The ADN Program and nursing students are legally bound by the contract the program has with each healthcare facility. It is important to remember that we are guests at each facility. Students have responsibilities outlined in the contract which include:

• Abiding by policies, procedures and regulations of the facility; including education and badge requirements. All required immunizations must be complete, current, and uploaded to vaccination management system before first clinical day. Note: students may be required to show proof of negative COVID before patient care. 
• Working with staff to provide safe and competent nursing care.
• Adhering to HIPAA regulations and guidelines.
• Abiding by policies, procedures and regulations of the FCC Nursing Department

Preparing to become a Registered Nurse requires critical thinking and personal accountability. It involves applying knowledge and performing skills in a consistently safe, competent, efficient, and professional manner. It also involves a gradual transition from close instructor observation to a more independent/collaborative level of practice. To assist students in determining when to give patient care without direct instructor observation and when to call the instructor, the following guidelines have been developed.

Contact Your Clinical Faculty When …

• Assigned a patient that is family or a personal acquaintance.
• Anything unsafe happens to your patient (e.g., a fall, medication error).
• You injure yourself in any way (e.g., needle puncture, back strain).
• Personal issue that would conflict with attending clinical or completing clinical assignment.

Clinical Absence Policy

In the event of a student absence from the clinical area, the student must contact the clinical faculty not less than 60 minutes prior to the start of the shift. The student must contact (email/text or as directed) the course faculty. Please specify the date of your absence and the clinical rotation you missed. If a student is absent from a clinical rotation where an instructor is not present, they must also notify the unit where assigned not less than 60 minutes prior to the start of the shift. (See attendance policy.)

If injury occurs while in clinical, immediately contact clinical faculty. The student will be required to complete documentation required by the college and/or facility.

All incoming students are required to purchase the approved clinical uniform:

• Red scrub top with embroidered FCC nursing emblem and matching red cargo scrub pants from Dove (available only through the FCC Bookstore).
• Low-riding scrub bottoms are prohibited. Pants must not drag on the floor and be properly
• Students are not permitted to wear sweaters or hoodies with their scrub
• Undergarments must not be visible through the material of the
• Uniform must be freshly laundered, ironed, and in good repair.

Shoes and socks

• Clean white oxfords or slip-on shoes with closed toes and heels.
• All white athletic shoes are acceptable (brand name lettering or logos must be in white only). Canvas athletic or tennis shoes are not acceptable.
• Shoes must be in good repair with no open areas. NO clogs or shoes with heel straps.
• Above the ankle socks must be plain white (no patterns allowed). No “no-show” socks allowed.

Scents

• The use of perfumes, scented lotions, essential oils, colognes or aftershave is not allowed due to possible patient sensitivity or allergy.
• Cigarette smoke/odor is not acceptable in the clinical area.

Student head coverings

• When worn, must be black with both skills and clinical uniforms.

Hair

• No extreme hairstyles or colors are The clinical sites in support of their patients, may ask for modification in hairstyles.
• Sideburns should be neatly trimmed and groomed (not long and bushy). Beards interfere with the effectiveness of the N95 mask (TB, H1N1, etc.), for safety purposes we request that men be clean shaven.
• Hair color must be considered a naturally occurring hair color, be neat, clean and up off the collar at all times or secured back. 
• Long hair must be worn up in a bun and/or hair must be contained and kept in a manner that it does not fall forward in skills and clinical settings. Bangs must be kept out of the eyes.
• No flowers or large hair Synthetic hair, including extensions, may not be allowed in clinical settings.

Nails

• Natural nails must be clean and not extend beyond the tips of the fingers. 
• No artificial nails or nail polish/gels/acrylics/stickers allowed. 

Makeup

• Conservative—no artificial eyelashes (including magnetic) or excessive make-up is permitted. If unsure of this definition please consult your faculty. Students must comply with agency policies.
• Clinical instructors, at their discretion, may ask students to alter makeup, nails, and jewelry.

Jewelry

• Only wedding rings or plain, simple rings are permitted (maximum – one ring per hand). No stones, simple band only. (certain clinical sites may request removal of all rings due to risk for infection in immunocompromised patients).
• One pair of earrings—small, stud-type (no larger than 1/4"), no hoops or dangling earrings. (Piercings on the upper pinna and tragus are not allowed).
• No bracelets or necklaces (religious requirements must have supporting letter from religious leader).

Piercing

• No piercing or jewelry/hardware may be evident except for one small stud earring in each earlobe. Visible body piercings are not allowed (eyebrow, nose, tongue, lip, or any others).

Tattoos

• Visible tattoos must be covered with make-up, Band-Aids or clothing. 

ID Badge

• All students are required to have as part of their uniform, the FCC ID nametag and the hospital I.D.
• The picture identification name badge (FCC and hospital I.D.) must be clearly visible during all clinical activities.
• Decorative or lapel Pins or any other jewelry or paraphernalia must not be worn at any time during the clinical setting.
• Pins or any other paraphernalia indicating that the student is a RN must not be worn at any time until passing the NCLEX-RN examination, and the license to practice as an RN is awarded. 

Jackets

All students may wear:

• the approved black long-sleeved undershirt from Dove under the red scrub top.
• the approved black warm-up jacket with the embroidered FCC nursing emblem over the required uniform.

Equipment

All students are required to have, as part of their uniform:

• A stethoscope
• A penlight
• Bandage scissors
• Watch with a sweep hand or digital second indicator
• Black sharpie, black and red ballpoint pens, pencil
• Recommended: folder or clipboard
• Belly bags, fanny packs, belt bags, cellular phones and pagers are not allowed in the clinical setting or in the classroom. Any disruption by an electronic device will result in the student being invited to leave the classroom or hospital setting

*** Violation of this practice will result in an unexcused absence.***

The clinical uniform must not be worn outside the clinical setting (including the skills lab), i.e., the community (grocery store, restaurants, shopping, personal errands, etc.).

