Graduate Policies

Purpose

To ensure that graduate students enrolled in College of Nursing graduate programs have a faculty member located within the College of Nursing as part of their Advisory Committee to properly support them throughout their degree program.

Policy

Adjunct faculty members require a faculty member in the College of Nursing as a co-supervisor to supervise graduate students enrolled in College of Nursing graduate programs.

Purpose

To clarify a condition under which a deferral could be granted for students who accept admission to the graduate program in the College.

Policy

That deferrals for the Master of Nursing Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner and Post Graduate Diploma Special Certificate Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner, and Master of Nursing Professional Practice students will not be considered. Master of Nursing Thesis and PhD students who have secured a supervisor may request one deferral for up to one year.

Purpose

To provide the guidelines for students applying to transfer from another university to the College of Nursing graduate programs when their supervisor has accepted a position at USask.

Policy

1. Student and supervisor contact Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies to notify of intent to apply to transfer.
2. Student submits transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended to the Graduate Program Coordinator.
3. Graduate Program Coordinator reviews documents for acceptable transfer credit, assesses whether minimum admission requirements are met, and sends the appropriate admission sub-committee all documents for review.
4. If the admission sub-committee agrees to the transfer and suggested transfer credit, the Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies forwards to the Dean, College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies the requests for student’s transfer and transfer credit.

Purpose

To delineate the process for completion of course requirements in all graduate program courses.

Policy

1. Assignments will be graded according to the College of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies Grading Scale and Literal Descriptors. Students must submit all required assignments before or on the specified dates. Late submission without the professor’s prior consent (extension granted) will result in a deduction of 5% of the assignment grade per calendar day and a grade of 0% for all unexcused assignments submitted five business days after the assignment deadline.
2. Students are required to complete all course components to receive credit for a course.
3. Unless other arrangements have been made with the course instructor, the last day for acceptance of assignment will be communicated in each course syllabus.

Purpose

To collect and receive graduate course reports in consistent manner in the Spring/Summer, Fall, and Winter semesters. A policy will create consistency in collecting the course reports, support quality improvement, promote follow-up on areas for course improvement, and provide opportunity for enhanced course evaluation. Course reports provide data to support the CRNS program approval and graduate program evaluations. The submission of the course reports is mandatory. In alignment with the University of Saskatchewan Learning Charter 1 (2018), the College of Nursing is committed to fostering a culture of excellence in teaching and learning where the outcomes of courses and programs are examined and integrated in quality improvement endeavors and/or graduate programs accreditation or evaluation.

Policy

1. The submission of course reports is mandatory in all graduate programs.
2. Faculty members teaching graduate courses will complete and submit a course report for each course offering.
3. Course reports will be collected and submitted at the end of Fall, Winter, and Spring/Summer sessions.
4. Course reports will be submitted through the College of Nursing website (SharePoint).
5. The Associate Dean Research and Graduate Studies, the Graduate Chair, and the NP Programs Academic Lead will review the course reports to ensure consistency, following up, and prepare reports for CRNS program evaluations and approvals.

¹ University of Saskatchewan. (2018). Learning Charter. Saskatoon, SK: Author.

The Doctoral Nursing Candidacy Assessment policy and procedures for new PhD in Nursing students will begin on May 1, 2024, and are stipulated below. For students who started their PhD program prior to May 1, 2024, the options will be to complete the Comprehensive Exams and the defence of the proposal, or the PhD Candidacy Assessment.

The PhD student must complete foundational courses in philosophy, research methods, and in their cognate area tailored to inform their approach to a successful PhD Candidacy Assessment. Once a PhD student successfully completes the written and oral components of the PhD Candidacy Assessment, they will be a PhD Candidate.

Purpose:

The purpose of the PhD Candidacy Assessment is to confirm that a doctoral student is ready and is sufficiently prepared to start PhD research and write a PhD dissertation.

Timing:

The College of Nursing and the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies expect students to successfully complete their PhD Candidacy Assessment requirements by the end of their second year of study. For PhD students who start after May 1, 2024, the Candidacy Assessment must take place at the latest two years after initial registration, or at least three years after initial registration for students who transferred from Master’s to PhD. Students will be informedabout the PhD Candidacy Assessment schedule at the time of their registration. The Graduate Chair or Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies (ADR-GS) may consider requests to the adjustment of this timeframe.

The Written PhD Candidacy Assessment component:

The PhD Candidacy Assessment requires the PhD student to submit a proposal document to the members of the Student Advisory Committee, followed by a presentation at an oral defence chaired by the Graduate Chair or ADR-GS. The PhD student’s oral presentation will be followed by two or more rounds of questions. The proposal document includes a problem statement that articulates the relevance of the proposed research, background literature, research purpose and objectives, research questions, the philosophical and/or theoretical framework (if indicated), the methodology and data collection methods, the plans for data analysis and management, and potential outcomes.

Format and Process:

Specifically, a written PhD Candidacy Assessment is a proposal document of no more than 30 pages prepared by the PhD student and will include:

• An introduction to the problem and relevance of the proposed topic to address a gap in knowledge or advance nursing education, practice, administration or health policy. The PhD student is expected to show an:
  • Ability to justify the need for the proposed research in nursing or healthcare

• A literature review that discusses relevant works and identifies necessary future research directions in the area of the proposed topic (20 pages maximum). The PhD student must demonstrate:
  • Knowledge or familiarity of the literature in the research area
  • Knowledge or familiarity with the fields or disciplines related to the research area
  • Ability to integrate and critically assess the key literature
  • A discussion of how the proposed research fits within the existing literature with an emphasis on demonstrating the novelty of the proposed research

• The PhD Candidacy Assessment written proposal must also include:
  • Statement of philosophical underpinnings grounding the PhD student’s research values and beliefs about the phenomenon of interest
  • Research question(s), aims, and objectives and/or hypotheses (if applicable)
  • Consideration of an appropriate theoretical approach
  • Description and justification of the proposed methodology and methods
    • Ability to logically link the problem, the research question(s), and the proposed methodology and methods
    • Ability to defend the methods of data collection and plan for data analysis
    • Ability to defend the research design
    • Defend the use of specific datasets or statistical analyses (if appropriate)
    • Demonstrate that participant recruitment and data collection meet the methodological and ethical standards
  • Discuss potential research implications
  • Demonstrate independence of thought
  • A timeline document or Gantt chart and research implementation plan

• Optional. PhD students who have completed a published literature review paper that informs their study must include:
  • A letter of permission from the journal publisher to append the published paper in their dissertation
  • Add an appendix of the published literature review in the written proposal

The Oral PhD Candidacy Assessment component:

A presentation of the proposal by the PhD student to the members of the Student Advisory Committee.

Format and Process:

Specifically, the oral PhD Candidacy Assessment is a 20-minute presentation of the proposal document.

• The presentation will be scheduled at least two weeks after the proposal document has been submitted.
• The presentation will be chaired by the Graduate Chair or ADR-GS
• After the PhD student’s presentation, the members of the Student Advisory Committee will have a question period to examine the PhD student’s depth of knowledge in the area, ability to reason and integrate key concepts and literature during the oral presentation and the question period, and to assess whether the proposal is appropriate to pass the PhD Candidacy Assessment.
• The annual progress report will be completed at the oral PhD Candidacy Assessment component and will include detailed minutes.

The PhD Candidacy Assessment Criteria:

The PhD Candidacy Assessment will be collectively assessed using rubrics and the following criteria. The PhD student has:

• demonstrated sufficient understanding of the current knowledge of the research frontier in their area of research needed to perform new research in the area, justifying the need for the research in nursing or how this research can contribute to improve health care policies, services, and delivery or patient or population outcomes.
• demonstrated that there are sufficiently many open questions in the area for their doctoral work;
• the ability to satisfactorily defend and justify the proposed methods for answering the research questions, achieving the objectives and/or testing the research hypotheses (if appropriate) while critically discussing and mastering the key issues during the oral component;
• shown that the proposed topic and research are appropriate, rigorous or innovative and would, if successful, contribute towards the broader fields of nursing practice, research, education, and health policy;
• the ability to effectively communicate existing and proposed research in both written and oral form.

