Student Exposure to or Diagnosis of a Communicable Disease

Subject:Student Success

Policy: STUDENT EXPOSURE TO, OR DIAGNOSIS OF, A COMMUNICABLE DISEASE

Revised: December 2020

Effective date: Spring 2021.

Review date: 2024

Responsible Party: Level I:  UAAC & GAAC; Level II:  Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

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Introduction and Purpose:   The purpose of this policy is to prevent spread of disease to other students, clients, and the community and to have an approved, uniform, planned approach for managing students who have been exposed to or contracted communicable diseases.

Policy:  This  policy  refers  to any communicable condition which potentially threatens student or patient safety. A student who suspects or has real contact with an individual or patient which would result in the student's exposure to a communicable disease, or a student who contracts a communicable disease must report such contacts/diagnosis to her/his clinical course coordinator immediately.  

Students who incur blood and body fluid exposure, requiring medical attention (such as needle sticks) are responsible for expenses incurred.

 Procedures: 

1. Students  are  to  report suspected or real contact with a communicable disease or a communicable disease diagnosis to their clinical course coordinator immediately following exposure or This contact may be a result of a clinical learning experience or occur in one's personal life (e.g., child has chicken pox). 

2. If  the undergraduate student was exposed or was possibly communicable during clinical laboratory experience in a specific institution/agency, the particular institution/ agency's policies regarding communicable disease should be followed.

1. The Clinical Course Coordinator will notify the Campus Director who will work with the student to complete the "Report of Exposure to Communicable Disease" form (Attachment #1) as soon as possible.

1. An electronic modified short report form may be used for significant outbreaks at the discretion of the Campus Director. 

3. If  the graduate student was exposed or was possibly communicable during clinical laboratory experience in a specific institution/agency, the particular institution/ agency's policies regarding communicable disease should be followed.

• The graduate clinical supervisor will notify the graduate program lead who will work with the student to complete the "Report of Exposure to Communicable Disease" form (Attachment #1) as soon as possible.
• An electronic modified short report form may be used for significant outbreaks at the discretion of the clinical program lead. 

4. In  the absence of institution/agency policy regarding communicable disease exposure, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Guidelines should be consulted regarding management of cases and contacts for the specific disease for which the student has contracted or to which the student has been This will assist in determining if the student needs to be referred to a primary care provider or the contact/diagnosis reported to the local health department. (Seehttps://dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/cdepi/reporting/indexor  the local  health  department  to  verify  reporting  requirements).
5. If  it is discovered that a student failed to report a suspected or real contact with a communicable disease or a communicable disease diagnosis to her/his clinical course coordinator immediately, the student will be withdrawn from the clinical setting (see Policy C-6). 

ATTACHMENT #1: Report of Exposure to Communicable Disease

ATTACHMENT #2:  Modified Short Report of Exposure to Communicable Disease 

Internal control considerations, if applicable: N/A

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MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF NURSING

Report of Exposure to Communicable Disease*

*Link to Powerform

Student:                                                                                                                                                                       

                                  Printed                                                                               Date 

Communicable Disease:                                                                                                                              

 a. Date of Exposure___________________ Community                            __Clinical                                    

If clinical:  (Give area – do not give contact name on this report)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reported to Clinical Course Coordinator(s):______________________________________________________

                                                                                                                                Date

Reported to Campus Director:                                                                                                                       

                                                          Signature of Campus Director                  Date 

b. Report of initial visit with provider or health department, treatment and follow-up plans:

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________     

____________________________________________            __________________________________________________                       

Student Signature                            Date                        Campus Director Signature                    Date 

                         _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

 c. Report of compliance with policy and procedure:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________           _____________________________________________________                                 

Student Signature                            Date                        Campus Director Signature                      Date

Original to Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for permanent file; copy to be retained by the Campus Director or Graduate Program Lead separate from student's academic file.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 POLICY A-33, Attachment #2

MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF NURSING

Modified Short Report of Exposure to Communicable Disease

Original to Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for permanent file; copy to be retained by the Campus Director or Graduate Program Lead separate from student's academic file.