Department of Health Sciences (DHS)

Clinical Placements

Clinical experiences are completed only at sites with which Central Texas College, Department of Health Sciences (DHS) has contracted for clinical rotations. Clinical placements are provisional and dependent upon each affiliated clinical facility’s approval/acceptance of each student. Citizenship status, presence of blood-borne pathogens, vaccination status, and/or prior work history within a facility or its affiliates may result in the facility denying a student access to a facility for clinical experiences. Note that the decisions are made by the facility based on the facility rules and regulations and are not controlled by Central Texas College.  Each incident will be addressed on an individual basis and withdrawal from the course or the DHS program may be necessary if clinical experiences cannot be met. Admission into any DHS program does not guarantee acceptance by any clinical facility, or completion of the clinical course or the program. Students must successfully complete all clinical rotation assignments to fulfill degree and/or certificate requirements. Central Texas College will not locate or provide alternative sites for clinical rotations for students ineligible to attend clinical rotations at the specified sites.

All Community Non-Native Speakers, International Students and/or ESOL students must follow the requirements listed in the current Central Texas College catalog.

All DHS courses recognized as a co-requisite course are required to be taken at the same time.

Failure of any DHS co-requisite courses would result in withdrawal of all Department of Health Sciences core courses that are in the respective semester.

Final course grade, status and decisions will be determined by each DHS programs Admissions and Standards Committees on a case-by-case basis.

Final Decisions Notice: Decisions regarding student circumstances not covered by current DHS policies will be referred to an Ad hoc Policy Committee for final decision.

Associate Degree and Vocational Nursing Policy, Standard and Timing for Drug Screening and Background Checks

Students will follow the guidance and policies of the program when submitting documentation.

This policy applies to all students applying for admission to the Associate Degree Nursing, Associate Degree Nursing Option for the Articulating Student, and the Vocational Nursing programs and is at the student’s own expense.

All drug screen tests and background checks as required by the programs must be conducted, and verification of negative results received after acceptance but prior to enrollment in the program to which the student is applying.

Enrollments are contingent upon declaratory order outcomes should a positive background check or self-disclosure of a positive criminal history occur. The programs will honor drug screen, program specific background check and physical for the duration of the student’s enrollment in the program if the participating student has not had a break in enrollment from the CTC Department of Health Sciences. (A break in enrollment is defined as nonattendance of one full 16-week semester or more.) FBI background checks completed through MorphoTrust do not need to be repeated.

Submit Texas Board of Nursing documentation of actual results of a negative criminal background check through MorphoTrust screening services to the CTC Department of Health Sciences designee. Background checks are to be completed no more than 90 days prior to the program start date. The eligibility determination takes a minimum of 3-6 months. Disclosure of a positive criminal background will prohibit registration. The student will be advised to petition TBON for an eligibility determination. The prospective student for the CTC DHS will not be considered for admission until the Declaratory Order outcomes are received by the Chair, DHS from the prospective student/TBON. Declaratory Orders that are unresolved 30 days prior to the first day of classes will result in the student being removed from the enrollment list.

During progression through the program, students must inform the CTC DHS Nursing Programs Director, and/or designee of any mental or physical condition, illness, injury, surgery, pregnancy, etc. that would result in a change of the physical limitations status. Safety is a priority for the patient and health and well-being of students and faculty. Failure to inform the program may result in immediate withdrawal from the course or program. Medical care which results in student absence must include the physician’s return to class/clinical/lab documentation following illness, injury, surgery, pregnancy, or as required by faculty. Documentation must be faxed directly from the healthcare provider to the CTC DHS.

Negative 11-panel Drug Screen must be completed no more than 45 days prior to the program start date. Results must be faxed directly to the CTC DHS.

Emergency Medical Technician and Paramedic Policy, Standard and Timing for Drug Screening and Background Checks

This policy applies to all students applying for admission to the Emergency Medical Technology Program and is at the student’s own expense.

All drug screen tests and background checks, as required by the programs, must be conducted, and negative results received after acceptance but prior to enrollment in the program to which the student is applying must be verified.

Negative 11-panel Drug Screen and Criminal Background Check must be completed through mystudentcheck.com no more than 90 days prior to the program start date. Results are automatically sent to the EMS Program Director or designee.