You don't need us to tell you that Mount Carmel College of Nursing takes nurse training extremely seriously. After all, that's all this college does: train nurses. It's been doing that successfully for 120 years. What does "success" mean exactly? How about a 100 percent employment rate for all program graduates?
You want a strong program like this one. It means you'll have serious credentials by the time you graduate. It means employers and communities will take you seriously. It means you'll have the confidence that comes with a top-notch education.
Make no mistake, though: you're going to be challenged during these four years. When you are, keep in mind that the Lento Law Firm is here for you. We can protect you should you find yourself accused of misconduct. We can suggest options to pursue should your GPA drop a bit. We know who to contact when you have a problem, and we know exactly what to say.
What can we do for you? Call 888-535-3686 to find out, or take time right now and fill out our online questionnaire.
Nursing Standards at Mount Carmel College of Nursing
Your first challenge at Mount Carmel? Mastering the curriculum. That means taking on science courses like Anatomy and Physiology and Microbiology your very first year. Science courses are only the beginning, though. As you progress through the program, you'll face serious nursing courses designed to get you ready for your career, including Nursing Statistics and Cultural Competence in Health Care.
Ultimately, you're expected to meet several competencies by the time you graduate.
- Understand the relationship between the physical sciences and the social sciences and humanities and apply that understanding to the practice of nursing
- Exhibit values like respect for the dignity of persons, service to others, and social justice
- Practice caring behaviors that are culturally competent
- Use evidence-based practices to promote client health
- Incorporate professional behaviors into the practice of nursing
- Implement nursing processes as part of caring for clients
- Demonstrate strong communication skills
- Utilize leadership skills to design positive healthcare outcomes for clients
- Demonstrate the ability to collaborate with interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary teams in producing positive healthcare outcomes
- Implement critical thinking strategies
- Demonstrate clinical competence in a variety of settings and with a diverse population
Oh, and while you're taking all these courses and mastering all these competencies, don't forget you need to keep your grade point up as well. MCCN's Academic Progress policy requires you to keep your GPA above 2.0 and to earn at least a C in every course. If you fail to do so, the college places you on academic probation. Once you're on probation, you have two semesters to improve. After that point, you face outright dismissal from the program.
Issues of Misconduct
We, as a society, expect high moral and ethical behavior from our healthcare providers. We trust nurses will put our health above all other considerations, that they'll keep our personal information confidential, and that they'll treat us with respect.
Learning to meet these standards begins in nursing school. Like all colleges, MCCN holds students accountable for three important disciplinary policies.
- Academic Integrity Policy: As you might expect, actions such as cheating, plagiarism, and fabrication are explicitly prohibited.
- Student Code of Conduct: Non-academic misconduct can get you into just as much trouble as academic misconduct, if not more. The Student Code of Conduct outlaws behavior such as underage drinking, drug possession, theft, assault, hazing, and weapons possession.
- Title IX Sexual Misconduct Policy: Finally, like all colleges and universities, MCCN is required by federal law (Title IX) to investigate and prosecute all credible reports of sexual misconduct.
Again, all undergraduates at all colleges and universities face these same rules. Nursing programs, though, typically have zero-tolerance policies when it comes to misconduct. Even minor offenses suggest you may not have the ethical values to practice nursing.
In addition, MCCN expects you to meet specific standards of nursing professionalism, including,
- The National Student Nurses' Association codes of ethics and professional conduct
- Ohio Board of Nursing regulations
- Ohio state law (Ohio Revised Code 4723-5-12(C))
How you treat patients, how you handle medical records, and how you interact with supervisors and colleagues can determine whether you succeed or fail at nursing school.
Sanctions
Mount Carmel College of Nursing maintains a variety of different sanctions for students who have committed misconduct.
- Warning
- Educational assignments, including seminars and classes
- Disciplinary probation
- Disciplinary suspension
- Disciplinary dismissal
Ultimately, though, the severity of your sanction may not matter, though. Again, professional nursing standards are high. Any black mark on your permanent record could stand in the way of going to graduate school and/or establishing your career. Even a warning for cheating suggests that you aren't qualified to practice nursing. In fact, most state licensing agencies require you to report all educational misconduct, even if it isn't reported on your record.
This means you must take every allegation seriously. There's too much at stake to try to handle a misconduct case on your own. You need someone from the Lento Law Firm to help you defend yourself.
Administrative and Judicial Processes
We've spent a lot of time describing just how difficult it can be to earn your degree at Mount Carmel. There's good news, too, though. MCCN can't simply sanction you without cause. The college has to have proof of your mistakes, and it has to give you the chance to defend yourself from allegations.
- Academic Sanctions: Any time you're struggling to keep your grades up, MCCN gives you several opportunities to improve. You're not simply dismissed for failing a course, for instance. You're placed on probation, and you're required to retake the course, but you can continue at the college as long as your grades don't fall further. In addition, your Lento Law Firm attorney can suggest strategies for dealing with the threat of academic sanctions. If, for example, you've been dealing with extenuating circumstances, you can petition the college for more time to improve.
- Misconduct Sanctions: Unlike academic sanctions, misconduct sanctions are usually implemented immediately. However, the college must first prove that you committed an offense. You're entitled to an investigation and to defend yourself at a formal hearing. Punishments can be more severe in these cases, but you always have the right to due process.
You do have rights as an MCCN student, and there are always processes and procedures to use to defend your future. These processes and procedures can be difficult to navigate on your own, though. You need someone in your corner who's familiar with how MMCN's various departments, offices, and systems operate. You need someone with experience defending students. You need someone from the Lento Law Firm.
Trust the Lento Law Firm to Handle Your Case
The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team has defended hundreds of students from all types of issues—from rape charges to cheating scandals. We are always on your side, ready to fight for your rights, and determined to get you the best possible resolution to your case.
For more information on what we can do for you, call us today at 888-535-3686 or click on our online form and tell us about your problem.
