| Policy: | Clinical Placement Outside of University Sessional Dates |
|---|---|
| Effective Date: | August 1st, 2024 |
| Revised Date: | July 1st, 2024 |
| Review Date: | August 2029 |
Policy and Procedure Statements
Preamble. The University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Midwifery Program (BMw) and its Internationally Educated Midwives Bridging Program (IEMBP) are jointly referred to as “UBC Midwifery” or the “Program”. UBC Midwifery follows all UBC regulatory requirements and applicable UBC policies.
All clinical placements are part of University courses and as such, have precise start and end dates, according to the University term dates and the assigned number of credits per course. These are calculated and provided to students via Course Syllabi at the beginning of each course. Students are expected to begin and finish their placements on the dates published for each term.
Placement start-date Students should expect to start their placements on the date set by the Course Lead, in the course syllabus.
Policy
Travel time is often accommodated for in the set start and end dates of placements. Students who need to travel and set up a new residence are permitted to start their placement up to 1 day late (e.g. if the placement start date is Monday the 10th, a student who is travelling may start Tuesday the 11th) This is to allow enough time for travel and an extra day to settle into their new home surroundings prior to starting their clinical placement. If the student requires this time, it is the student’s responsibility to communicate this with the preceptor and course tutor. Any requests for more than one days change in start date must be approved by the Course Lead. If approved, a letter will be sent to the hospital informing them of the student’s revised start date. Such requests must be made at least 4 weeks before the start of the term.
Procedure. Any request for a shift of more than one day in start date must be based on exceptional circumstances and will only be considered where:
- the preceptor consents to the change in start date
- the requested change is for a maximum of three days only
Placement extensions
Students should expect to end their placements on the date set by the Course Lead, as noted in the course syllabus. Any request for a shift in end date (e.g., to gain an anticipated clinical experience such as attending a breech birth or a homebirth, where needed for student numbers) must be based on exceptional circumstances and will only be considered where:
- the preceptor consents to the changes in dates
- the requested change is for 1 or 2 days only
- there is clear and obvious benefit to a students’ learning, AND
- the Course Tutor is available to provide support for this additional time in placement.
Any requests for more than three days’ change in placement end date must be approved by the Course Lead. If approved, a letter will be sent to the hospital informing them of the student’s extension.
Placement extensions for remediation purposes
An extended placement for remediation purposes may be granted when a discrete clinical learning need has been identified to pass the course, which is likely to be remediable within a short amount of time. In this case, an extension of up to two weeks may be granted. *
The Course Lead, in discussion with the preceptor, student, and Course Tutor, will oversee the request, coordination and approval of extensions. The Course Lead will notify the MSSC of any such extensions, will be responsible for ensuring student support throughout the extension and re-evaluation of the student at the end of the extension.
A final evaluation must be completed at the usual course-end date. When an extension is granted for remediation purposes, a further final evaluation must also be completed at the end of the extension period. Both evaluations must reflect an evaluation of the student’s competence at the expected level, for all aspects of the course in question. All evaluations, discussions and decisions must be documented by the Course Lead, Tutor and/or Preceptor, and shared with the student in a timely manner.
If the student is unable to meet the expected competencies in all areas at the end of a placement extension, this will result in a Fail grade for the placement course, and the MSSC will be immediately notified.
* In a case where there are more than one discrete competency requiring attention, or more than two weeks are anticipated for meeting the required level of competence to progress, a student must receive a Fail grade, and repeat the course the next time it is offered in the curriculum. (see Progression policy)