COVID-19 Vaccine and Clinical Rotations

Requirement

The University and College of Nursing (CON) do not require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19, but select CON clinical sites require that students training at their sites be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Many clinical sites do not have vaccination requirements and/or may allow students to request an exemption or accommodation from their COVID-19 vaccination requirement. However, depending on placement availability, it may not be possible for CON to place unvaccinated students at these sites.

Because the COVID-19 vaccination is required at select clinical sites, and clinical sites that do not require vaccination and/or allow for exemptions may change their vaccination policy at any time, unvaccinated students must understand that there could be situations where CON will not be able to place an unvaccinated student in a required clinical rotation, even if the student has requested an accommodation.

Accommodations

Some clinical partners may require students to request accommodations/exemptions through the clinical partner’s exemption/accommodation process.

• Unvaccinated students will only be directed to request an accommodation, if necessary due to the requirements of the site they are placed at. If, in the future, they are placed at a site with different requirements they may follow the appropriate process for an accommodation or exemption, depending on the assigned clinical sites’ requirements.

  • If an unvaccinated student that intends to seek an accommodation or exemption is placed at a clinical site that has its own accommodation/exemption process, the student should follow the clinical site’s accommodation/exemption process.

  • If an unvaccinated student that intends to seek an accommodation or exemption is placed at a clinical site that requires students to provide an exemption approved by the student’s educational institution, the student should contact the Clinical Compliance Coordinators, as soon as possible. They will provide directions on the next steps for requesting a religious or medical accommodation with the CON/University.

  • If an unvaccinated student is placed at a clinical site that does not have a vaccination requirement or allows students to decline the vaccine (where no accommodation or exemption is required), they will not be directed to request an accommodation or exemption.

• If a clinical partner does not allow exemptions or accommodations to its vaccination requirement or requires students to go through the clinical partner’s exemption/accommodation process and the student’s request is denied by the clinical partner, the student may still request an accommodation through the University. However, the university cannot grant exemptions or accommodations to a clinical partner’s vaccination requirements.

• If placement at an alternative clinical site is not a possible accommodation, the only available accommodations may be deferral or temporary withdrawal from the program.

Advanced Program Students (RN-MS, Graduate Certificates and Doctoral Programs)

Most placements are made on a case-by-case basis, so be sure to check the requirements of your clinical facility. If you are not vaccinated and are placed at a rotation site that requires students training at the site to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and does not provide for or allow accommodations or exemptions from this requirement, please contact the Clinical Compliance Coordinators and Clinical Placement Coordinators as soon as possible.

For questions or further information, please contact our Clinical Compliance Coordinators at CON-Compliance@arizona.edu and include your program name and ‘Compliance’ in the subject line.