PhD Candidacy Assessment Outcome:

The outcome of the PhD Candidacy Assessment is either a Pass (satisfactory) or Fail (unsatisfactory). For the student to pass, all the members of the Student Advisory Committee must unanimously conclude that this proposal document and oral component are sufficient to satisfy the requirements of the PhD Candidacy Assessment.

A PhD student who successfully completes the PhD Candidacy Assessment is deemed a doctoral candidate (e.g., PhD Candidate). The student’s official transcript will note the date when the PhD Candidacy Assessment requirement was satisfied. From this point onwards, PhD candidates will focus on completing their doctoral research and writing their dissertation.

A PhD student that does not satisfy the requirements of their PhD Candidacy Assessment is permitted a second attempt at the recommendation of the College of Nursing and with the permission of the Dean of the CGPS or designate. A second unsatisfactory outcome will automatically result in a recommendation to CGPS that the PhD student be required to discontinue from the doctoral program.

An unsatisfactory PhD Candidacy Assessment, and/or the denial of a second attempt at the PhD Candidacy Assessment, may be appealed through the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies policy 16.2 Standing in Program found in the Policies and Procedures manual on the CGPS website:

Appeals in Academic Matters - Policies and Procedures Manual - College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies | University of Saskatchewan (usask.ca)

Existing Students

PhD students who started before May 1, 2024, will be invited to either complete the Comprehensive Exams and the defense of their proposal or they may opt to do the PhD Candidacy Assessment.

This PhD Candidacy Assessment policy including the rubrics is informed by several resources¹,²,³,⁴,⁵

References

¹ University of Saskatchewan College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. (2024). Candidacy Assessment changes.

hftps://cgps.usask.ca/operafional-info/policy-procedure/doctoral-candidacy-assessment.php

² University of Saskatchewan Computer Science and Applied Computing. (2024). Candidacy Assessment document [pdf].

³ University of Toronto, Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing (2023). 2023 Doctoral Program Information Session.

hftps://bloomberg.nursing.utoronto.ca/learn-with-us/doctor-of-philosophy/#tap-panel-2

⁴ University of Manitoba College of Nursing. (2023-2024). Graduate Student Handbook – PhD in Nursing [pdf].

⁵ Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library. (2023, Sept. 20). Literature review: Assess you literature review. hftps://research.auctr.edu/c.php?g=197243&p=1296637

PhD Candidacy Assessment Proposal Document Rubric

Oral PhD Candidacy Assessment Component Rubric

Purpose

To delineate the process for grade assignment when graduate students are unsuccessful in either theory or clinical courses.

Policy

1. In the calculation of final course marks and weighted averages, failing grades resulting from absence, withdrawal, or incomplete course work will be completed with a zero for grade component(s) that were not completed and the earned mark will be submitted. This mark can range from 0-59%.
2. If the failure results in a computed passing percentage grade, a final grade of 59% will be submitted along with a grade comment of an INF (Incomplete Failure).
3. Some graduate courses have some components that must be passed in order to pass the course. A student that has failed an essential component of a course, as defined in a course syllabus, will not be eligible to write the final exam and will not receive credit for the course. In the event that the essential component is failed, but the computed final grade results in a passing mark, an N (No credit) grade will be added to the computed percentile grade. A course with an N Grade assigned must be successfully repeated for the student to progress in their graduate program.
4. Withdrawal prior to the period of academic penalty is not included in the calculation of averages (see institutional calendars for dates).

Purpose

To delineate the process for graduate students who attempt courses multiple times.

Policy

Withdrawal in a course after the USask add/drop deadline is only allowed once throughout the program. If a student withdraws after the USask add/drop deadline a second time from a course (same or different course), the student may be required to discontinue from the program. If a student must withdraw from any subsequent courses due to exceptional circumstances beyond their control they may request to continue in the program.

Process to request a third attempt at a course or to remain in program after having withdrawn after the add/drop deadline from two different courses:

• In exceptional circumstances, permission may be granted by the college for a third and final attempt or to remain in the program. Students wishing to attempt a course for the third time or to remain in the program after two course withdrawals must submit a written request to the Associate Dean Research and Graduate Studies within 30 days of their withdrawal from the second course/attempt.
• Students who are granted a third attempt at a course may not progress into other courses until they have successfully passed their third attempt.

Students must meet with an academic advisor after withdrawing from a course to complete a change of program plan.

Purpose

The purpose of a Leave of Absence is to accommodate and support students during their programs. Leaves of Absence do not count towards overall time-in-program, and in most cases, students are not required to pay tuition (only student fees).

Policy

Under CGPS policy, “Requests for a personal or health leave must be submitted by the student for review and approval by their academic unit. The Graduate Chair, Head, or Dean/Executive Director (non-departmentalized colleges/schools) has the authority to approve personal or health leave requests for up to 12 months taken consecutively or in non-consecutive terms.”

• All requests for leave will be approved on a case-by-case basis.
• Leaves in the first term of study:
• Upon acceptance of an offer of admission, the student is expected to begin the program the following September. Leaves will not be approved for a student’s first term in the program. Should a student require a leave in their first term they will need to withdraw from the program and reapply the following year.

Purpose:

The purpose of the Master Thesis final oral examination is to permit the Examining Committee to judge if the written thesis and its oral defence are acceptable. The questions should reflect this purpose and questions should be based mainly on the content of the thesis, but the committee should be satisfied that the Thesis candidate has the appropriate knowledge of the subject matter at the Master’s degree level. It is recommended to use the five recommendations established by the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (CGPS) to determine the outcome of the thesis and defence.

Process:

CGPS does not universally require that a non-voting examining committee chair be appointed for the Master’s thesis oral defence. For the Master’s thesis oral examination, the Chair is the supervisor unless the supervisor, co-supervisor, the student or any member of the Advisory Committee makes a request to add a non-voting Chair for the thesis final examination. The request must be directed to the Associate Dean Research and Graduate Studies. The Graduate Chair or faculty who are members of CGPS can be appointed as non-voting chair for Master’s thesis final oral examination. The Chair is a non-voting member of the examining committee that is responsible for facilitating a fair and well-run defence, along with a couple of responsibilities just before and after the scheduled defence. The Master’s thesis oral defence committee includes an Arm’s Length Examiner who is approved by the Associate Dean Research and Graduate Studies. The Master’s thesis Arm’s Length Examiner policy applies when assigning an Arm’s Length Examiner.

Policy:

Before the Master’s Thesis Defence

There is no specific task the Chair needs to do prior to a Master’s thesis oral examination. The supervisor will send the Graduate Program Assistant a final version of the thesis for the Arm’s Length Examiner a minimum of two (2) weeks prior to the defence date. The Graduate Program Assistant will email the final version of thesis to the Arm’s Length Examiner. The Graduate Program Assistant will provide defence documents (GPS 403.4 and GPS 211) to the Chair and the GPS 403.2 to the Arm’s Length Examiner one week prior to the defence date.

At the Start of the Master’s Thesis Defence

The Chair makes the introduction of the Arm Length’s Examiner to the committee members. The Chair will invite the candidate to make a presentation of about 10 to 20 minutes highlighting the components and contributions of the thesis and its conclusions. The candidate’s oral presentation should not take significantly longer than 20 minutes, otherwise, the Chair should ask the candidate to end the presentation.

