Enrollment Requirements and Registration

Enrollment status at Pomeroy College of Nursing at Crouse Hospital is defined as follows:

Matriculation
Matriculation is a student status indicating that all admission requirements have been met and the student has accepted an offer of admission to the program.

Non-Matriculation
Non-matriculated students are not enrolled in the nursing program but are allowed to take courses at the Pomeroy College of Nursing on a space-available basis.

Full-time (FT)
Full-time is defined in both federal regulations and in New York State education law as being enrolled in a full-time academic workload that equals or exceeds 12 credit hours per semester.

Important Note About Full-time Study
Students who have transferred general education courses or take them during summer sessions and students in and extended program may have difficulty maintaining full-time status in the nursing program.

Academic support courses may be offered that are non-credit bearing and therefore do not count toward full-time status. The College incorporates academic support into all NUR courses to promote success in the intensive nursing curriculum. In the course descriptions for each of these non-credit courses, the requirements and time commitments have been equated to credit hours for the purpose of determining the total academic load for individual students. Students enrolled in these courses may have an academic load that is equivalent to full-time. Financial aid opportunities may be limited; consult the Financial Affairs Officer for more information.

Students should be prepared for a Monday through Friday lecture, lab and clinical schedule. Some nursing courses include Saturday/Sunday and/or evening clinical hours. Course schedules change as the student progresses in the program each semester. Due to varied clinical scheduling, the College is not able to provide specific nursing course schedule information to students prior to enrollment in the Program.

Audit (AU)
Any student desiring to audit a nursing course must acquire prior approval by the Program Chair/Associate Dean before registering for the course. The request must be submitted before the semester/term begins in which the course being considered for audit is offered. Students may audit only the theory portion of a nursing course and will pay a pro-rated tuition fee. Audited classes are recorded with a grade of “AU”. No credit is awarded. A course taken on an audit basis will not be counted in determining full-time status for financial aid eligibility.

Advisement
Students are encouraged to meet with an academic advisor prior to registration to ensure they are meeting progression and/or graduation requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to properly register for courses that fulfill graduation requirements.

Registration
Registration for nursing courses is completed online through SONIS. Students are notified via their College email regarding registration details. Students who do not register during designated registration times may forfeit their space in the next sequence of coursework. Students are required to submit proof of enrollment for all required courses being taken at other institutions while matriculated.  A official transcript showing completed grades is required before the next semester/term starts.

Course Adjustment Days
Students must refer to the academic calendar for add/drop dates.

Enrollment Requirements

Accepted* applicants wishing to matriculate at Pomeroy College of Nursing at Crouse Hospital must fulfill the following requirements prior to the determined target dates:

Enrollment/ Placement Fee 
Upon acceptance, to finalize matriculation and reserve a place in the program, the student must pay a non-refundable enrollment fee. The fee is applied directly to tuition expenses. If the fee is not paid by the deadline date, the student will forfeit the guaranteed place in the program.
*High School applicants are provisionally accepted contingent upon documented graduation and successful completion of admission required courses.

Resuscitation (CPR) Requirements
Students must provide documentation of successful completion of an approved CPR course listed below prior to established deadlines. All students are required to keep CPR certification current throughout program matriculation. Proof of continued certification for an entire semester/term is required at the start of each term. Prior to nursing coursework, students must complete one of the following courses:

• American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) (Two-year certification)
• American Red Cross (ARC) Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (Two-year certification)

Certification from any provider not listed here will not fulfill this requirement.

Students who do not submit proof of completion of the approved CPR certification prior to the established deadline will be unable to attend nursing classes, lab and clinical rotations.

Health Insurance 
All matriculated students must carry personal health insurance while in attendance.

The College offers a Student Health Insurance Plan in which students are automatically enrolled in annually, unless they elect to waive coverage by a designated date. The premium fee for coverage is added to the tuition bill. The Plan, offered through Haylor, Freyer and Coon Insurance Agency, details a schedule of benefits for participating and non-participating providers. Students may obtain a copy of their policy from the College main office.

To waive coverage students are required to submit policy information from their current insurance provider to our broker (mentioned above) during the designated waiver period. This process must be followed to have the fee removed from the tuition bill. Should the student’s insurance provider or coverage change while in attendance, the student must notify the Financial Affairs Officer and our broker at the time of the change.

Health Assessment
Healthcare facilities have many procedures, processes and requirements that the College is mandated to follow in order to place students in the clinical setting. Students are required to complete a full health assessment as an enrollment requirement and annually upon continued matriculation. The forms must be completed in their entirety and signed by the healthcare provider with attached lab results by the designated deadline. Students are responsible for submitting all required documents to their Castle Branch account by the designated deadline; faxed, mailed or emailed documents to the College will not be accepted. All health records must be 100% complete and current to attend class, lab and clinical. Immunizations are an important part of this process.

New York State requires all students taking six credits or more and born after January 1, 1957 to submit the following immunization records (PHL Section 2165 and 2167):

• Proof of 2 Measles, 1 Mumps & 1 Rubella vaccines (or 2 MMR’s) OR
• Positive blood test results (IGG) for Measles, Mumps, and Rubella,

Any student registered for 6 credits or more regardless of age also needs to submit the following:

• Proof of receiving the Meningitis Vaccine within 5 years OR A signed wavier declining the Meningitis Vaccine.

