TO: Board of Trustees

DATE: 07/10/2023

PREPARED & SUBMITTED BY: Lisa KIrmer

SUBJECT: Nursing Handbook Changes

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

The following changes to the Nursing Student Handbook have been approved by the Nursing Program Advisory Committee are being requested for approval from the Board of Trustees in order to align with FHTC clinical partner guidelines:

Clinical and/or Lab Guidelines - Uniforms: A navy, white, black, grey or burgundy colored undershirt may be worn under the uniform top.

A navy blue, charcoal or burgundy colored lab jacket may be worn over the student uniform in the clinical and/or lab area.

Rational: Removing Navy and Burgundy colors from the dress code will decrease the likelihood or misidentification of nursing students as facility staff members. NRH RN’s currently wear navy blue uniforms and are easily identified by patients and other staff in this manner. NRH Environmental Services staff currently wear burgundy and are easily identified by patients and other staff in this manner.

Eliminating these colors from the FHTC student nurse dress code policy would therefore decrease the potential for HIPAA related information being inappropriately and inadvertently shared with nursing students. As well as decreasing the potential for critical patient information being relayed to nursing students vs. nursing staff of facility. Please see American Nurse: “What works: Implementing an evidence-based nursing dress code to enhance professional image” article and NRH Dress Code Policy.

Classroom, Clinical and/or Lab Behavior Guidelines:

Tattoos must be covered to maintain a professional appearance. New Wording: Visible tattoos must be minimal and appropriate for the professional environment (Examples of inappropriate tattoos include but are not limited to nudity, profanity, and vulgarity or tattoos that are intimidating in nature. Inappropriate tattoos should be covered by clothing or makeup.

Rational: 30% of all Americans have at least one tattoo. Currently, there is no rule concerning tattoos on nurses by the American Nursing Association (ANA). Presently, there are no federal laws that prohibit discrimination concerning body art.
Currently, NRH does not require covering of “minimal and appropriate” tattoos, while Holiday Resort does not enforce any dress code policy regarding the restriction of tattoos. Furthermore, many current FHTC Nurse Faculty have tattoos that may or may not be covered while at our clinical partner sites.

RECOMMENDATION: Approve changes to the Nursing Student Handbook to align with clinical partner guidelines.

Flint Hills Technical College

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