Student placement risk management

Year 1

Year 2 and Beyond

Master of Social Work (MSW) 2023-2024

Immunization requirements are mandatory for clinical settings and must be fulfilled before starting placements. 

As a Health Care Professional, you have an obligation to protect your patients, colleagues and yourself from infections that can be transmitted in health care practice settings.

You are responsible or keeping copies of all your documents, as our office will NOT provide them. Our office is also not responsible for providing proof of immunization to other medical education programs, hospitals or for college licensing.

For your initial submission, all medical and health sciences students need to complete theStudent Placement Requirements Record (PDF, 307 KB) and submit it electronically to the advisor responsible for your clinical placement file. It must be dated and signed by your physician or other health care professional.

An N95 mask is a respiratory protective device used by health care professionals to protect the wearer from particles or liquid contaminating the face. The edges of the mask form a seal around your nose and mouth to help prevent the passing of airborne particles between you and your patients.

To ensure that you’re wearing the correct mask size, you must be fitted for an N95 mask every two years. You can complete a mask fitting one of the following ways:

• Visiting the Occupational Health and Safety office at your host institution.
• Booking a mask fitting session directly with Levitt Safety by emailing [email protected]. Note that fit testing is held on Tuesdays, so please email in advance due to limited availability.

For the mask sizes currently available,please contact your program advisor.

Please note: Although we make every effort to ensure you’re only fitted for a mask once every two years, there may be cases where you may need to be fitted more often (due to masks being out of stock, not available in your hospital setting or expired). In this case, it is your responsibility to cover the cost as it isn't included in your tuition fees.

Other considerations:

• Masks are included in the adjustment fee - you don’t have to buy a mask in advance.
• If you experience significant facial changes (size, shape, etc.), you must be fitted for a new mask.
• Wear little or no makeup during the mask fitting.
• Men must remove facial hair to ensure an occlusive fit and reduce the risk of exposure.
• Different host institutions may carry different stocks of N95 masks. If your host institution doesn’t carry your N95 mask size, you must be refitted to wear a size carried by your host institution.

Privacy and consent

Consent to Release of Information (PDF, 172 MB)

Student Declaration of Understanding

Student Declaration of Understanding (PDF, 2.1 MB)

Immunization

• Student Placement Requirements Record (PDF, 307 KB)
• Seasonal Influenza Vaccine (PDF, 149 KB)

Tuberculin skin test

• One-Step Tuberculin Skin Test (PDF, 196 KB)
• Two-Step Tuberculin Skin Test (PDF, 198 KB)
• Tuberculosis Signs and Symptoms Self-Declaration (PDF, 176 KB)

Blood borne viruses

• Hepatitis B Second Immunization Series and Serology Follow-Up (PDF, 180 KB)
• Hepatitis B Vaccine Non-Responder Self-Declaration (PDF, 176 KB)

A Police Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS) is mandatory for student placements. It includes a search of police involvement (CPIC) and a search for any sexual offence convictions for which an individual has received a pardon. The University reserves the right to revoke admission offers and/or registration at any time based on the results of the VSS.

Police vulnerable sector screening

A Police Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS) is mandatory for student placements. It includes a search of police involvement (CPIC) and a search for any sexual offence convictions for which an individual has received a pardon. The University reserves the right to revoke admission offers and/or registration at any time based on the results of the VSS.

Students who are doing placements for academic credit towards their University of Ottawa degree may receive assistance from our department to apply for a police check. If you require a police check for potential employment or licensing you must seek assistance from your potential employer or licensing body.

The only organizations authorized to conduct a VSS are local police services.

Requirements

Your police check must cover your last five years of residency. This includes a VSS or equivalent for every country in which you have lived in for a period of six consecutive months or longer during the last five years.

Therefore, if you currently live or have lived overseas during the last five years, you must provide us the name of the country or countries visited, including the exact dates (from mth/yr to mth/yr), to determine your police check requirements at your program advisor.

Processing time

The processing time to obtain a VSS may vary between 2 TO 12 WEEKS, depending on the police service. To avoid any delays, we recommend that you apply several weeks in advance in order to provide us the original VSS document by your deadline. Failure to provide the original VSS document by your deadline may prevent you from starting or continuing your placement.

How to request a VSS

Contact your local police service to apply for a VSS. The final results must be digitally secured. Procedures, pricing, and processing time to obtain a VSS vary for each police service. Please carefully read the information listed below. If your city is not listed, please refer to their website for further information.

