Communicable Disease Policy

Students exposed to or contracting a communicable disease must notify the Program Director and Clinical Coordinator immediately.

The Program Director and Clinical Coordinator will arrange a meeting with the student to discuss the situation of exposure and any follow-up which has occurred to date. The student will be counseled and will be recommended to organize an appointment with a physician for continued follow-up, analysis, and treatment as needed.

If the student is subsequently diagnosed as having a communicable disease, the following policy applies:

    Student must notify Program Director and Clinical Coordinator immediately, and the student will be counseled in concert with the advice of the diagnosing physician. Counseling will be focused on the welfare of the student involved as well as individuals with whom he/she will be associated with educationally. Listed below are some of the most common communicable diseases or conditions which hospital workers might be exposed to or contract:

    HIV/AIDS Pneumonia
    Chicken Pox Meningococcal Disease
    Mumps Streptococcal Disease
    Measles Staph Positive Infections
    Rubella Poliomyelitis
    Whooping Cough (Pertussis) Typhoid Fever
    Hepatitis A Scabies
    Hepatitis B Pediculosis
    Tuberculosis Herpes
    Salmonella Gonococcal Disease
    Food Poisoning Syphilis
    Draining lesions (such as super-infected poison ivy)
    Diarrhea (of more than 24 hours’ duration)
    Conjunctivitis (infectious)

Should a student be diagnosed as having any of the above, or any other communicable disease, he/she must report such diagnosis to the Program Director and Clinical Coordinator.

In the event the student is unable to attend a clinical assignment because he/she has been diagnosed as having a communicable disease, the student is still required to make-up clinical time missed.

In the event of excessive absenteeism, the Clinical Coordinator will make every effort to schedule makeup clinic time. However, it may not be possible and may result in a failing grade.