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Student Handbook
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN NURSING • POST MASTER’S CERTIFICATE • DOCTOR OF NURSING PRACTICE
Vanderbilt University School of Nursing
Nashville, Tennessee
Amendments to the 2020-2021 VUSN Student Handbook
1) September 11, 2020- The following amendment was made to section Occupational Exposure
Charges on page 37 of this handbook.
Managing Charges for Testing and Treatment after BBF and Other Exposures:
• During clinical experiences, there is a risk for exposure to BBF (Blood and Body Fluids)
and other harms. VUSN offers assistance with out of pocket direct costs when the
academic experience results in an exposure.
If charges are incurred from Occupational Health, Student Health, or a hospital other
than Vanderbilt, students should allow their personal health insurance to be billed. In an
educational placement, students are not eligible for worker’s compensation.
•
• The Vanderbilt School of Nursing will pay for any charges that are not covered by the
student’s health insurance. Invoices for remaining balances should be sent to the
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs for payment. The payment directly to the provider is a
means of supporting the student to reduce/eliminate out of pocket costs in the case of
an exposure while in the program.
• Students should not pay the invoices directly.
• Notify Tamika Hudson, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs at
tamika.s.hudson@vanderbilt.edu or by phone at 615.343.3334 or Allie Saxon, Program
Coordinator II at allie.saxon@vanderbilt.edu or by phone at 615.322.2814.
2) The following section has been added to page 68 of this handbook effective December 4,
2020.
Change in Program of Studies for NM/FNP MSN Students
Students admitted to the NM/FNP program have an option to complete MSN degree
requirements at the end of December and change their program of study to progress
seamlessly into the FNP Post-Masters certificate.
By November 1 , the student must:
1) Contact Kristie Smith, Director of Financial Services to investigate how, or if, the
aid/loan package will change
a. MSN scholarships cannot be used for Post-Masters study.
b. Federal loans can be applied to Post-Masters study
2) Notify NM and FNP Specialty Directors of the intent to take this option
3) Two forms must be completed:
a. Complete the Change of Specialty Form to drop FNP and complete the MSN in
December, and complete the FNP program as a Postmaster Certificate
i. Form at: https://nursing.vanderbilt.edu/students/current/pdf/status.pdf
VUSN MSN, POST-MASTER’S CERTIFICATE, and DNP Student Handbook 2020-2021
b. Complete the Quick Admit form
https://divinity.vanderbilt.edu/admissions/Quick%20Admit%20Application.pdf
Send to VUSN registrar (sara.a.donahoe@vanderbilt.edu )
4) Register for Spring classes by November 30th
5) Implications for Commencement, Investiture & Pinning Ceremonies
a. Pinning – Student:
i. Will be invited to attend the December Pinning with other December
ii. Will be invited to attend May Pinning ceremony to receive the FNP
iii. May defer attending pinning until May and receive both the pin and
MSN graduates
Postmaster Certificate
certificate concurrently
b. Investiture and Commencement ceremonies: MSN graduates are listed in the
official Commencement program within the specialty completed. Completion of
a specialty in the Postmasters Certificate program, in this case FNP, will not be
listed in the Commencement program.
3) December 21, 2020- The following amendment was made to section Veritas Reporting
System on page 64 of this handbook. (See next page for details)
VUSN MSN, POST-MASTER’S CERTIFICATE, and DNP Student Handbook 2020-2021
Origami Risk – VUSN Incident Reporting
The reporting system is used (similar to the legacy
Veritas system) to report any risk, professional liability
or safety occurrence, observed by or involving a
Vanderbilt University School of Nursing student, staff,
or faculty member. Any type of incident may be
reported including but not limited to risk management
issues such as clinical related occurrences, student
injury or near miss when in a clinical setting,
bullying, incivility, and discrimination. There are other
VUSN and VU resources available to resolve concerns
related to programs of study and courses. Additional
resources are listed in the VUSN Student Handbook
section entitled VUSN: Academic Policies.