Procedures to obtain a VSS for different cities

Gatineau 

You need a form provided by the University. To obtain the form, email your faculty contact with two pieces of ID and proof of address.

Montreal 

Consult theService de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) website for details on how to apply.

Ottawa 

Consult theOttawa Police Service website for details on how to apply.

You must choose to receive your police check electronically to meet your requirements. Just ensure to forward us the initial email from the Ottawa Police Service with the attached final results.

If you apply in person or receive your police check by mail, you will need to provide us the original paper document embossed with seal to meet your requirements.

Also note: A uOttawa letterhead will not be required as it is strictly for volunteer purposes. If you apply online, you must check off "other" and not "volunteer" as your reason of request to proceed to the next level.

Ontario Provincial Police

Please request a letter from your faculty contact and be sure to provide your full name, including any middle names or initials, your program of study, your student number, your date of birth, and the name of your local OPP detachment. You can then apply directly with the Ontario Provincial Police.

Toronto

Please request a form from your faculty contact. You must then complete the form and send it to the Toronto Police Serviceto be processed.

1. Students must complete all requirements prior to starting clinical practicum or field placements.
2. The agencies receiving you for your clinical placement have reserved the right to refuse access to students who do not meet their immunization/testing and other requirements.

The immunization requirements are based on Ontario hospital surveillance protocols.Personal or philosophical grounds for objection to being immunized or tested is not an acceptable reason for exemption from these policies. If you do not meet, or object to meeting, the immunization/testing requirements as outlined, the agency will be informed and will decide if you have access to their agency for placement purposes. This may affect your ability to complete clinical requirements of the program for which you have applied.

It is recognized that some individuals may be unable to comply with these immunization guidelines for medical reasons (e.g. pregnancy, breastfeeding, allergies, or previous reactions). A medical exemption signed by a physician must be provided.

Read the instructions of the SPRR form. It is strongly recommended that applicants make an appointment with a healthcare professional as soon as possible upon receiving their admission documents. Some vaccines require several doses and/or serology reports, for which results can take several weeks. Also, during the summer months, appointments may be more difficult to schedule. Make sure to attach copies of serology reports, a chest x-ray report and any other supporting documents, as applicable.

Immunization histories may be available from parent records, hospital/physician visits, public health records or school records. If you attended elementary or secondary school in Ottawa, you may contact the City of Ottawa’s Public Health at 613-580-6744 ext. 24108 or send an e-mail to: [email protected]. Personal or parental verbal reports of vaccines or history of illness are not accepted as evidence of immunity. Most immunizations can be safely restarted according to appropriate scheduled guidelines. Upon completion of the immunization form, keep a copy for yourself. You may need it again in the future.

If no record is available, then the attesting health care provider will not have a medical record in order to confirm a history of clinical infection or vaccination. Serology, in this case, is required to show proof of immunity. If serology shows no immunity, then vaccination is required.

• Your family physician
• Most walk-in clinics
• The University of Ottawa's Student Health and Wellness Centre located at 801 King Edward Avenue, Room N203 (613-562-5498).Make an appointment.

A physician may charge a form completion fee. Some vaccines are also not covered by Health Care Insurance. Students are responsible for all costs.

Note for Quebec residents: Provincial immunization guidelines may differ. It is advised that they make an appointment through the Student Health and Wellness Centre as your student health insurance may cover additional immunizations and tests that are not covered in Quebec.

A primary series is usually received during early childhood. For example, it may have included Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis and Polio, known as DPT-P.

Adult primary series of 3 doses must be completed.

Measles and Red Measles are, in fact, the same disease. It is also known as Rubeola. The term German Measles refers to Rubella disease.

No, you can be tested for TB once you arrive on campus. You will need to make an appointment with the University of Ottawa’s Student Health and Wellness Centre, where the physicians are more familiar with the requirements of the Faculties.

You must receive the most current vaccine for the Flu season (for example: if you start your studies in September, you will receive the vaccine in November; If you start your studies in January, you must receive the vaccine prior to admission). The vaccine is manufactured on an annual basis to provide protection against the predicted strains of flu viruses for the flu season.

For students living in Quebec, please note that not all health care professionals have access to your immunization records. Public health nurses will have the most up to date information.

Quebec immunization guidelines may also differ from Ontario and not all vaccines and tests are covered by your Quebec health insurance (ex. the tuberculin skin test [TST] is not covered and requires private care to complete). You have the option to complete it through the university’s Student Health and Wellness Centre, where costs are covered by your student health insurance.