At the end of the candidate’s oral presentation, the Arm’s Length Examiner, who has major responsibilities for examining the candidate is given the first opportunity to ask questions. The Cognate member will be the second person to ask questions to the candidate, followed by additional member(s), and supervisor(s). A second round of questions will follow starting with the Arm’s Length Examiner, and following the same order as the first round. Other questions may be asked if the Arm’s Length Examiner or the members of the committee have other questions.

During the Master’s Thesis Defence

The Chair facilitates the defence, whether in-person or virtual. This includes affirming the ground rules for the defence with all present, managing the presentation by the student, overseeing the rounds of questions, facilitating the deliberation and decision-making by the committee, and communicating the results of the defence. The graduate administrative staff in the academic unit is expected to coordinate and share details of the defence time and location/platform with all committee members and the Arm’s Length Examiner, and the student well in advance of the scheduled date; however, it is the Chair’s responsibility to ensure the defence runs smoothly and that proper process is followed. The Examining Committee must have enough evidence to make a recommendation (see the Procedures for Oral Examination and the Dissertation/Thesis Oral Examination Recommendations 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5).

At the End of the Defence

At the end of the 2 rounds of questions, the members of the Examining Committee convene in the absence of the candidate and other individuals who may have attended the presentation and question period. If consensus cannot be reached a consensus on the acceptability of the written thesis and the oral defence, a vote must be taken. A simple majority in favour of “Pass” or “Fail” will serve as the Committee decision. Abstentions by voting members of the Examining Committee are not permitted and will be interpreted as negative votes. In case the Arm’s Length Examiner judges the written thesis and/or the oral examination not acceptable based on recommendations 3, 4 or 5, the Associate Dean Graduate Studies must be contacted. The Associate Dean Graduate Studies will consult with the Dean of the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies to solve the matter.

After the Defence

Within 48 hours of the Master’s final defence examination, the Arm’s Length Examiner will submit the GPS 403.2 document to the Graduate Program Assistant and the Graduate Chair. The Chair of the examination will email the completed GPS 403.4 and GPS 211 to the Graduate Program Assistant for assistance in collecting signatures. The supervisor cannot sign the document until all thesis revisions have been completed by the student. Once all signatures have been collected and the documents have been reviewed by the Graduate Chair and the Associate Dean Research and Graduate Studies, the documents will be submitted to CGPS.

Purpose

To outline guidelines regarding the completion of midterm examinations in the College of Nursing graduate programs.

Policy

1. A student who is absent from a midterm examination through no fault of their own, for medical, compassionate, or other valid reasons, may contact the faculty member for the course in which they are registered for a deferred exam. Such application must be made within three business days of the missed examination and be accompanied by supporting documentary evidence.
2. Faculty and/or the College of Nursing will not accommodate a request to reschedule a midterm exam because of personal reasons. Midterm examinations can be scheduled at any time during the academic term. Students should avoid making prior travel or other commitments that may conflict with scheduled exams.
   
3. Missing a midterm examination due to personal or travel related conflicts may result in a midterm exam grade of 0% being assigned.
4. In some exceptional circumstances, faculty may consider combining the weight of the missed midterm exam with the final exam. Students need to speak with the specific course faculty member prior to the missed midterm examination for this consideration.

Purpose

The College of Nursing operates under the new Advisory and Defence rules approved by CGPS Council in January 2022. This policy applies to comprehensive examinations, proposal defences, and final examinations. The Arm’s Length Examiner is a new role in the Master’s Thesis Oral Examination (defence).

Policy

The Arm’s Length Examiner will be a member of the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The Arm’s Length Examiner normally has a Ph.D. degree or equivalent (DNS, DNP, Ed.D.). Adjunct faculty can serve as Arm’s Length Examiners, but Professional Affiliates cannot. The Arm’s Length Examiner may be selected from within or outside the College of Nursing provided that the arm’s length criteria are met. To be at an arm's length the Examiner will not:

• Have been directly involved in the student’s thesis research;
• Have served on the student’s Advisory Committee;
• Be related (e.g., family, partner) to the student or the supervisor or co-supervisor.

The Arm’s Length Examiner has voting right as a member of the Master’s Thesis Oral Examination committee. The Arm’s Length Examiner must have the thesis a minimum of two (2) weeks before the defence date. The CGPS Program Advisor must be notified of the choice of the Arm’s Length Examiner and the unit must ensure that the student’s program requirements have been met to proceed to the defence.

The choice of the Arm’s Length Examiner will be approved by the Associate Dean Graduate Studies or the Graduate Chair.

Within 48 hours of the defence the Arm’s Length Examiner will submit a report using the GPS 403.2 Oral Defense Report of the External Examiner form to the Graduate Program Assistant. The Graduate Program Assistant will provide the Arm’s Length Examiner with the form. The Graduate Program Assistant will submit the form to the Graduate Chair or the Associate Dean Graduate Studies.

Purpose

Students who transfer to the PhD program from the USask College of Nursing Master of Nursing Thesis program, will be required to complete the requirements of the transfer policy.

Policy

Students who are currently enrolled in the College of Nursing MN Thesis program, have completed at least 15 credit units, have a minimum GPA of 80% with no grade below 70% may be considered for a transfer to the PhD program prior to the end of their second year. The MN student’s advisory committee must initiate this request by submitting a letter, the student’s CV, and a sample of independent academic writing (the proposal) to the ADR-GS. The student must submit to the ADR-GS a reference letter from a College of Nursing faculty member who has evaluated their written work at the graduate level and a written assignment from a graduate level course.

The sample of independent academic writing must be a proposal about the research area of interest and follow the following guidelines:

• Cover page
• Proposal (maximum 5 pages double-spaced, excluding the reference list)
  • Background
  • Research question
  • Methodology
    • Sample and setting
    • Data collection
    • Ethical considerations
    • Analysis
  • Relevance
  • Reference list of cited, relevant, supporting literature (not included in five-page limit)
• Must follow APA format
• Will be graded as pass/fail according to CGPS literal descriptors

The ADR-GS will bring the request forward to the Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Committee with a motion to approve a transfer or direct entry admission. If the motion passes, the student will be recommended for admission to the CGPS for the PhD program. If the motion is defeated, the student will not be recommended admission to the PhD program.

Appeal Process:

Appeals can be made through the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies through The Standing in Program Policy found in the Procedures for Student Appeals in Academic Matters document (July 2019).

Purpose

To ensure all NP students maintain current Registered Nurse registration.

Policy

Students accepted into the Nurse Practitioner (MN-NP) and PGDSC NP programs are required to provide confirmation of current registration as a registered nurse in a Canadian province or territory for the duration of their program.

Purpose

This policy provides guidance for advanced practice nurses in the Nurse Practitioner program in presenting a professional image in the clinical practice setting. 

Policy

Students who are not displaying a professional image may be asked to leave the clinical setting. In this case, the time away will be considered under missed clinical practice.  Considerations may be made for individual dress that is specific to cultural or religious beliefs.  This policy is based on principles of professionalism, infection control, personal safety and role identification.

Professionalism

Principle: To enhance professionalism by presenting a professional image

Appearance is a form of non-verbal communication and is essential in projecting a professional image. Therefore in the clinical settings students are required to:

• It is expected that the students will continue to display a professional image while following the specific dress requirements of the agency.
• Students should demonstrate good judgment in selecting appropriate size of clothing. Clothing should not be low cut at the neck or tight across the chest and hips. Ensure that there is no exposure of the chest, midriff, lower back, or shoulders. Undergarments should not be visible at any time. Avoid casual clothing such as sweat shirts as over garments, yoga pants, jeans.
• Wear a College of Nursing photo ID badge at all times. ID badge is to be worn at chest level
• Tattoos shall be covered if deemed inappropriate by the unit or service manager
• Tattoos that are unhealed or infected shall be covered and contained before commencing duty
• Use good judgment in wearing appropriate quantity of make up
• Scented products cannot be worn in clinical settings

Infection Control

Principle: To prevent the spread of infection

Hair

• Must be conservative, clean and well groomed. Long hair must be tied up and away from the face.
• Beards and mustaches must be clean, trimmed, well groomed and short.

