Disciplinary and Termination Procedures

All efforts will be made to accommodate student problems with respect to rotation assignments. However, when a student does not abide by stated policies and student guidelines or continues to fail to meet an acceptable level of performance, disciplinary action or termination may be necessary. Problems which may result in termination can be broken down into two categories:

Not abiding by stated policies: Students who do not abide by stated policies, including the student guidelines (see separate document) are subject to immediate termination. A preceptor in a site can reserve the right to terminate a student in the interest of patient/client/employee safety. In order for a student to be terminated in this manner, both preceptor and program director must agree that the intern's behavior was sufficiently inappropriate to warrant such action. Stated policies include policies in effect at rotation sites, which must be made aware to students at the beginning of their rotation.

Not succeeding in a rotation: If, at the midpoint performance/evaluation appraisal (i.e., midpoint check-in), or at the discretion of a preceptor at any timepoint, a student is unsuccessfully meeting the expected competencies, the student may either (a) be reassigned to another rotation site, or (b) work with the preceptor and program director to develop a remediation plan acceptable to all involved to correct the problem. Missed time must be made up by the student, and in some cases repeating rotations/experiences may be necessary to ensure that all competencies are met. If reassignment to a new rotation site is not possible (which is likely the case with clinical placements), the student must meet with the program director and preceptor to develop an action plan on how to achieve the delinquent competencies. The plan must be acceptable to both the preceptor and program director, and should include a timeline for completion. Reassessment of the student’s competency will be made by the preceptor and the program director within a reasonable timeframe. If at that time, the student remains unsuccessful in meeting the planned competencies, the program director reserves the right to terminate the student. Per ACEND requirements, efforts will be made to assist the student in choosing another career path. Dispute resolution procedures described above are available to the student. In any case of termination or voluntary withdrawal, students may be released from program fee obligations not yet due when the termination occurs.