Each student associated with PLU, including each student in the School of Nursing, is expected to be familiar with and to follow all policies, rules and regulations promulgated by the university, as well as local, state and federal laws. Students are expected to know and follow conduct standards set out in the PLU Student Code of Conduct. Failure to abide by the policies, rules, and regulations may result in disciplinary action(s) outlined in the Student Code of Conduct, up to and including suspension or expulsion from the university.

Nursing programs, by their nature as healthcare professional programs, hold students to higher standards of academic, professional, and behavioral expectations than the general university, so students at the School of Nursing are also expected to know and follow the additional standards specific to the School of Nursing. Those standards are identified throughout this handbook, and are summarized in this policy.

PLU nursing students are required to abide by all policies and standards of the School of Nursing as a minimum expectation for admission, standard program progressions, and for program completion. There are possible conduct-based circumstances where a student would be eligible to continue his or her education at PLU, but not to continue in the School of Nursing. Readmission to PLU after suspension, for example, does not equate to readmission to return to the School of Nursing, and should not be considered as such. In some situations, for example, conduct may violate professional conduct standards for the nursing profession but may not violate university policy. In any such situation, the School of Nursing reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to take action independent of the Student Conduct Process, through its RAP Committee and Petition process.

If allegations which could constitute a violation of the PLU Student Code of Conduct are made against a student in the School of Nursing, the allegations will be reported to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. The School of Nursing or its representative(s) may in certain circumstances, make the report. The process set out in the Student Code of Conduct will be utilized to determine whether or not the student is “Responsible” for violating the Code of Conduct. If a violation is found to have occurred, sanctions will be determined through that process. Once that determination is made and any appeals are completed, the student’s conduct file will be available for review and action by the School of Nursing RAP committee.

The School of Nursing will accept as true the findings of fact made by Review Officers in the university’s Student Conduct process. Some sanctions imposed through the Student Conduct Process, such as probation, suspension or expulsion (without limitation) from PLU, will necessarily result in an equivalent probation, suspension or expulsion from the School of Nursing without further action by School of Nursing. The School of Nursing may, on its own initiative and in its own discretion, through its RAP committee, impose additional sanctions based on the Student Conduct process findings of fact, because Nursing professionals are subject to patient care considerations and related standards in addition to those for students in other fields of endeavor. See, for example, sections in this Handbook on Professional Conduct and Values of the Nursing Profession; Academic Performance; Professional Misconduct and Safety Issues; and Clinical Practice Policies and Health Requirements/Expectation, without limitation. A student who returns to PLU after probation, suspension or expulsion may petition the RAP committee for re-enrollment in the School of Nursing. Completion of requirements for re-enrollment at PLU must be completed before a petition may be filed with the RAP committee with respect to re-enrollment in the School of Nursing. The petition process of this Handbook must be followed.