Fingernails

• Short and clean
• No nail polish
• No artificial nails

Jewelry

• Minimal jewelry to allow for good hand washing technique (e.g. gold band only)

Clothing

• In agencies where uniform is required the standard College of Nursing jacket over personal nursing uniform or scrubs is worn
• Footwear used in the clinical setting is not to be worn outside of the clinical setting

Personal Safety

Principle: To maintain personal safety while in the clinical setting.

Shoes

• In accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety standards, shoes must be closed toes and closed heel with a non-slip sole and low heel.
• Must be clean and in good repair.
• Must be made of an impermeable (water-proof) material

Jewelry

• No lanyards
• Earrings must be small studs in any visible piercing, no dangling earrings or hoops.
• No necklace or bracelets

Stethoscope

• When not being used, stethoscopes must be kept in your pocket

Role Identification

Principle: To promote communication of students or faculty role by clearly identifying name and position.

• Wear a College of Nursing photo ID badge at all times. ID badge is to be worn at chest level.
• Photo ID is also necessary for liability purposes.

* We wish to specifically acknowledge and thank the University of British Columbia for the work they have done and shared with the College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan.

Purpose

To provide guidelines and expectations for Nurse Practitioner (NP) student participation in clinical activities, including advanced health assessment, therapeutic management, documentation and attendance for all orientations, seminars, labs and clinical experiences

Policy

1. NP students are learners, but also Registered Nurses (RNs). As RNs, NP students are accountable to the standards and scope of RN practice in the jurisdiction in which they are doing their clinical placement.
2. NP students will be familiar with and practice in accordance with relevant practice setting policies and guidelines (i.e. agency policies & procedures).
3. When NP students are involved in client care, they practice under the supervision of a licensed preceptor (NP or physician). Every effort must be made to respect and protect the license of the preceptor while in clinical placement. The preceptor maintains the responsibility and authority for the overall patient care.
4. During clinical placements, NP students have the opportunity to develop and apply advanced clinical competencies beyond the scope of practice of an RN. These competencies include: performing advanced health assessment (i.e. pelvic examination); ordering and interpreting diagnostic investigations; formulating and communicating diagnosis and management plans to clients; performing minor procedures; writing prescriptions; and consultation and referral to other health care providers. NP students do not have authority to perform these extended scope activities independently and are required to practice under the supervision of a qualified preceptor.
5. NP students are responsible for functioning within their level of competence, recognizing their limitations and seeking consultation/direction from their preceptor and clinical faculty as needed. All orders, prescriptions, referrals and consultations must be reviewed and signed by a preceptor.
6. NP students will document the care they provide in accordance with agency and regulatory policy. Each patient record in which NP students document will be signed with their name, followed by RN(SNP), which indicates Registered Nurse (Student Nurse Practitioner). All patient charts will be signed off by the preceptor.
7. Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students for all orientations, seminars, labs, and clinical experiences. A student who is consistently late and/or absent from seminars and/or labs may be unable to meet the course requirements and may not be able to receive credit for the course.
8. Master of Nursing Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner and Post Graduate Diploma Special Certificate Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner students must complete all clinical hour requirements as outlined in each clinical course. If a Nurse Practitioner student is unable to complete the full clinical hours designated in the course, they will not meet course requirements and will not receive credit for the course.
9. If a student is unable to attend or will be late for a lab or clinical experience, the student must notify the instructor prior to the start of the learning experience.
10. Attendance at orientation, classes, labs, and/or seminars for the particular course may be designated as mandatory. Students must attend these learning experiences in order to receive a passing grade in the course.
11. If an instructor or preceptor deems a nurse practitioner student unsafe or unprepared for a learning experience, the student may be excluded from the experience, thus, the student may not be able to meet the course requirements.
12. If an instructor or preceptor deems that a nurse practitioner student’s behavior is unprofessional in the clinical environment they can be removed from the setting, thus, the student may not be able to meet the course requirements.

Purpose

To provide NP students with guidelines for the processes involved in acquiring and securing clinical practicum placements in Saskatchewan and other Canadian provinces.

Policy

Students residing within the province of Saskatchewan are expected to:

• Understand that clinical placements in Saskatchewan are primarily located in rural communities. Therefore, clinical preceptorship commonly involve travel within the province.
• Ensure that they work with the NP Program coordinator to identify potential Nurse Practitioners or Physicians to act as preceptors for each clinical course.
• Avoid directly contacting potential preceptors as request for Saskatchewan clinical placements must be made through HSPnet.
• Contact with preceptors can occur only after receiving confirmation of a clinical placement by the NP Program coordinator.
• Be responsible for securing and paying for their own accommodations and travel costs associated with clinical placements.
• Students must sign a Confirmation of Understanding form with regards to clinical placements in Saskatchewan.
• If a student’s confirmed placement is cancelled by the clinical agency for any reason after the start of the clinical course students should be aware that the program may not be able to secure another placement for the student. This may mean that the student will have to withdraw from the clinical course and repeat the course with the next course offering.

Students residing outside of Saskatchewan are expected to:

• Work closely with the NP Program coordinator and NP Program Academic Lead in determining acceptable preceptors and clinical agencies for their practicum placements.
• Begin contacting potential preceptors at least 8 months prior to the start of the clinical placements.
• Understand that the NP Program coordinator requires adequate time to ensure that clinical placement agreements are confirmed and signed by the participating clinical agency and the University of Saskatchewan.
• Finalize clinical placement arrangements and secure preceptors no later than two months prior to the start of each clinical course.
• Acknowledge that withdrawal from a clinical course may be required if clinical placement agreements are not secured one month in advance of the clinical course start date.
• It is the students responsibility to ensure that the clinical placement agreement is signed in a timely manner.
• Be responsible for securing and paying for their own accommodations and travel costs associated with clinical placements.
• If a student’s confirmed placement is cancelled by the clinical agency for any reason after the start of the clinical course students should be aware that the program may not be able to secure another placement for the student. This may mean that the student will have to withdraw from the clinical course and repeat the course with the next course offering.
• Students must sign a Confirmation of Understanding form with regards to clinical placements outside ofSaskatchewan.

Important Information for students residing outside of Saskatchewan:

• In some jurisdictions, clinical placement opportunities may be limited. Therefore, students are encouraged to begin the process of identifying potential clinical sites at the start of their program.
• In certain jurisdictions, a centralized preceptor request system is used to request student practicum placements. Students must follow the processes laid out by the jurisdiction where they are seeking placements. Students must work with the NP Program coordinator to follow the processes outlined by the jurisdictions.
• Working closely with the NP Program coordinator to explore potential clinical placements is required to avoid potential complications and unforeseen delays in obtaining clinical experiences.

Purpose

To provide equity seats for Indigenous students within the Master of Nursing – Nurse Practitioner program.

Policy

1. The NP program will aim to maintain 16.67% of the seats for Indigenous students.
2. On application to the NP program, Indigenous nurses will be able to indicate whether they would like to be considered for an equity seat.
3. If applicants indicate that they are Indigenous and want to be considered for an equity seat, their application will be placed in the pool of applicants applying for equity seats.
4. Decisions regarding admitting Indigenous students applying for equity seats will be addressed first in the admission process, prior to making decisions for the remainder of applicants to the MN-NP program.   

Purpose

To establish the progression and remediation practices for clinical lab courses within the College of Nursing Nurse Practitioner program.

