Clinical Passport Solution
The TCPP has developed a Clinical Passport for students that includes several components:
- Standardized student requirements for clinical activities
- Standardized documentation of eligibility for clinical placement in a healthcare facility.
- Standardized online general orientation content for all clinical facilities
- Student access to facility-specific online orientation content
Standardized student requirements & documentation - As regulatory standards continue to change, attempting to standardize student requirements such as immunizations, CPR, background checks, etc. was the first barrier that the TCPP addresses on a regional basis. Regional partners are encouraged to identify common requirements and standardize content whenever possible. This content is recorded for each student on the Clinical Passport document that is designed to span up to a four year program of study. Schools maintain the document which can be requested/reviewed by Clinical Facilities at any point during the semester.
Standardized online general orientation - The TCPP found that clinical facilities were requiring students to complete the routine general orientation content that all healthcare employees must review each year. But - instead of a yearly review - students were being required to review this content at each facility they were assigned to each semester. This resulted in redundant content for the student; but more importantly, less actual clinical time at the bedside! Through negotiations within the partnership, a common curriculum was identified and agreed upon as applicable across the varied healthcare facilities. This content is reviewed yearly for continued applicability and updated as needed to reflect changes in the healthcare environment and regulatory changes - such as the Joint Commission's National Patient Safety Goals. Review the Orientation Outline! Students and Faculty will only be required to complete the general orientation content once per academic year and the facility/unit-specific content as it applies to the clinical assignment. Students must complete an online quiz that requires a minimum passing score of 92% to complete this component of their Clinical Passport.
Seeking to create a "best practice" with the Online Orientation, not only is content presented, but nursing students are also presented with scenarios where they must apply the content in patient care delivery situations. This approach strengthens the content by promoting critical thinking and decision-making by the student. The design of this content application is through branching decision tree style of content presentation that offers students with the opportunity to select a learning pathway based upon their perceived knowledge base allowing them to review actual course content or proceed to simulated healthcare situations where they must apply their knowledge of the content. This design allows students who have experience with the content to spend less time in the course and still validate their understanding of the content. Two versions of the simulations are rotated yearly to provide students with new situations during the typical two year clinical rotation period.
A content-only version is available for all other healthcare professional students.