Nursing Department Procedures

Policy Category
Nursing Faculty Handbook
Approved
01/24/2023

Nursing Faculty Employment Requirements

  • Current unrestricted Idaho RN license
  • Current Healthcare Provider level CPR card
  • Proof of immunity for MMR, Varicella, Hepatitis B, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis, COVID 19, yearly flu, COVID Vaccine, and screen for Tuberculosis.
  • Master’s degree in Nursing or enrolled in a Master’s program with completion within 3 years of employment.
  • Limited Occupational Specialist Certificate within 1 year and Advanced Occupational Specialist Certificate within 3 years of employment

Office Hours

Each full-time faculty member is expected to schedule a minimum of five office hours per week in order to meet the needs of the students. At the beginning of each semester, faculty will prepare an instructor’s schedule and post the schedule outside the faculty member’s office. A copy of the schedule is given to the department administrative assistant and posted on the O drive. A template is found on the O drive at Health Professions.

Mail

Each full-time faculty member has a mailbox located in the copy room of the nursing administrative suite. Most correspondence is through email. Faculty are required to monitor their email each day of the work week for important communications.

Email can be accessed on or off campus via CEI website and going to the faculty tab. Then accessing email from the menu.

Classroom and Office Supplies

Many classroom and office supplies are kept in the supply closet within the department. College lab supplies are stored in the storage cabinets of the lab. If other supplies are needed, faculty must contact the administrative assistant or the clinical lab coordinator. All simulation supplies will be ordered through the simulation coordinator.

Computer Assistance

Requests for technical assistance should be sent via an e-mail message to the IT Help desk. (helpdesk.it@cei.edu). If emergent need is requested please call the IT call line at (208) 535-5444.

Faculty Absence

Faculty who are ill or unable to make a clinical assignment must notify the Clinical Coordinator as soon as possible. With the Clinical Coordinator, faculty will try to arrange for a clinical substitute. If no one is available, the Clinical Coordinator will notify the facility and students of cancelled clinical. Alternate clinical assignments such as research paper, case studies, Swift River assignments, or other approved assignments may be substituted. Clinical lead faculty will be responsible for arranging alternate assignments.

In the event of a planned absence, arrangements must be approved in advance by the Nursing Program Administrator and/or the Dean of Health and Human Services.

Faculty who are ill or unable to attend their scheduled office hours must notify their Nursing students and the Nursing Administrator as soon as possible. Faculty are required to have backup assignments to meet weekly outcomes. Faculty will then be required to report this on their timecard for the pay period.

Dress Code

The purpose of a dress code is to allow employees to work comfortably while projecting a professional image to students, coworkers, and community stakeholders. The dress code for the Nursing Department is business casual. Friday’s are casual and faculty may wear denim jeans if appropriate, with a CEI branded top. Denim jeans must not have extreme holes or frayed edges.

Faculty attire in the clinical setting should be professional and appropriate and include proper identification. Faculty may wear professional attire or scrubs with a recommended white scrub coat with CEI logo on it. CEI logo white scrub coats are ordered through administrative assistant upon hire.

Grooming standards in the clinical setting mirror the students’ standards. This includes the standards on hair (including hair color), makeup, facial hair, nails, jewelry, and visible tattoos.

Clinical Faculty Compliance Items

Any clinical faculty/faculty with a presence in hospital settings must remain in compliance with the same standards as required for the students (see requirements listed in MyClinicalExchange).

Reimbursement for Clinical Expenses and Local Travel:

Faculty should keep accurate records of mileage to and from the assigned clinical areas outside of the Idaho Falls area. At the end of each month, faculty must complete a Reimbursement Travel Form obtained from the shared drive under forms and publications. The procedure for claiming mileage will follow the CEI procedure.

Faculty Teaching Responsibilities

Faculty responsibilities include

  • Planning student learning activities to meet course objectives
  • Clearly articulating expectations for teaching/learning
  • Assessing student learning
  • Mastering course material and presenting in stimulating and creative ways
  • Selecting and evaluating textbooks and other academic resources
  • Providing timely feedback on student assignments (within 2 weeks)
  • Facilitating student remediation or tutoring
  • Making appropriate referrals for students experiencing difficulty
  • Revising and updating courses as needed
  • Maintaining records of class attendance
  • Sharing and collaborating with colleagues
  • Developing a plan for ongoing professional development
  • Participate in course evaluations and adjustments as appropriate
  • Have at least 80% of students participate in course evaluations

Faculty Assignments Other Than Teaching

In addition to teaching and clinical supervision, the faculty is responsible for assisting the Nurse Administrator/Chair in the smooth functioning of the Nursing Department. Other activities may include but are not limited to:

  • Attending CEI college wide meetings.
  • Attend faculty meetings
  • Counseling pre-nursing and in-program nursing students
  • Selecting textbooks and requesting through the Textbook coordinator
  • Attending and participating on assigned College and Nursing program committees.
    • All faculty are required to be on a committee:
      • Accreditation, or
      • Curriculum
  • Knowing and enforcing the policies of the College and Nursing Department
  • Spend a minimum of 10 hours of service per year attending and volunteering for College functions to include student recruitment and participating in student and community activities
  • Assist with the skills days at the beginning of the semester
  • Maintain a minimum of 5 open office hours per week
  • Keep their gradebook up to date (within 2 weeks) and post both grades and outcomes on time.
  • Maintain active certifications and keep clinical paperwork up to date if required to go to clinical for class.
  • Participate in accreditation
  • Achieve their limited advanced CTE (Career and Technical Education) certification within 1 year of hire.
    • Maintain current CTE certification
    • Obtain CTE certification within 3 years of hire.
  • Attend RN, PN pinning, and graduation.
  • Follow the faculty Scholarship Standard
  • Maintain knowledge of and utilize the policies and procedures outlined in the nursing student handbook.