PRINCIPLES: Sequential progression of students through clinical courses, as outlined in this policy, helps ensure safe care of clients and successful development of entry-level nurse practitioner competencies (ELC’s) and nurse practitioner standards. Any student at risk for not meeting program/course outcomes or not showing progress to meeting ELC’s and standards may require a Clinical Learning Support plan to support successful progression. This includes:

1. Students who take an extended leave from clinical (i.e. due to illness or personal reasons).
2. Those demonstrating unsatisfactory performance in expected course outcomes.
3. Failing to show progress in learning.
4. Exhibiting difficulties with ELCs and requiring continual support.
5. Showing unprofessional conduct.
6. Showing other aspects of unsafe practice. Unsafe clinical practice involves any behavior that is harmful or potentially harmful to a client, self or other health personnel. It is an occurrence or pattern of behavior involving unacceptable risk.

Policy

Progression

1. In clinical practicum and lab courses, a student will successfully pass all essential course components within the course, complete a minimum of 240 clinical practicum hours in each clinical course, and achieve a minimum overall grade of 70%.
2. A failing grade or a withdrawal from a clinical practicum or lab course is allowed only once throughout the program. If a student obtains a failing grade in one or more courses or withdraws a second time from any clinical practicum or lab course they will be recommended to the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral studies to discontinue.
3. Withdrawals after the add/drop deadline from a clinical practicum and/or lab course will be considered an attempt.

Remediation

1. A student with unsatisfactory performance on any component of a clinical or lab course will meet with their Clinical Course Coordinator and/or Nurse Practitioner Clinical Facilitator (NPCF) to discuss areas of deficiency. If it is determined that formal remediation is required, a Clinical Learning Support plan will be developed in collaboration between the student, clinical course coordinator, NPCF, and/or Course Lead. Clinical Learning Support plans will be individualized to each students’ learning needs, identify specific behaviors and outcomes which must be met in order for the student to successfully progress and be documented on the NP Clinical Learning Support Plan template (attached).
2. Types of remediation may include additional clinical hours, learning activities and assessments as outlined below. The Academic Lead of the NP program retains the right to determine the specific type of remediation.
   1. Additional Clinical Hours: If it is deemed additional clinical hours may assist the student in achieving satisfactory performance, up to 40 clinical hours may be added in a primary care placement. In this instance, the clinical agency must be available and agreeable to supervise the student.
   2. Learning activities: Learning activities will be individualized to each students learning needs and may be composed of various modalities including, but not limited to: readings, assignments, virtual learning, and meetings with assigned mentors.
   3. Assessments: Remedial assessments may be offered to assess student performance. Types of assessment may include, but are not limited to: evaluation of clinical performance using clinical evaluation tool, essay, assignment, critical reflections, oral examinations, and virtual simulation examination.
3. Unsatisfactory achievement of terms outlined in a Clinical Learning Support plan will result in failure of the course. No further remediation will be offered.
4. Where failure is on the basis of unprofessionalism, remediation may be offered, but if the conduct is deemed critical, it may result in direct failure of the course.
5. Where there have been multiple failures in other courses or the same course, remediation may not be offered.

Unsafe Practice

1. Instructors (preceptors/NPCF) of a student demonstrating unsafe practice will objectively document observations, including specific examples when possible (i.e. narrative, charting, prescriptions, SOAP note) and discuss these with the student, clinical course coordinator, NPCF, and/or Course Lead in a timely manner.
2. The clinical course coordinator will determine if a formal Clinical Learning Support plan is appropriate and if so, a remediation plan as outlined in this policy will be implemented.
3. In a situation where a student’s behaviour places the client, facilitator or staff at foreseeable risk, the student may be dismissed immediately from the clinical site.
4. Where an unsafe incident is deemed critical, it may result in direct failure of the course.

Extended Leaves from Clinical

A student with an extended leave from clinical (> 2 months) will meet with the Academic Lead of the NP Program prior to returning to clinical to develop a learning plan addressing expectations for baseline course knowledge. Learning plans will be individualized to each students learning needs.

NP Clinical Learning Support Plan

This plan is being initiated to facilitate attainment of course/program requirements, entry-level nurse practitioner competencies and nurse practitioner standards.  Failure to meet the requirements of this plan will result in failure of this course.  It is the students’ responsibility to share the plan with preceptors and faculty involved in the course.

PART I

1. Reason for Learning Support Plan: Describe areas of unsatisfactory performance requiring remediation.
2. Learning Needs: Specify learning needs, ELC’s and/or standards which must be met in order for student to successfully progress in clinical.
3. Plans for Addressing Learning Needs: Describe detailed plan for addressing identified learning need, including timelines for completion.  Plans will be individualized to specific student learning needs.
4. Evaluation: Describe how success in the Clinical Learning Support plan will be evaluated.  Types of assessment may include, but are not limited to: evaluation of clinical performance using clinical evaluation tool, assignments, critical reflections and/or oral examinations.

The student signature is required to acknowledge that the contract has been discussed with you.  It does not mean that you agree with it.

PART II – Outcomes of the Clinical Learning Support Plan:  Have the expectations of the Clinical Learning Support plan been met?  Include specific examples and results of assessment as applicable. If the student has not met expectations of the plan, explain consequences (i.e. course failure, further remediation).

            Faculty response:

            Student response:

The student signature is required to acknowledge that the remediation outcome has been discussed with you.  It does not mean that you agree with it.

Purpose

To outline the promotion and graduation process throughout the Nurse Practitioner program.

Policy

1. NP students are required to maintain an annual weighted average of 70% in courses taken in their program of study.
2. NP students who do not achieve an annual weighted average of 70% may be required to discontinue.
3. Decisions regarding continuation in the program are:
   • Annual weighted average 69% or below – student is required to discontinue
   • Annual weighted average above 69% and below 75% - student will receive a warning letter and required to repeat any courses with marks below 65% and any course with a mark between 65 – 69% are recommended to be repeated.
4. NP students with an annual weighted average below 75% will be sent a warning letter stating they are required to maintain an average of 70%.
5. NP students may be required to discontinue their studies at any point in their nursing program for reasons other than academic, if it is considered in the best interest of the profession or if continuation in the program is deemed to be unsafe to themselves or others.
6. To graduate, NP students must have passed all required courses in the program with a minimum cumulative weighted average of 70%.

Purpose

To identify the Nurse Practitioner and client safety requirements necessary for clinical placements in the Saskatchewan Health Authority and across other health care agencies and provincial clinical settings.

Policy 1: CPR Certification

PURPOSE:

To ensure CPR requirements are clear and consistent for all Nurse Practitioner students engaging in clinical experiences, research, or teaching activities.

POLICY:

1. All Nurse Practitioner students must maintain current CPR certification throughout the program. Re-certification is required every two years, or following the date of expiry on the CPR certificate if annual certification is required by the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) or agency. The certification must be equivalent to, at minimum, CPR-C and AED.
2. Nurse Practitioner students must provide evidence of current CPR-C and AED certification prior to the start of the first clinical experiences, or prior to research or teaching activities.
3. Nurse Practitioner students failing to provide evidence of current CPR-C and AED certification may be excluded from clinical experiences, or research or teaching activities.

Policy 2: Criminal Records Check

PURPOSE:

Health care workers are in a position of public trust and as such, are required to have a criminal record check for employment in health care settings. This policy is to ensure that Nurse Practitioner students meet that same requirement, and are therefore eligible for all clinical opportunities during their program.

