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Health and Clinical Requirements for Entry into Clinical Experience

The health requirements are mandated by clinical agencies. The Sterile Processing and Distribution Program abides by affiliating clinical agencies’ regulations for health and clinical requirements. Documentation of completion of health requirements will be maintained in Complio, the immunization and program requirement tracking system. Northwest Community Hospital Immediate Care Center (NCH), located on Harper’s campus, can provide these services at a reasonable cost.

Due to specific clinical site timelines and expiration requirements, students should NOT complete these requirements before beginning the Sterile Processing and Distribution Program. Instructions and appropriate completion timelines will be provided after the program begins.

Health requirements include:

• Physical Exam
• Mumps, Rubella, Rubeola, Varicella IgG, and Hepatitis B titers and corresponding vaccines if immunity is not documented
• QuantiFERON Blood Test
• Yearly flu vaccination Mandatory: Fall: by October 10th, Spring: two weeks prior to the start of the semester.
• Covid 19 vaccination – Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson and Johnson. No longer required but recommended.
• Health Insurance Verification (Students are responsible for maintaining continuous health insurance while in the Surgical Technology Program.)
• Complete any new clinical agency health requirements as directed.
• Upload documentation into the web-based compliance application system used by the program.

Procedures:

Physical exam

• A physical exam must be signed and dated by a health care provider within the current year.

DPT, Mumps, Rubella, Rubeola, Varicella IgG, Hepatitis B surface antibody titers:

• Proof of immunity must be documented with a laboratory report.
• Documentation of vaccination administration does not take the place of proof of an acceptable titer.
• If not immune to Varicella, Mumps, Rubella or Rubeola or Hepatitis B the student must start the immunization series before beginning clinical and complete immunizations as identified by their physician or the clinical site. Therefore, vaccinations must be initiated in a timely manner to ensure the student is compliant 6 weeks prior to the start of the clinical rotation.

COVID 19 Vaccine

• Proof of immunity that the students has been vaccinated with the Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson and Johnson vaccine. This vaccine is no longer required but recommended.

Hepatitis B      

• Hepatitis B immunizations are required for those who never had the vaccine or those with a negative titer. The surface antibody titer is required 30 days after the completion of immunization series. If the titer does not indicate immunity, the series will be repeated.

Tuberculosis Testing:
QuantiFERON TB Gold Blood Test

• Blood test that aids in the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria which causes tuberculosis (TB).

Health Insurance Verification

• Proof of insurance coverage must be uploaded to Complio.
• Proof of insurance consists of a letter of verification of coverage from an employer. It must be on the company letterhead with the current date, student’s name, statement that the student has health insurance, name of the insurer, and signature of the company officer.
• If the student has a personal health insurance plan, a letter from the local insurance agent will provide proof.
• Students without health insurance coverage must obtain coverage prior to starting classes. Students are encouraged to obtain coverage through the Health Care Market Place during open enrollment.
• Students on Public Aid must present their public aid card.
• Any changes in insurance coverage must be uploaded to Complio and notification made to the surgical technology program administrator.

Failure to Submit Health Requirements

• Students newly admitted or returning students in the second year of the program must submit required documents by the predetermined date set by the Program Coordinator.
• Failure to meet the required health requirements prior to the deadline date will result in removal from the registered courses and seat in the Surgical Technology Program.

BLS Provider Course Completion

All students must complete a Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider Course before starting their clinical rotation. No student will be allowed to participate in clinical practice without verification of a valid BLS Provider Course Completion Card.

Procedure:

• A copy of the student’s valid BLS Provider Course Completion Card must be uploaded into the on-line verification system 7 weeks prior to the start of the clinical rotation.
• Students are required to always maintain current Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider certification once the clinical rotations have begun.
• Students must repeat the course prior to the expiration date printed on the BLS Provider Course Completion Card.
• When the course is repeated, the new card must be uploaded web-based compliance application system used by the program.

Background Check

Drug Screening

• All students are required to submit to drug screening as a condition of our clinical affiliation agreements.
• Students must pay for the drug screening through Complio.
• Students should not take prescription medications to the lab at the time of testing. Students may be required to provide a list of prescription medications that they are taking.
• Results of the screening will be uploaded directly into Complio. Inconclusive or non-negative results will be given to the Dean of the Health Careers Division. Only the first random screening will be acceptable for this requirement. An inconclusive result may require additional testing at an additional cost to the student.
• A student who tests positive in an Admission Drug Screening conducted under this Procedure for drugs that are illegal substances or are non-prescribed substances that require a prescription for lawful use, or are deemed unsafe for the clinical setting, will be removed from surgical technology courses and may be dismissed from the Surgical Technology Program. Such removal or dismissal is subject to additional testing of the original sample at the student’s request and expense, and to academic appeal as set forth in Harper College’s Student Code of Conduct and Dispute Resolution Procedures.
• If a student challenges the results of the screening, only the original sample will be tested. The student is responsible for the cost of the retest.

Students failing to complete the drug screening during the date and time required in the initial notification will be withdrawn from all surgical technology courses due to failure to meet the drug screening requirement.