This policy is to establish guidelines for appropriate and professional use of electronic devices (e.g., cell phones, smartphones, tablets, computers) during clinical by nursing students. “Clinical” is defined as the various settings utilized in any clinical nursing course (for example, skills laboratory, acute care facilities, sub-acute care and rehabilitation facilities, long-term care facilities, clinics and physician offices, and community settings). Students must first adhere to the policies of the clinical facility, as well as this CON policy, regarding the use of electronic devices in clinical settings.
If electronic devices are approved for use according to clinical facility policy, the following restrictions apply:
- Electronic devices may only be used for clinically-related reasons as approved by each clinical instructor and/or course coordinator
- All devices must be kept on “silent” or “vibrate” mode in the clinical setting
- Use of electronic devices for personal communication (e.g., email, text, social media) or other personal reasons unrelated to clinical is strictly prohibited
- Taking any voice recordings, photographs or videos during clinical is strictly prohibited
- Students are responsible for adhering to the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) regulations regarding protected health information. Students may not download or store any confidential client data on a personal electronic device
Violations of this policy and/or the policy of the clinical facility may result in clinical remediation or failure.