POLICY:

1. Students accepted for admission into the College of Nursing Nurse Practitioner programs are required to provide the results of a criminal record check, including a vulnerable sector search, after admission, and as required for clinical experience, research or teaching activities through the program.
2. Nurse Practitioner students failing to provide the results of a criminal records check will not be allowed to participate in any clinical experience requiring client care, research or teaching activities with vulnerable populations.
3. Additional criminal record checks may be required by specific clinical agencies as a condition of placement. Failure to provide such information will result in the agency excluding the students from access to their facility.
4. Any costs associated with the criminal record check are the responsibility of the Nurse Practitioner student.
5. Nurse Practitioner students are required to report criminal convictions and/or outstanding charges that occur after the date of the original criminal record check to the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies and to their provincial licensing body. Failure to report any criminal convictions and/or outstanding charges will be grounds for immediate dismissal from the program.
   • Each reported criminal conviction and/or outstanding charge will be assessed to determine what, if any, impact the criminal conviction and/or outstanding charge will have on the student’s status in their program.
6. Current and potential Nurse Practitioner students with criminal records may be counseled to seek a pardon.
7. In the event of a positive criminal record check, the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies is required to forward this information to the health authority/agency representative, to determine eligibility of the Nurse Practitioner student for clinical placement. The Nurse Practitioner student may be required to provide the health authority with more information regarding the conviction.
8. Access to criminal record check information, within the College of Nursing, will be limited to the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies, the Academic Lead of the Nurse Practitioner Program, the NP Program Coordinator, and the administrative support person for the Nurse Practitioner program.
9. A copy of and/or the original criminal record check will be kept on file in a secure location, by the program for the duration of the student’s program.
10. Nurse Practitioner students information regarding criminal record checks will be destroyed within two months after students have completed the program or permanently withdrawn,
11. Current and potential Nurse Practitioner students with criminal records may be counselled to seek a pardon.

Policy 3: Immunization

PURPOSE:

To establish consistent recommendations for Nurse Practitioner student immunization. Immunizations help protect the health and safety of patients /clients, as well as students participating in clinical experiences, research or teaching activities.

POLICY:

1. All Nurse Practitioner students are required to complete the recommended immunizations for health care students as laid out in the most current Saskatchewan Immunization Manual (SIM) (Chapter 5 Immunization Schedules and Chapter 7, Section 6.2 Health Care Worker – Eligible for Publically Funded Vaccines) prior to any contact between students and patients/clients.
2. Nurse Practitioner students are required to submit to the College of Nursing proof of immunizations prior to participation in clinical experiences, or clinical research or teaching activities.
3. Nurse Practitioner students who do not complete recommended immunizations or required titre testing will be excluded from certain clinical areas as determined by the SHA. Therefore failure to maintain recommended immunizations may delay a student's progress in his/her studies.
4. Nurse Practitioner students who do not complete recommended immunization(s) must sign a waiver and may be excluded from some clinical areas. The student may be at risk of not being able to complete required components of their program.
5. Additional immunizations may be required for specific clinical settings and in specific circumstances, such as disease outbreaks. Students who refuse or are unable to comply with this requirement may be at risk of not being able to complete required components of their program.
6. Nurse Practitioner students are to follow the SHA policy regarding influenza vaccination or the policy in the clinical setting.
7. In the event of influenza or other outbreak, any unvaccinated or non-immune student will be excluded from the outbreak area and will not be allowed to return until the SHA or agency has determined it is safe to do so (i.e. infection, prevention and control; occupational health and safety).
8. Nurse Practitioner students who are applying for international clinical experiences, research or teaching activities will be required to meet the immunization requirements for the destination country.
9. Any applicable costs of immunization are the responsibility of the student.
10. Nurse Practitioner students must inform their faculty and/or preceptor of immunization status in relevant clinical situations.
11. Nurse Practitioner students will inform their faculty and/or site supervisor of onset of symptoms of a vaccine preventable communicable disease or contagious infection and exclude themselves from clinical settings as appropriate.

Policy 4: Respiratory Protection

PURPOSE:

To establish guidelines for respiratory mask fit testing of Nurse Practitioner students consistent with the most current Occupational Health and Safety Regulations and the Canadian Standards Act prior to and during clinical experiences, or research or teaching activities. Proper respiratory mask fitting helps to protect students from respiratory infection when providing care or service to clients with acute respiratory infections.

POLICY:

Nurse Practitioner students will be fitted with an N95 respiratory mask and educated on its use when required during the program.

1. Arrangements will be made by the College of Nursing for students unable to arrange for fitting in their area of residence to attend a session to be fitted for the most appropriate type and size of respiratory mask during the annual residency week in August.
2. Nurse Practitioner students who fail to attend their scheduled session must make their own arrangements for fit testing.
3. Nurse Practitioner students who are unable to comply with this requirement may be at risk of not being able to complete required components of the program.
4. Nurse Practitioner students are required to have information regarding their respiratory mask type and size with them while in the clinical setting. Students must carry proof of fit testing results on their person at all times during the clinical experiences, research or teaching activities.
5. If a Nurse Practitioner student cannot be fitted for a respirator then they cannot enter any clinical setting requiring a respirator.
6. Notify the appropriate person in the SHA or other health care agency and their education program if they are exempt from fit testing.
7. In accordance with the Canadian Standards Act, Nurse Practitioner students are required to be refitted at least every two years while in the program or earlier if they have changes to face shape, size or features.

Purpose

Considering the role of the College of Nursing in mentoring professional registered nurses, as nurse practitioner (NP) students in primary care setting with a direct patient care role, the purpose of the policy is to assist with the identification and management of Patient Safety Incidents (formerly referred to as adverse events, sentinel event, near miss, close call, no harm incident and critical incidents), and to minimize risks and potential injuries to patients/clients/residents and students. College of Nursing Incident Management includes actions and processes required at the College level to conduct the immediate and ongoing activities following an incident. Part of incident management, Incident Analysis is a structured process that aims to identify what happened, how and why it happened, what can be done to reduce the risk of recurrence and make care safer, and what was learned (CIACP, 2012). This policy details actions to be taken by College of Nursing NP students and faculty upon recognition of a Patient Safety Incident.

Policy

1. Patient Safety Report. Patient Safety Incidents are to be reported in a timely manner as soon after the event as possible. The College of Nursing Patient Safety Report Form should be completed by either faculty members and/or students and submitted to the course coordinator. Local health region incident report forms should be completed and submitted as required by health region policy. The Patient Safety Report Form shall be revised as needed to support College processes according to this policy.
2. Immediate Action. In the event of a Patient Safety Incident, the student is to follow the clinical agency or Health Region Policy and Procedures. Upon receipt of a Patient Safety Report Form, the clinical instructor and course coordinator shall ensure that immediate action is taken to care for and support patient/ family/ providers/ others, secure items and reduce risk of imminent recurrence.
3. Discipline and fear of reprisal. The success of the Patient Safety Incident policy relies on the creation of a confidential environment where participants can safely report incidents and express their opinions about underlying contributing factors without fear of reprisal. The clinical instructor and course coordinator, in consultation with the NP Program Director as needed, shall determine whether the Patient Safety Incident is a result of actions of intention, recklessness or of unforeseen circumstance or complications of care, and such determination shall guide disciplinary action or impact on student grades or progress in the program. In general, faculty response to Patient Safety Incidents should facilitate student learning and be aligned with the educational mission of the College.
4. Preliminary Investigation. The course coordinator shall report and forward a copy of the Patient Safety Report Form to the NP Program Director. A College of Nursing, Graduate NP Program Patient Safety Committee shall be responsible for reviewing incidents. Upon receipt of the Patient Safety Report Form, a preliminary investigation of the incident shall ensue to understand what happened, how and why it happened and to develop and manage recommended actions. Patient Safety Incident analysis involves systems thinking using a non-linear approach that includes consideration of categories of contributing factors (task, equipment, work environment, patient, healthcare team and organization factors) and use of multiple sources of information.
5. Report. Recommendations shall be developed after each Patient Safety Incident addressing how to reduce risk of recurrence and make care safer, how student/faculty learning can be facilitated to prevent such an incident in future and to determine what was learned and how learning should be shared. A formal report of the committee shall include recommended actions, implementation plan and monitor and assess the effectiveness of actions.
6. Disclosure. The course coordinator shall collaborate with the clinical agency or local health region to begin disclosure process, which should explain to patient/residents/family the unexpected event or change; offer an apology that it happened; assist patients/residents/families to understand how and why it happened; explain what will happen next and commit to next steps; and include patients/residents/family in the fact gathering process, enabling them to contribute what is known from their perspective (CIACP, 2012). The Graduate NP Program Patient Safety Committee shall share what was learned internally (at minimum with the course coordinator and NP Program Subcommittee) and externally (at minimum with the agency where the incident occurred). Sharing with external agencies shall occur in face-to-face or WebEx meetings, or in writing, and is the responsibility of the leadership team or designate. Sharing activities shall maintain patient/client/resident and student confidentiality.
7. Aggregate Review. Graduate NP Program Patient Safety Committee shall review annually all Patient Safety Incidents submitted by students within the NP Program. The goal of aggregate review is to ensure that patterns of incidents can be assessed, if present, and identify needed changes to Graduate Program processes and curriculum to minimize risks and potential injuries to patients/clients/residents, students and faculty.

