Coronavirus Status

Nursing Students,  

Your faculty and I continue to monitor the evolving COVID-19 situation and we continue to have your safety and education foremost in our minds. Many of you have called to inquire about plans for clinical. I am writing you today to say that I have made the decision with the support of Drs. Webb and Carew (Clark) to suspend or stop all clinicals for both undergraduate and graduate students, including NRSE 4621, beginning today through April 9. We will reassess the situation before April 9 to let you know what the future steps will be.   

For the undergraduate students your faculty have developed plans for simulation and other similar activities that you can complete online. You should be hearing from them in the next few days with the revised syllabus and details on the new activities based on our altered online schedule. You do not need to return to campus this weekend.   

For the graduate students, please work with your faculty and with Dr. Giles to accurately document the hours that you have completed to date. As we assess this evolving situation we will let you know about plans to make sure that you get in the needed hours.  

For those of you graduating in May, I know that this step will make you anxious. Do not worry as we will be in touch about how we will work with you to complete your course and program objectives. Please be patient with us.  

For those undergraduate students who are graduating in May, Ms. Bowser sends the following NCLEX Instructions:  

NCLEX Online Instructions  

1. Students will be sent the Appendix from the Board of Nursing which will have all the forms they need as well as instructions on how to fill out the NCLEX application.
2. A detailed student instruction message will be sent via D2L news and email regarding application instructions, passport photos, Citizenship Forms, and Student Information Sheets.
3. The students will also be emaikled the following blank documents attached to NRSE 4611 and NRSE 4612:
4. Student Information Sheet
5. State of Tennessee Citizenship Form
6. To protect sensitive student information that is needed for NCLEX, drop boxes have been created through NRSE 4611 Sections 101, 301, and 801, and through NRSE 4612 Section 521 (which has all LPN Sections in it) for students to submit the following:
7. Student Information Sheet (I have to have this in order to create the spreadsheet that the TN Board of Nursing requires)
8. Signed passport photo so I can have access to them for the Dean's required signature on each one.
9. If students have not yet had their passport photos made there will be locations listed where these can be obtained.
10. Denise Bowser is working with Chelsea Dubay in ITS to see how I can return the signed passport photos to each student. If I hav to, I will scan each one back to each student. It will get done.

All of your faculty, staff, and administrators are working from home but available to you as always. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I will either answer or direct you to people who can answer your questions. Above all else, please be safe and well. 

With regards, Dr. Wendy Nehring, Dean