meeting with the Director of Nursing and will result in documentation by faculty
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Second Academic Concern Form for unprofessionalism.
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If tardiness or early departure continues, another meeting will be scheduled with the Dean of Nursing and the Dean of Students.
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Third Academic Concern Form for unprofessionalism.
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Tardiness is disruptive to the class environment and will be considered an infraction of the attendance policy and the National Student Nurses’ Association, Inc. Code of Academic and Clinical Conduct.
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COLLEGE LABORATORY/SIMULATION – * Tardiness/Incomplete Attendance
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A student who is late for lab will not be allowed to participate in lab that day and will be required to attend the next scheduled lab makeup day.
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CLINICAL/DATA COLLECTION/SIMULATION - *Tardiness/Incomplete Attendance
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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 as determined by each clinical instructor.
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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.
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Attendance Policy Procedures – Absenteeism
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CLASSROOM – * Attendance
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Students missing 10% (1.5 weeks) of scheduled classes will result in documentation by faculty. Missing two weeks of class time out of fifteen weeks = 10%.
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Academic Concern Form will be issued by the Chair of program to discuss a remediation plan
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Students with absences more than 14% (3weeks) of scheduled classes will result in documentation by faculty. Missing three weeks of class time our of fifteen weeks = 14%
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Second Academic Concern Form and a meeting with the Chair and Director of Nursing. An additional form will be completed for each additional absence.
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Students will receive a zero for any missed graded class work not submitted within one week of the missed class.
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Students who anticipate missing more than 10% of class time due to an illness, should refer to the Medical Leave Policy.
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COLLEGE LABORATORY/SIMULATION – *Attendance
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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.
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Academic Concern Form for unprofessionalism by the Department Chair.
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Students are required to be prepared for all college laboratory sessions in uniform according to the dress code policy, with nametag, required supplies, lab psychomotor skills book and stethoscopes each week.
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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 as indicated on the next assigned lab makeup day as per semester schedule. Student must also complete an assignment to makeup the missed time.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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CLINICAL/SIMULATION - * Attendance
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Students are required to contact their clinical faculty by email or text at least one hour before the scheduled clinical session/simulation begins to report a planned absence. **See notes below.
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Students are required to be prepared for all clinical sessions/simulations including uniform, name tag, stethoscope, watch with a second hand, PPE and assignments completed in order to safely care for their patients.
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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.
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Academic Concern Form by clinical faculty and the Department Chair. 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 scheduled.
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Clinical/Simulation: A student who misses Simulation 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. This assignment will be submitted to the Curriculum Chair.
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Three absences from clinical will result in a Critical Incident Warning and a meeting with the Dean of Nursing or Designee. Any further absences will result in a failure in clinical and a failure for the course.
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All clinical and simulation absences must be made up on the scheduled dates posted at the beginning of the semester. The first makeup will be free but students will be charged $50 for the second and $50 for the third makeups. There are only 3 scheduled makeup days for each semester, and these may occur on Saturday days or evenings. Pediatric and Maternity SIM must be made up to meet the course outcomes in those specialty areas.
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Students will be required to makeup on the scheduled day assigned by faculty;
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Students making up clinical will have a case study assignment to complete in addition to clinical hours missed.
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- ðAssignments will be due to Curriculum Coordinator within 1week of assigned topic.
- ðIf the case study is not submitted or is incomplete, the student will receive a zero for the professionalism portion of the CET every week which could result in the student failing the clinical rotation.
- ðStudent will not be allowed to make up a clinical absence unless they completed the case study. This could result in the student failing the clinical rotation.
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Students may not miss more than one clinical day in LPN145 or LPN162 and must make up that time. Students who miss a second clinical day will be required to meet with the Chair of the Program.
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Academic Concern Form will be provided and students will be unable to complete the course objectives if more than 2 clinical days are missed and will meet with the Director of Nursing to discuss the inability to complete course objectives for clinical.
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A student will not pass clinical if they are unable to make up missed clinical hours.
If clinical is cancelled due to faculty absence, or snow day, students will attend the group makeup SIM Day at the end of the semester to complete the required course hours. Students will still be required to attend their specialty makeup for preceptor absence or snow day.
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Four academic concern forms completed for attendance infractions, per semester, will result in a meeting with the Dean of Nursing and Dean of Students to discuss consequences, including failure of the course.
WARNINGS - CLINICAL/DATA COLLECTION/SIMULATION
- 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 a Critical Incident Form and will be required to meet with the Dean of Nursing and Director of Nursing and to establish a remediation plan as per the Dismissal Policy.
- Excessive Absences - Students with more than 3 clinical absences will receive a second Critical Incident Form which will result in course failure.
- No Call No Show #1 - A student who does not contact the clinical faculty to report a clinical absence before the beginning of the clinical shift will result in receiving 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. Zeroes will not be replaced. Student will be required to make up that time as per the scheduled dates given at the beginning of the semester. Student will be required to meet with the Dean of Nursing and Director of Nursing. If a zero is given in the final six weeks of the semester, student will be unable to pass clinical and will fail the course.
- No Call No Show #2 - A student who does not contact the clinical faculty to report a clinical absence, before the beginning of the clinical shift, 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 and will automatically fail clinical and the course.
- 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 Clinical Attendance – Students will be assigned a mandatory makeup date(s)/times, at least a week before, as per the scheduled dates on the course calendar. If a student cannot attend an assigned makeup they will be given zero scores for each of the clinical evaluation criteria, on the Clinical Evaluation Tool for that clinical day. This could result in failing the course for the semester.
- Students do not have the opportunity to choose their clinical makeup date.
- It is possible for students to run out of time in the semester to successfully complete their clinical hours if multiple absences occur.
*Leaving the Clinical Site
Except in an emergency, a student may not leave the clinical area/hospital campus during the assigned work hours including breaks via automobile, public transportation, etc.
The student is expected to utilize the designated hospital break area or cafeteria for all breaks. A student must contact clinical faculty in the event of a personal emergency that requires the student to leave the clinical site. Failure to notify the clinical faculty is considered abandonment of patient and will result in documentation of professional misconduct.
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; Reviewed 10/31/22, Revised 11/28/22, 12/5/22, 12/20/2022, 5-8-23; Revised 5/16/23; Reviewed 10/2/23, Revised 12/4/23, 5/6/24, 5/15/24, Reviewed 10/28/24; Revised 12/9/24, 3/10/25 for Fall 2025, 5/12/25