Purpose

Conduct of Ph.D. Oral Examination

The purpose of the examination is to permit the Examining Committee to be satisfied that the standards of the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and the University have been met. The questions should reflect this purpose and questions should be based mainly on the content of the dissertation, but the committee should be satisfied that the Ph.D. candidate has the appropriate knowledge for a specialist in the area defined by the dissertation. The Chair is a non-voting member of the examining committee that is responsible for facilitating a fair and well-run defence, along with a couple of responsibilities just before and after the scheduled defence.

Policy

Before the PhD Defence

The Chair circulates to all examining committee members (but not the student) a digital copy of the Pre-defence Report of the External Examiner (GPS 403.1) on the day of the defence, just before the start of the defence (e.g., 30-60 minutes before the start of defence). The Chair will receive the completed GPS 403.1 form from the CGPS Program Advisor supporting the unit prior to the defence date.

At the Start of the PhD Defence

The Chair makes the introduction of the External Examiner, the University Examiner, and the members of the Examining Committee. The Chair will invite the candidate to make a presentation of about 10 to 20 minutes highlighting the components and contributions of the dissertation and its conclusions. The candidate’s oral presentation should not take significantly longer than 20 minutes, otherwise, the Chair should ask the candidate to end the presentation.

At the end of the candidate’s oral presentation, the External Examiner, who has major responsibilities for examining the candidate is given the first opportunity to ask questions. The University Examiner will be the second person to ask questions to the candidate, followed by the Cognate member, additional member(s), and supervisor(s). A second round of questions will follow starting with the External Examiner and following the same order as the first round.

During the PhD Defence

The Chair facilitates the defence, whether in-person or virtual. This includes affirming the ground rules for the defence with all present, managing the presentation by the student, overseeing the rounds of questions, facilitating the deliberation and decision-making by the committee, and communicating the results of the defence. The graduate administrative staff in the academic unit is expected to coordinate and share details of the defence time and location/platform with all committee members and the student well in advance of the scheduled date; however, it is the Chair’s responsibility to ensure the defence runs smoothly and that proper process is followed. The Examining Committee must have enough evidence to make a recommendation (see the Procedures for Oral Examination and the Dissertation/Thesis Oral Examination Recommendations 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5).

At the End of the Defence

At the end of the 2 rounds of questions, the members of the Examining Committee convene in the absence of the candidate and other individuals who may have attended the presentation and question period. If consensus cannot be reached a consensus on the acceptability of the dissertation and/or the defence, a vote must be taken. A simple majority in favour of “Pass” or “Fail” will serve as the Committee decision, except in the case where the External Examiner does not share the majority view (regardless of whether it is a yes or a no vote). If the External Examiner does not share the majority view, the examination will be adjourned by the Chair (non-voting) and the Dean of the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies will review the situation and establish appropriate procedures to solve the matter. Abstentions by voting members of the Examining Committee are not permitted and will be interpreted as negative votes.

After the Defence

The Chair is responsible for working with the graduate administrative staff in the academic unit to fill in the Report of the Oral Defence of a Doctoral Dissertation (GPS 403.5) and ensure that it is filled in correctly and signed by each examining committee member. The graduate administrative staff in the academic unit will prepare the GPS 403.5 and provide it to the Chair of the examining committee prior to the defence. After the Chair has filled in the decision of the examining committee and signed the form, the graduate administrative staff in the academic unit will circulate the form for signatures by all committee members.

For information drawn from CGPS Procedures revised in May 2022.

Purpose

The College of Nursing operates under the new Advisory and Defence rules approved by CGPS Council in January 2022. This policy applies to comprehensive examinations, proposal defences, and final examinations. The CGPS Dean’s Designate role has been removed and the role of Examining Committee Chair is now fulfilled within the academic unit.

Policy

Chair (non-voting)

“The chair of the examination committee is the Graduate Chair, the Department Head, the Dean/Executive Director (non-departmentalized colleges/schools), the Associate Dean Graduate Studies or a designate.”

This policy recommends that when the Graduate Chair, the Dean/Executive Director, or the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies cannot serve as Chair of the Ph.D. Examination Committee, PhD-trained tenured or tenure-track faculty members who have an active appointment in the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies within the College of Nursing be appointed as Chair of the Ph.D. Examination Committee by the Associate Dean Graduate Studies or designate. Professional Affiliates and Adjunct Faculty cannot serve as Chairs of Ph.D. Examination Committee Chair.

The Chair has no voting rights and must ensure that the process unfolds without biases. The Chair ensures that the comprehensive examinations, the proposal defences, and the final examinations follow the rules and processes established by the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

To ensure neutrality and equity, the Chair shall not be in conflict of interest with the supervisor, the co-supervisor, and the doctoral student. The Chair of the Ph.D. Examination Committee will be declared in conflict of interest if:

• They have been directly involved in the candidate’s Ph.D. dissertation research;
• Have served on the candidate’s Advisory Committee;
• Be related (e.g., family, partner) to the candidate or the supervisor or co-supervisor.

If any doubt about a potential or perceived conflict of interest, the supervisor or co-supervisor can bring the issue to the Associate Dean Graduate Studies or the Graduate Chair.

Purpose

The College of Nursing operates under the new Advisory and Defence rules approved by CGPS Council in January 2022. This policy applies to comprehensive examinations, proposal defences, and final examinations. The CGPS Dean’s Designate role has been removed and the role of Examining Committee Chair is now fulfilled within the academic unit.

Policy

The University Examiner will be a member of the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The University Examiner normally has a Ph.D. degree or equivalent (DNS, DNP, Ed.D.). Adjunct faculty can serve as University Examiners, but Professional Affiliates cannot. The University Examiner may be selected from within or outside the College of Nursing provided that the arm’s length criteria are met. To be at an arm's length the University Examiner will not:

• Have been directly involved in the candidate’s Ph.D. dissertation research;
• Have served on the candidate’s Ph.D. Advisory Committee;
• Be related (e.g., family, partner) to the candidate or the supervisor or co-supervisor.

The University Examiner will have suitable knowledge in the general field of the dissertation research. Ideally, they have previous experience supervising or examining doctoral students. Ideally, the University Examiner should be selected from a Canadian U15 university, but expertise in the field and arm length’s represent the primary criteria of selection. The University Examiner has voting right at the final examination.

The choice of the University Examiner will be approved by the Associate Dean Graduate Studies, or the Graduate Chair. The University Examiner will also be approved at the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Purpose

To define how grades are released to graduate students in the College of Nursing

Policy

1. Graduate student grades achieved throughout a course (with the exception of the final grade in a course) will be posted on the Learning Management System (LMS), as per course guidelines. Such grades will only be accessible by individual students once they have signed into their LMS course, thereby protecting student confidentiality.
2. Final grades assigned to graduate students upon completion of a course will not be posted on LMS courses. Students will only be able to access their final grades through PAWS.   

Purpose

To clarify the expectations surrounding graduate students attending professional conferences.