Area Health Care facilities that you may be attending for clinical also require immunizations and PPD testing. The following is a list of immunizations and testing that also must be submitted:

• Two intradermal Mantoux Tuberculin tests are required for the first semester/term before entering the College setting and then one annually thereafter. Students with a positive Mantoux Test will be required to have a chest x-ray and show satisfactory (to the University) evidence of follow-up health care. A TB screening form must be completed annually for those with a positive Mantoux history.
• 1 Tdap within 10 years
• 2 doses of varicella vaccine 4 weeks apart or positive blood test results (IGG)for varicella or provider statement of disease with date
• 3 Hepatitis B vaccines or positive blood test results (IGG r declination form. (If you would like to start the series, you would receive dose #1 now, dose#2 in 1 month, and dose#3 approximately 5 months after #2.)
• Current Flu vaccine (one dose each flu season)

Students are referred to the following for assistance with immunization compliance and records:

• Current and Previous Health Care Providers
• High School
• Prior/Current College
• Onondaga County Health Department
• Military records

For more information on the New York State Immunization requirements, please visit the New York State Department of Health website.

For more information on immunization requirements for healthcare workers, please visit the CDC website.

Enforcement Statement
Students are not allowed to attend courses without demonstrating immunization compliance. Any corrective measures for health problems as well as immunization requirements must be completed prior to the start of classes. Students must have the required health information clearance prior to the first day of class. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action up to, and including, dismissal from the College.

Student Background Check
Enrollment requirements for Pomeroy College of Nursing at Crouse Hospital include a completion of a background check for all accepted students. Background checks are standard for health care employees to ensure the safety of and welfare of all patients and employees. To comply with these requirements, PCON requires all students to obtain a criminal background check.

• Accepted students are contingently enrolled until results of the background check are reviewed. Students are required to obtain a criminal background check via castlebranch.com by the established deadline and are responsible for the cost of the background check.
• Students refusing to obtain a background check or students that do not complete a background check by the established deadline will not be eligible to enroll.
• Previous background checks may not be used to meet this requirement.
• The student and PCON Administration will receive the background check results. All background checks will be treated as confidential.
• If a background check is negative (no incidences displayed), the summary page of the report is filed in the student’s record.
• If a background check is positive, an administrative review is initiated. The student will be asked to validate and explain the results. If the occurrence is deemed to be of no concern by administration, the student will be allowed to enroll.
• If the occurrence is sufficiently flagrant that the student will not meet the College’s Essential Functions and/or be eligible for placement in the clinical settings, the student will not be eligible to enroll.
• Students are responsible to determine eligibility for licensure. If convicted of a crime, the student is responsible to determine if their background will prohibit licensure and employment in the health care industry. Pomeroy College of Nursing administration, faculty and staff are unable to provide legal advice. Students with questions or concerns about their background may contact legal counsel prior to enrollment at PCON.

Nursing Essential Functions & Technical Standards

The essential functions are the basic cognitive, psychomotor and effective abilities that are essential to successful progress through the program. Functional use of the senses must be possessed with reasonable adjustments. Sensory skills allow observation at a distance and close at hand, the ability to learn skills and gather data.  Students must have the ability to perform the following functions upon matriculation and throughout the program.  In addition, students are also required to sign-off on and fulfill the role of the Student Nurse as outlined in the Role Position Description.

Criteria and examples of some relevant activities include (but are not limited to):

Cognitive – the ability to collect, interpret, and integrate information/knowledge to make appropriate decisions.

• Read, comprehend and speak English, written/electronic documents, digital displays
• Perform basic math calculation, use of calculator
• Maintain concentration and focus
• Process information accurately and prioritize tasks
• Evolve in understanding/application of predicted outcomes based upon course requirements each semester
• Process information accurately, completely and quickly using multiple sources

Interpersonal – the ability to effectively and professionally interact with individuals, teams and families.

• Adapt to change, display flexibility
• Demonstrate accountability, responsibility, integrity, trustworthiness and empathy
• Establish appropriate and effective rapport

Communication – the ability to comprehend and share oral, written and electronic information with others.

• Speak succinctly, clearly and accurately
• Effectively hear and actively listen
• Document accurately and thoroughly
• Promote professional communication in all settings
• Demonstrate competence in verbal and nonverbal communication skills

Emotional Health – the ability to productively cope with life events while acknowledging and managing emotions of self and others.

• Exercise good judgment
• Provide therapeutic support
• Function efficiently and adapt in uncertain environments and stressful situations

Professionalism – the ability to uphold the standards, practices and expectations associated with the student role.

• Demonstrate appropriate communication and behavior that shows respect to faculty, staff, client and self
• Effectively manage concurrent tasks
• Understand and abide by policies and procedures of the College and clinical agencies
• Understand the consequences of Student Code of Contact violations
• Accept responsibility, accountability and ownership of one’s behavior

Physical Endurance/Strength/Stamina – the ability to have full range of body motion.

• Safe handling and lifting up to 50lbs.
• Manual and finger dexterity/sensation
• Eye-hand coordination
• Complex gross and fine motor skills
• Function effectively for 8 – 10 hours minimally
• Sustain repetitive movements (CPR)
• Move, carry, push, pull and position

Auditory – the ability to hear with reasonable adjustments in order to receive and send information.

• Hear in situations when not able to see lips (when masks are used)
• Hear alarms, telephones, monitoring devices and emergency signals
• Discriminate both high and low frequency sounds
• Effectively hear to monitor, assess and communicate with others

Visual – the ability to see with reasonable adjustments.

• Observe and evaluate responses
• Visualize different color spectrums and color change
• Accurately read and interpret measurements on equipment, documents and labels
• Precisely read small font words and characters

Tactile – the ability to perceive by touch.

• Feel vibrations
• Detect shapes, sizes, temperature, surfaces and texture by means of touch

Smell – the ability to detect odors.

• Smell sufficient to detect smoke, gases, noxious spills or fumes
• Tolerate strong odors