The M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing (FCN) is a private nursing school established in 1953. It is part of the Vilanova University complex, a private Catholic university in Villanova, Pennsylvania. The College of Nursing has 150 clinical affiliations and 13 global health sites. It offers the traditional 4-Year BSN, a Master's and Post-Master's degree, a Post-Baccalaureate Nurse Anesthesia DNP, a Post-Master's DNP, a Ph.D. in nursing, and continuing education programs. After graduation, you can look forward to numerous career opportunities due to your training and the strength of your program's reputation. But to benefit from what FCN offers, you must maintain the college's academic standards and avoid misconduct and professionalism issues. Failure to do so causes future issues, like graduation delays or dismissal from the program.
As a nursing student, you study hard and work harder to stay enrolled in FCN. However, due to the pressure to succeed and personal issues that may affect your performance, you may make mistakes or experience a lapse in judgment. While mistakes are part of the learning process, some are more egregious than others, leading to reputation damage, sanctions, and expulsion from your program. With so much on the line, taking action immediately after you receive notice of a violation or case against you is essential. Contact the Student Defense Team at the LLF Law Firm today or call 888-535-3686 for a higher chance of receiving a favorable case outcome.
Academic and Professionalism Standards for Nurses
As a future nurse, you will be responsible for the health and comfort of your patients and their families. This role comes with great responsibility, which is why nursing schools take great care to educate and train their nurses using the highest standards. Your academic performance is vital to your success as a nurse. If you cannot apply the theories you learned into practice and if you cannot keep up with your peers, you may face placement on probation or fail your courses. The student handbook maintains that FCN has the right to dismiss any student with unsatisfactory performance. However, even if you have high grades and pass your academic requirements seamlessly, you still must maintain professional and ethical behavior, avoiding misconduct and code violations. Failure to maintain these two main factors in your educational path leads to sanctions, delaying or stopping your progress.
Student Handbook and Code of Conduct
The Student Handbook at FCN outlines the professional and academic responsibilities of nursing students. All nursing students must adhere to the values, standards, and ethical behaviors expected for this profession. The policy maintains that students may face dismissal if their professional and clinical performance is not up to par with FCN's standards. Some examples of conduct that may lead to sanctions include:
- Emotional or physical misconduct by students toward staff, patients, peers, and faculty members
- Demonstrating a persistent disregard for patients, colleagues, or religious, cultural, and ethnic practices
- Breaching confidentiality
- Unsafe professional practices during clinicals
- Errors in medication administration
- Failure to submit or update clinical compliance requirements
- Being under the influence of drugs that alter consciousness or alcohol during clinicals
Per the handbook, failure to abide by these standards may lead to issues, such as the failure of a course, additional written paperwork, and dismissal from the nursing program. Do not act alone if you receive word of allegations against you for violating these standards. Call the Student Defense Team at the LLF Law Firm to determine the next steps and reduce the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome.
Adjudication Process and Appeals
There is no structured adjudication process at FCN that involves a formal hearing. However, the student handbook mentions that the nursing school can impose sanctions on students who violate the honor code, go against the school's professional standards, and experience chronic academic issues. Although FCN does not delve into the specifics of how it manages and executes this process, that does not mean that you don't need the Student Defense Team during this process to help you navigate what comes next. You will still receive a notice of a grievance against you, and you can take action by appealing a decision if it means that you may lose your placement at FCN.
If you want to appeal a dismissal against you, you must send a written appeal letter to the Dean of the nursing school. After the Dean reviews the evidence, they determine whether the appeal is valid and issue a final decision. Since there is limited information on what happens during the adjudication process, having the Student Defense Team to help you navigate this process makes a difference in the outcome.
Contacting the LLF Law Firm
It is not easy to train to become a nurse. Although this may be something you are passionate about, the many rules and regulations involved in becoming a nurse may lead you to commit actions you would otherwise never think of doing. With so much that can go wrong and your degree on the line, taking chances with your future and reputation is not the best route.
The Student Defense Team at the LLF Law Firm has years of experience working with nursing students nationwide. Whether the matter is severe or you committed a genuine mistake not understanding its repercussions, you deserve due process and a fair evaluation before a dismissal.
With all that can go wrong, the Student Defense Team at the LLF Law Firm is by your side, taking each step with you to decrease the chances of a negative outcome. With their compassion, passion for justice, and experience working with nursing students, you have a shoulder to rely on when all seems lost.
You worked hard, passed through many hurdles, and succeeded in receiving placement in a competitive nursing program at FCN. One mistake or lapse in judgment should not end your dreams of becoming a nurse.
If you or someone in your family face dismissal from FCN, help is just a phone call away. Call the LLF Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or contact the Student Defense Team here for a discreet consultation about the next steps.