Policy

1. Active participation in professional nursing conferences is very important to advancing the nursing profession, strengthening collaboration and communication, and building leadership skills.
2. Graduate nursing students in any year of their program should be encouraged and facilitated to attend local, provincial, and national nursing conferences as well as interprofessional conferences as appropriate to their academic and career development.
3. Depending on the courses involved, academic and clinical equivalence of conference time should be considered, based on student’s progress in course work and a minimum 80% grade attained through all course work prior to the conference.
4. The following procedures must be followed:
   1. Submit a request to the Course Instructor or Thesis/PhD Supervisor
   2. Notify all teachers affected of your absence

Policy

A minimum of 60% must be obtained in any course taken by a student enrolled in a master’s program for the student to be granted a pass standing.

Purpose

Where a grade of less than 60% is obtained in a course and on the recommendation of the College of Nursing graduate program/Graduate Chair and the approval of the Dean of the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (CGPS), the student may repeat a course once for higher standing or take an alternate course if approved by the Graduate Chair in the College of Nursing.

Purpose

Students receiving a grade less than 60% in any two required courses within a graduate program in the College of Nursing will be recommended to discontinue by the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (CGPS).

Policy

Upon recommendation of the Advisory Committee or staff within CGPS, a student may be recommended to be required to discontinue at any time for failure to achieve satisfactory progress in any aspect of the degree program. Such students must be invited to meet with the chair of the graduate program as soon as evidence of unsatisfactory performance is available. If applicable, a student's advisory committee must be invited to attend the meeting. (CGPS Policy Section 15)

If the graduate program does not make such a recommendation, or if the recommendation is not approved by the Dean of the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, the student will be required to withdraw. The student will be informed of unsatisfactory academic progress in writing before any action regarding withdrawal is taken.

Students who have been required to withdraw from a graduate program may make a formal application to be readmitted to the same program after at least one year has passed from the effective date of withdrawal.

Purpose

To outline residency requirements for graduate programs at the College of Nursing.

Policy

The residency requirements for College of Nursing Graduate Programs are:

Master's Thesis and Course Based Programs — Students are required to attend a half day orientation at the end of May and 1 full day orientation in late August prior to the beginning of their program.  The orientation may be attended in person in Saskatoon, Regina or Prince Albert, or they may attend via web conference.

Nurse Practitioner (MN-NP) Program - Students in the Nurse Practitioner programs are required to attend:

• A half-day online orientation in May prior to the start of their program and a one-hour Typhon orientation for uploading clinical requirement documents in September. The orientations are accessible online through videoconferencing software.
• One Saskatoon based spring residency week: a one week laboratory in Saskatoon during NURS 875 which is a combination of an OSCE and clinical skills development.

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) Program – PhD students are required to attend 2 onsite Saskatoon based PhD residency weeks in the first year of their program.  These weeks will be offered in late August and early April.

Purpose

To delineate the process for the writing of supplemental and deferred examinations in the graduate program.

Policy

Deferred Exams

Deferred final examinations may be granted provided the following conditions are met:

The student who is absent from a final examination through no fault of his/her own for medical or other valid reasons may apply to the College of Nursing for a deferred examination. Such application must be made within five (5) days of the missed examination along with documentary evidence. Deferred examinations will be written during the February midterm break for term 1 courses and in early June for term 2 courses. The College may, under extenuating circumstances, request a special deferred examination for a student who submits satisfactory evidence of inability to be present at the regular deferred examination sitting. A student should apply for a special deferred exam if the course in which the exam was missed is a pre-requisite to a course that would be taken before the scheduled deferred exam period.

During a final examination, the student who becomes ill must notify the invigilator (proctor) immediately of the inability to complete the examination. To apply for a deferred examination, the student must submit satisfactory documentary evidence of the illness to the Graduate Chair of the College of Nursing within three days of the interrupted examination.

The student who has sat for a given final examination and handed the paper in for marking will not be granted a deferred final examination.

A deferred final examination shall be accorded the same weight as the regular final examination in the computation of the student’s final grade.

Applications for deferred or special deferred exams are available from the Graduate Program Coordinator. The student completes the top portion and then takes it to their instructor to complete the middle portion. It is then forwarded to the Chair of the Graduate Program who either grants or denies the request. If the Graduate Chair grants the deferred examination, he/she notifies the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies who administers the examination fee and schedules the exam.

Supplemental Final Exams

There are no supplemental final examinations in the College of Nursing Graduate Program courses.

Objective Structure Clinical Examination (OSCE) Re-Examination (OSCE-R)

Students who fail the OSCE in NURS 875.3 - Transition to Advanced Practice Nursing and receive a grade between 65-69%, and a minimum 70% in other course work, may be eligible to complete an OSCE re­examination (OSCE-R). The Course Instructor, in consultation with the Director of the Nurse Practitioner Program, will determine student eligibility for an OSCE-R based on the reasonable expectation of the student passing the course with an OSCE-R (i.e. passing grades in other course evaluation components).

Student who are successful in completing the OSCE-R will receive the grade attained on the first OSCE in the calculation of their final grade.

The OSCE-R will be scheduled within 5 calendar days of the initial OSCE. No special application is required for students to complete an OCE-R

Purpose

To define how transfer credits will be approved from another institution to be used toward a student’s graduate program of studies.

Policy

• When a student has been admitted to a College of Nursing master’s program they are eligible to transfer coursework from another institution:
  • After the student has established a satisfactory registration record at the U of S for at least one term in a regular academic year.
  • On recommendation from the graduate chair, NP director or student supervisor.
  • Within the five-year time limit
  • When at least 60% of the program requirements are completed at the University of Saskatchewan.
  • To a maximum of:
    • 9cu for students in the professional practice
    • 6cu for students in the thesis
    • 6cu for student in the nurse practitioner

• When a student has been admitted to a College of Nursing PhD program they are eligible to transfer coursework from another institution:
  • After the student has established a satisfactory registration record at the U of S for at least three terms in a regular academic year.
  • Within the six-year time limit
  • When at least 6 cu at the graduate level are completed at the University of Saskatchewan.
  • To a maximum of 9cu.

Purpose

To ensure that all Nurse Practitioner students are eligible for Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) benefits if they sustain an injury during the course of a work-based learning assignment.

Policy

All Nurse Practitioner students residing in Saskatchewan will complete the ‘Consents and Agreement’ section of Schedule “B”- Work-Based Learning Consent and Agreement form when they register in the program.

1. WCB forms will need to be completed at the beginning of the program for Saskatchewan Health Authority agencies, their affiliate organizations and the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency. WCB forms must be signed by the Nurse Practitioner student and returned to the College of Nursing.
2. WCB forms will be completed for any other clinical placements that are considered non-health. For instance community agencies, etc.  WCB forms must be signed by the student and returned to the College of Nursing prior to the start of each of these types of placements.
3. Original signed copies of WCB forms will be retained by the College of Nursing for a minimum of two years from the completion of the student’s program of studies to correspond with provincial statutes.
4. In the event of an injury sustained in a clinical setting, procedures and related consent and claim forms are available through the course instructor and on this website:

BACKGROUND:   

In April 2007, the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) and the Ministry of Advanced Education and Employment signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to extend workers’ compensation coverage to students undertaking unpaid work-based learning. The Ministry of Advanced Education supports claims associated with post-secondary institutions that have coverage pursuant to the MOU.

In order to ensure students undertaking unpaid work-based learning have continued workers’ compensation coverage, the MOU has been extended to December 31, 2019 on its original Terms and Conditions. There are no changes to the claims process. 

Prior to placing a student/participant with an employer, the post-secondary institution/community-based organization must ensure that the student/participant has completed a Work-Based Learning Consent and Agreement Form

Note: Coverage is not applicable to any placement or portion of a placement that takes place outside of Saskatchewan.