Faculty Scholarship Standard

The CEI Nursing Department has chosen to keep the Faculty Scholarship Standard aligned with the Idaho State Board of Nursing’s Licensure Renewal process as of 2022. At this date, the Idaho State Board of Nursing requires an LPN or RN to accomplish at least 2 of the learning activities in the practice, education, or professional engagement sections described below, within the 2-year renewal period.

The practice section options are to obtain a specialty certification or one hundred hours of practice or simulation practice, paid or unpaid, in which the nurse applies knowledge or clinical judgement in a way that influences patients, families, nurses, or organizations.

The education section options are fifteen contact hours of continuing education, elearning, academic courses, nursing-related in-service offered by an accredited educational institution, healthcare institution, or organization. (a contact hour equals no less than fifty minutes). OR completion of a minimum of one semester credit hour of post-licensure academic education relevant to nursing, offered by a college or university accredited by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. OR Completion of a Board-recognized nurse refresher course or nurse residency program OR Participation in or presentation of a workshop, seminar, conference, or course relevant to the practice of nursing and approved by an organization recognized by the Board to include, but not limited to: a nationally recognized nursing organization; an accredited academic institution; a provider of continuing education recognized by another board of nursing; a provider of continuing education recognized by a regulatory board of another discipline; OR A program that meets criteria established by the Board.

The professional engagement section options are to be an acknowledged contributor to a published nursing-related article or manuscript; OR teaching or developing a nursing-related course of instruction; OR Participation in related professional activities including, but not limited to, research, published professional materials, nursing-related volunteer work, teaching (if not licensee's primary employment), peer reviewing, precepting, professional auditing, and service on nursing or healthcare related boards, organizations, associations or committees.

Along with the above stated requirements faculty must complete at least 5 CEU’s per year that align with their teaching specialty to improve their teaching and classroom experience for students, as well as maintain expert knowledge in the most current practices and information.

Along with the above stated requirements faculty must complete at least 5 CEU’s per year that align with their teaching specialty to improve their teaching and classroom experience for students, as well as maintain expert knowledge in the most current practices and information.

Faculty will be responsible for providing proof of completion and turning in a digital and hard copy of the completed scholarship activities to the administrative assistant to be placed in the employee file.

Class and Classroom Scheduling

Each semester courses are planned in conjunction with the faculty as much as possible. Semester course scheduling is done during the first month of the previous semester. Scheduling of classrooms for courses are done at the same time. If additional rooms or computer labs are needed, that scheduling is done through the program administrative assistant.

Faculty Evaluation

Faculty members are evaluated on an annual basis by their individual division managers and in conjunction with the program Chair. Faculty are responsible to see that a minimum of one course each semester is evaluated by students. Faculty must plan a minimum of three SMART goals for each academic year and progress will be formally reviewed during the evaluation. Faculty will also be required to bring evidence of compliance with Nursing Scholarship Standard as well as College of Eastern Idaho campus service to their annual evaluation.

Each semester, Faculty Members are evaluated by their students through course specific evaluations.

Changes to Course/Curriculum

Course updates must go through the curriculum committee, including educational material changes such as textbooks.

Record Retention Policy

The nursing department adheres to all institution, state and federal laws, rules, and regulations that apply to student records. A file for each student actively pursuing the nursing major is kept in a secure location and access is restricted to ensure that the records are not accessed, modified, or released by any person not authorized to do so. Individual faculty maintain course specific assignments in a secure location. These files are kept until the student graduates and are then destroyed.

Meeting Minutes

Each official nursing committee meeting is expected to record minutes. If someone besides the administrative assistant takes minutes, the minutes must be sent to the administrative assistant who will upload them to the appropriate folder on the O drive.

Security

The college has a contract to have security on campus when students are on campus. For emergencies first call 911 and then notify campus security at (208) 604-4597. If you see something concerning, please notify security. To access the campus after hours, please call security and let them know where you need to access so they can meet you there. You must have your campus identification to verify to security that you can be given access.

Nursing Faculty Orientation Program

All newly hired nursing faculty will be provided with a campus and nursing program orientation. This orientation includes meetings with administrators and representatives from all divisions, student services, and other resource areas. In addition to a complete orientation to the Nursing Program and new faculty responsibilities, an ongoing mentoring program for faculty continues for at least one year. Each new faculty will be assigned to a seasoned faculty member as their mentor.

The following is an orientation checklist that must be completed and turned into the Administrative Assistants office for placement in their personnel file.