The Columbia University School of Nursing is a private nursing school established in 1892 in Manhattan, New York. This prestigious nursing school is the graduate school of nursing at Columbia University and is one of the oldest nursing schools in the country. It is the first nursing school to award a master's degree in a clinical specialty and the first to receive a World Health Organization election as a Collaborating Center for International Nursing Development in Advanced Practice. Being part of Columbia Nursing School helps open many doors for your future career as a nurse in the United States and abroad. But to reap this school's many benefits, you must demonstrate impeccable professional and ethical behavior and keep up with the program's rigid academic standards. Failure to do so leads to many issues, like placement on probation, failure of courses, suspension, and dismissal.
As a nursing student at Columbia, you are under significant pressure to succeed and keep up with your peers. However, this pressure may also lead you to take actions that you may regret later. A mistake or lapse in judgment does not have to mean the end of your training. However, the sanctions you may receive due to these violations have far-reaching consequences, affecting your reputation and professional life. With so much that can go wrong, contact the Lento Law Firm at 888-535-3686 or contact the team here for more information.
Academic and Professionalism Standards for Nurses
As a future nurse, patients, doctors, and medical teams rely on you, and you are in a position of public trust. Due to your access to medical facilities and patients and their families, your professional behavior, ethics, and training come into play when communicating with others. Professional and ethical behavior are the backbone of your practice and are integral parts of your personality as a nurse. However, no matter how ethical you are, you must also know what you are doing and maintain proficiency in your academic program to stay enrolled. Along the way, you may make a mistake or experience a lapse in judgment that jeopardizes your chances of staying enrolled, leading to suspension or dismissal.
Academic and Professional Violations
The Student Handbook at Columbia University School of Nursing contains a comprehensive overview of what to expect and what the school expects of you during your stay. In terms of violations, the handbook divides them into academic-related violations and behavioral/professional violations. In terms of academic violations, students may not falsify records, sign in or report erroneous departure times intentionally, engage in academic dishonesty, cheat or copy from other students, acquire exam questions in an unauthorized manner, plagiarize, or submit old work to a new class. As for its professionalism and behavioral standards, they are more extensive and include:
- Leaving clinicals without permission or unexcused lateness and absenteeism
- Creating or contributing to unsafe sanitary conditions within clinicals
- Unauthorized possession or distribution of patient confidential information
- Copying medical records without authorization
- Deliberately misusing property
- Immoral or indecent conduct
- Threatening or intimidating others and engaging in disorderly conduct
- Using vile or abusive language
- Using or possessing intoxicating substances
Students who violate these rules may have to face Columbia University's disciplinary process, which includes the issuance of sanctions that have debilitating effects on their future.
Grievance Process and Appeals
All students who engage in prohibited conduct are subject to the Dean's Discipline outlined in the Standards and Discipline Handbook. The Dean's Discipline process investigates and responds to allegations of behavioral and academic misconduct. Any member of the Columbia Community may report an allegation of misconduct by filing an incident report electronically to Student Conduct (SC). Once SC receives the report, it determines whether the matter requires further investigation and whether the matter may require disciplinary action. The matter may be resolved through administrative resolution, mediation, restorative justice, or a hearing.
During the hearing, students may request a file review and are encouraged to prepare a written statement describing their perspective regarding the allegations. The hearing outcome relies on the standard of proof, or evidence, presented by both parties during the hearing. Per the handbook, sanctions must be fair and appropriate, generally consistent with the University's handling of similar cases, protect the safety of others, and reflect the seriousness of the prohibited conduct. Sanctions include:
- A disciplinary warning
- Conditional disciplinary probation
- Disciplinary probation
- Disciplinary suspension
- Permanent loss of housing
- Access Restrictions
- Expulsion
- Degree Revocation
- Other sanctions deemed appropriate for the case
Fortunately, students may appeal a sanctions decision by sending a written request to the Dean of the School of Nursing. However, appeals must be for the following grounds:
- A procedural error
- The emergence of new information not available during the hearing
- The sanction is too severe for the allegation
The Dean forwards the request to the Appellate Officer, who may request additional information to make a final decision. The Appellate Officer may affirm the sanction, revise it to be more or less severe, or return the matter to the Hearing Officer for further consideration. After they decide on the outcome, the Appellate Officer's decision is final.
Contacting the Lento Law Firm
With the pressure to succeed at Columbia Nursing School and the many personal issues one may experience as a student, mistakes are a natural part of the learning process. However, some mistakes are more severe than others and have long-lasting implications that can alter your career trajectory.
The Student Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm understands how critical this time in your life is. With years of experience working with nursing students nationwide, the Student Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm is by your side when your future and career are on the line.
Regardless of the violation and allegations, you deserve due process and a fair approach to your case. Don't fight the issue alone – contact the Student Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm at 888-535-3686 for a discreet consultation regarding your case.