Policy updated 10/2023

All incoming students are required to purchase the approved skills lab uniform and adhere to the following:

Uniform

• FCC Nursing crewneck t-shirt and black scrub pants from Dove (available only through the FCC Bookstore).
• Low-riding scrub bottoms are prohibited. Pants must not drag on the floor and be properly hemmed.
• Students are not permitted to wear sweaters or hoodies with their skills lab uniforms.
• Undergarments must not be visible through the material of the uniform.
• Uniform must be freshly laundered, ironed, and in good repair.

Shoes and socks

• Clean white oxfords or slip-on shoes with closed toes and heels.
• All white athletic shoes are acceptable (brand name lettering or logos must be in white only). Canvas athletic or tennis shoes are not acceptable. 
• Shoes must be in good repair with no open areas. NO clogs or shoes with heel straps.
• Above the ankle socks must be plain white (no patterns allowed). No “no-show” socks allowed.

Scents

• The use of perfumes, scented lotions, essential oils, colognes or aftershave is not allowed due to possible patient sensitivity or allergy.
• Cigarette smoke/odor is not acceptable in the skills/sim lab area.

Student head coverings

• When worn, must be black with both skills and clinical uniforms. 

Hair

• No extreme hairstyles or colors are permitted. The clinical sites in support of their patients, may ask for modification in hairstyles.
• Sideburns should be neatly trimmed and groomed (not long and bushy). Beards interfere with the effectiveness of the N95 mask (TB, H1N1, etc.), for safety purposes we request that men be clean shaven.
• Hair color must be considered a naturally occurring hair color, be neat, clean and up off the collar at all times or secured back. 
• Long hair must be worn up in a bun and/or hair must be contained and kept in a manner that it does not fall forward in skills/sim and clinical settings. Bangs must be kept out of the eyes. 
• No flowers or large hair. Synthetic hair, including extensions, may not be allowed in clinical settings.

Nails

• Natural nails must be clean and not extend beyond the tips of the fingers. 
• No artificial nails or nail polish/gels/acrylics/stickers allowed.

Makeup

• Conservative—no artificial eyelashes (including magnetic) or excessive make-up is permitted. If unsure of this definition please consult your faculty. Must comply with agency policies. 
• Clinical instructors, at their discretion, may ask students to alter makeup, nails, and jewelry. 

Jewelry

• Only wedding rings or plain, simple rings are permitted (maximum – one ring per hand). No stones, simple band only. (certain clinical sites may request removal of all rings due to risk for infection in immunocompromised patients).
• One pair of earrings—small, stud-type (no larger than 1/4"), no hoops or dangling earrings. (Piercings on the upper pinna and tragus are not allowed).
• No bracelets or necklaces (religious requirements must have supporting letter from religious leader).

Piercing

• No piercing or jewelry/hardware may be evident except for one small stud earring in each earlobe. Visible body piercings are not allowed (eyebrow, nose, tongue, lip, or any others).

Tattoos

• Visible tattoos must be covered with make-up, Band-Aids or clothing.

ID Badge

• All students are required to have as part of their uniform, the FCC ID nametag and the hospital I.D.
• The picture identification name badge (FCC and hospital I.D.) must be clearly visible during all skills/sim/clinical activities activities.
• Decorative or lapel Pins or any other jewelry or paraphernalia must not be worn at any time during the skills/sim/clinical setting. 
• Pins or any other paraphernalia indicating that the student is a RN must not be worn at any time until passing the NCLEX-RN examination, and the license to practice as an RN is awarded. 

Jackets

All students may wear:

• the approved black long-sleeved undershirt from Dove under the FCC Nursing crewneck t-shirt.
• the approved black warm-up jacket with the embroidered FCC nursing emblem over the required uniform. 

Equipment

All students are required to have, as part of their uniform:

• A stethoscope
• A penlight
• Bandage scissors
• Watch with a sweep hand or digital second indicator
• Black sharpie, black and red ballpoint pens, pencil
• Recommended: folder or clipboard
• Belly bags, fanny packs, belt bags, cellular phones and pagers are not allowed in the clinical setting or in the classroom. Any disruption by an electronic device will result in the student being invited to leave the classroom or hospital setting. 

The skills lab uniform must not be worn outside the skills lab setting (including the clinical site), i.e., the community (grocery store, restaurants, shopping, personal errands, etc.).

Policy last updated 10/2023

Professional looking street clothes are to be worn in the Mental Health units according to the guidelines in the RN-66 Nursing Care of the Client with Behavioral and Emotional Disorders Clinical syllabus, and includes:

• Dress: Professional slacks, blouse/shirt with sleeves, and low-heeled closed shoes are required.
• No open toe or open heel shoes, no ties, no jeans, no spaghetti straps.
• No tight or low-cut shirts/blouses or pants/trousers, no Capri or ¾ length pants - all pants must cover ankles.
• Dresses and skirts must be modest, long and loose enough to allow for unhindered movement and without exposure of body parts.
• No long or exotic hairstyles, heavy make-up or scents, jewelry should be minimal to none.
• No visible body piercing or tattoos. No obvious polish or artificial nails are allowed. Hair should be tied back and away from face.

In addition to the dress code, it is expected that all students follow good personal hygiene habits, which include taking a daily bath or shower, the use of an effective deodorant, a daily change of undergarments and frequent oral hygiene (no gum chewing in clinical or skills).