Not everyone is cut out to be a nurse. It's not just that courses can be rigorous and program instructors demanding, though that's certainly true. Nurses are held to especially high standards of personal and professional behavior. No one wants to worry when they go into a healthcare facility whether they can trust the nurse who sees them.
You obviously have what it takes, or you wouldn't have been accepted into the TWU College of Nursing (CON) in the first place. Your journey is just beginning, though. CON faculty and administrators want to be absolutely certain that you can do this job, that you can be a leader, and that you can serve the health needs of individuals and your community. The college holds you accountable for a long list of academic and personal requirements, and any lapses could cost you your chance at a healthcare career.
What should you expect? And more importantly, what do you do when you run into trouble, as all students inevitably do? You'll find answers to the first question below. As for the second question, you contact the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team. We know how hard you work, and we care about your success. We also have the background and experience to make sure the TWU CON treats you fairly and that you have every reasonable chance to earn your degree. What can we do for you? Call 888-535-3686 to find out, or take time right now to fill out our questionnaire.
Nursing Standards at the Texas Woman's University College of Nursing
You came to TWU to learn, and that has to be your first priority. The College of Nursing offers a thorough program with courses in subjects like microbiology, pathophysiology, anatomy, and pharmacology. In addition, the school expects you to meet several technical standards by the time you graduate.
- Knowledge and skills related to the discipline of nursing and the ability to apply what you've learned across diverse populations and "across the lifespan and health continuum."
- Professional and personal sense of responsibility and accountability
- Critical thinking and clinical decision-making
- Research-based approaches to providing patient-centered care
- Effective communication skills targeted toward patients, supervisors, and colleagues
- Leadership and patient care in healthcare environments
Finally, you'll want to keep careful track of your grades and your GPA. Should you struggle academically, you can be dismissed from the program. You must, for instance, retake any courses in which you earn a D or F. However, you have just one opportunity to retake those courses. Should you fail a second time, dismissal is automatic.
Issues of Misconduct
Of course, your responsibilities as a student aren't just limited to studying hard and attending class. Just like any other student at Texas Woman's, you are expected to follow all of the university's many disciplinary policies. Most of these can be grouped into three broad categories.
- Academic Integrity: This type of misconduct refers to your classroom behavior—how you complete your coursework. As you might expect, cheating and plagiarism are explicitly prohibited, but any dishonesty can get you into trouble.
- Student Code of Conduct: Outside the classroom, your behavior is governed by the TWU Student Code of Conduct. That document prohibits things like weapons possession, trespassing, assault, and disorderly conduct.
- Sexual Misconduct: Finally, as required by federal law, TWU is required to enforce Title IX, which bars most forms of sexual discrimination and harassment, including everything from verbal harassment to more serious offenses like date rape.
As a nursing candidate, you have additional checks on your personal and professional behavior. You're required, for example, to undergo regular drug screening. You must pay attention to how you treat patients, how you deal with confidential information under HIPPA, and how you communicate with supervisors and colleagues. Even mistakes in your personal life can call into question your qualifications to work as a nurse.
In fact, your obligations to meet the CON's professional and ethical standards mean you're subject to more severe sanctions for violations of general university rules and regulations. Cheating on an exam can get you into trouble no matter what your major might be, but the College of Nursing has virtually no tolerance for these kinds of failings.
Sanctions
The university and the CON maintain a broad list of possible sanctions. Obviously, the exact nature of the sanction you'll face if you're found Responsible (guilty) will depend on the nature of the offense itself.
- Verbal warnings
- Written warnings
- In-course punishments such as lower grades on assignments and lowered course grades
- Special educational assignments
- Disciplinary probation
- Dismissal from the College of Nursing
- Mandated counseling
- Restitution
- Suspension of privileges
- Denial of degree
- Suspension
- Dismissal
- Revocation of degree
Whatever the accusation and whatever the proposed sanction, you must take every misconduct allegation seriously. There's always an additional cost to any sanction: a record of that sanction in your permanent file. Even if you've simply been given a warning for plagiarism, if that shows up in your file, it could affect your graduate school applications and your ability to get a job once you've graduated. Keep in mind as well that most state licensing agencies require applicants to report any misconduct they may have committed while earning their degrees.
With so much on the line, you cannot afford to take any charge lightly. You must fight for your future. The attorneys at the Lento Law Firm are here to help you do that.
Administrative and Judicial Processes at Texas Woman's University College of Nursing
As has already been suggested, there are plenty of ways to find yourself in trouble at TWU CON. Even the best students sometimes find themselves struggling to keep their grade points up for a semester or two or facing false sexual misconduct allegations.
Part of university success, in fact, has to do with learning how to navigate the system—knowing who to call when you need to miss a class or you think you might have a learning disability and what to expect when you need to defend yourself from a misconduct charge.
There are two basic systems at TWU CON, and both can be complicated.
- Administrative System: If you're dealing with an academic issue, it will likely be handled administratively. That could be an academic department, the registrar's office, or a dean's office. It's unusual for these kinds of problems to lead to suspension or dismissal, but there are also not as many options when it comes to defending yourself.
- Judicial System: TWU CON gives you a number of options when it comes to fighting misconduct charges. You can expect an investigation, the chance to defend yourself at a hearing, and a number of due process rights to protect you from injustice. However, sanctions in these cases tend to be more serious.
You've got a secret weapon to help you work your way through these systems: the Lento Law Firm attorney. Your attorney knows exactly who to call when you have a problem. They know strategies for keeping your GPA up. They can help you defend yourself anytime you're facing a misconduct charge. The firm's Student Defense Team has been helping students for a long time. We know your rights, and we know how to make sure you're treated fairly.
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.
