Placement policies and procedures
The obligatory clinical placement have to take place in clinical establishment having an agreement with the University of Ottawa. The students will have to be supervised by a professional member of the Professional Order of his province. These placements will be evaluated: satisfying (S) or not satisfactory (NS) according to criteria included in the placement evaluation tool specific to each program.
Placement language
Students must be bilingual in order to complete their placements. They should therefore be able to interact with clients and other professionals, participate in group discussions and meetings, as well as be able to efficiently complete charting in both French or English. If one feels inadequate in a specific language, the University of Ottawa advises students to complete a language course in the first or second year of education. A difficulty in the second language will not excuse a placement failure.
Dress code
The student must at all times project a professional image. Unless the clinical site requires a specific dress code or uniform, the student must abide by the following details during clinical visits, practical exams and placements.
The dress code includes:
- dress pants or a skirt no higher than 2 inches above the knee;
- a shirt (without writing or messages) with long or short sleeves and a collar;
- socks;
- closed-toe and low-heeled shoes (maximum height of one inch).
It is also important for the student to wear, at all times, their identification tag bearing their name and status.
If the clinical site requires a white lab coat, the student must follow this request as well as follow the dress code described above.
Wearing the following items is an indication of lack of professionalism
- tight or transparent clothing;
- jeans (any colour), shorts or short skirt;
- t-shirt exposing the abdomen or a camisole;
- boots or sandals;
- excessive jewelry that influences a client's, another professional's or one's level of security.
Also, the student must minimize make-up, perfume and hairspray in order to be sensitive
towards others needs.
It is the responsibility of the student to confirm with the clinical supervisor the appropriate dress code of the site and to respect it at all times. The student should also present himself/herself as requested by the supervisor the first day of the placement.
If the supervisor feels that the student's appearance does not meet the clinical site's criterias for dressing, the student will be required to go back home and change before pursuing the placement and account for the time missed.
Identification
Most of the clinical sites ask their employees to wear an ID card visible to the public.
The student must wear their student ID card with their photo, the name and the university student status visible at all times
Absences
Clinical placements are a prerequisite for success fully completing the program. Perfect attendance is therefore expected by all students.
- In the event of illness, the student is asked to stay home and inform his / her supervisor and clinical fieldwork coordinator as soon as possible. Any period of illness of more than two consecutive days must be justified by a medical certificate presented to the supervisor. The medical certificate must be submitted with the student's evaluation at the end of the placement to the University's clinical fieldwork coordinator.
- Bereavement requests must be submitted to the University’s fieldwork coordinator and the supervisor.
- Requests for leave for religious obligations will be accepted if presented before the beginning of the placement to the University’ fieldwork coordinator and the supervisor.
In all instances, the University’s fieldwork coordinator, the Institution’s clinical coordinator and the supervisor will determine how much time the student must make up and how best to do so ( If possible in the current placement, if not in a future placement). In the event of a disagreement between parties, the situation will be brought to the attention of the Program Committee, which will judge the appropriate measures to be taken.
Any unauthorized absence during a placement will be considered a lack of professionalism. Such absence indicates a lack of professional conscience which will be recorded in the student's file, and could lead to the termination of the placement.
Placement withdrawal
A student is required to be present for the duration of the placement. It will therefore be considered a failure if he/she abandons a clinical fieldwork that has already been started.
In instances deemed exceptional by the academic fieldwork coordinator of the University, the file of the student could be brought forward to the program Committee for revision.
A failure can also be warranted if one shows a lack of respect for the Code of Ethics of the profession or if the policies and procedures of the facility are not obeyed and followed.
Repeating a placement
If a student has failed a placement, he /she must repeat it in a clinical site that has been approved by the academic fieldwork coordinatior of the University of Ottawa.Success in this new clinical fieldwork is needed in order to complete the following placements. If it is impossible to find another placement during the same academic year, the student will need to extend his/her education year and receive his/her degree at a later date.
A student that contests a failure once the retake has begun will not be permitted to carry-over the days worked in the retake to the following placement if the decision is overturned.
A student that receives a second failure for a placement (failure during a placement and its retake or during two different placements) must withdraw from the Rehabilitation Program. Rules and regulations relating to students compelled to withdraw from a program are included in the Faculty of Health Sciences Calendar.
Failure of a placement will be equivalent to the failure of a course of 3 credits and the placement will have to be repeated. In the possibility of a second failure of the same placement or two different placements, the student will have to withdraw from the program.' From the document approved by the « COÉS » (Fall 2006).