All reports entered into Origami Risk will be
reviewed within a 48-hour period by VU risk
management personnel and certain reports will
trigger notification to additional departments, for
example, Student Access Services, Equal
Opportunity and Access, or Title IX. An
aggregate report of VUSN incidents will be
provided to Dean Linda Norman.
safe reporting any incident they desire without fearing retribution. It is the goal of the university to
encourage reporting to best respond to perceived and actual risk occurrences. The VU Risk
Management Office is available by emailing riskandinsurance@vanderbilt.edu or should you have any
immediate questions, contact us.
It is important that all students, staff and faculty feel
TO ENTER THE ORIGAMI RISK SYSTEM—
• Go to https://www.vanderbilt.edu/riskmanagement/ and click on “Report a University Occurrence”
on the right Quick Links.
• The system does not require sign in.
Any anonymous report may limit the ability for follow up if additional information is needed.
TO COMPLETE A VUSN INCIDENT
•
From the Welcome Page, select “Submit a New Incident.” The first incident page will ask
a series of questions designed to direct you to the appropriate type of report.
If reporting an adverse occurrence or outcome in a clinical setting (patient), if there was an
injury, select yes “Are you reporting an injury or illness…” and follow the prompts for
selecting Employee or Non-Employee.
If the reporter (student) experienced an injury or exposure in a clinical setting, select “yes”
for injury. Faculty and Staff of VU will report work related injury (worker’s compensation)
by selecting the checkbox “yes” for VU employee injury.
On the Injury incident detail page, under “Specific Incident Type,” there is an option to
select “VUSN Incident.” And in the injury type, multiple options including –
Maternal/Childbirth (where applicable)
If reporting an incident involving no bodily injury risk, select “No” and “YES” for “Did
something else happen.” This will show the “other” incident type and then select the box.
Please enter a complete description of the event. This helps the Risk Management team assess and respond.
VUSN MSN, POST-MASTER’S CERTIFICATE, and DNP Student Handbook 2020-2021
Table of Contents
Table of Contents ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1
LETTER FROM THE DEAN ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5
ACADEMIC CALENDAR FOR 2020-2021 ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6
ABOUT THE SCHOOL ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7
ACCREDITATION ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7
EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8
HISTORY …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9
MISSION STATEMENT ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9
SKILLS AND SIMULATION LAB ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9
ACADEMICS ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11
ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICE FOR STUDENTS …………………………………………………………………………… 11
CLINICAL PLACEMENT …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 17
COMPUTING SERVICES ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 19
VUSN LOCATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES …………………………………………………………………………. 24
GENERAL INFORMATION FOR ALL NURSING STUDENTS ……………………………………………………………….. 25
CHANGE OF ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBER ……………………………………………………………………… 25
COMMUNICATING WITH THE SCHOOL OF NURSING ………………………………………………………………….. 25
CONTINUING STUDENT REQUIREMENTS …………………………………………………………………………………… 26
NEW STUDENT REQUIREMENTS ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 29
EXPOSURE TO CONTAGIONS OR HEALTH EMERGENCIES …………………………………………………………….. 35
FORMS FOR ENROLLMENT CHANGES ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 37
LICENSURE AND CERTIFICATION ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 37
LOST AND FOUND ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 40
PARKING ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 40
REGISTRATION ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 41
ROOM RESERVATIONS ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 43
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS AND AFFINITY GROUPS ……………………………………………………………………. 43
TRADITIONS: GRADUATION, HONORS, INVESTITURE, PINNING, AND STUDENT EVENTS AT VUSN ……. 47
VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY: RESOURCES ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 51
BARNES AND NOBLE AT VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE …………………………………………………… 51
BEN SCHULMAN CENTER FOR JEWISH LIFE ……………………………………………………………………………….. 51
BISHOP JOSEPH JOHNSON BLACK CULTURAL CENTER ………………………………………………………………… 51
CAMPUS COMMUNICATIONS ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 51
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VUSN MSN, POST-MASTER’S CERTIFICATE, and DNP Student Handbook 2020-2021