The document provides guidance and expectations for students pursuing advanced practice nursing degrees at the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies. It emphasizes the importance of professionalism, ethics, communication, and lifelong learning for advanced practice nurses. Students are expected to adhere to standards of conduct, maintain confidentiality, and represent the university appropriately. The goal is to transform students to reach new levels of excellence in practice.

1. University of Miami School of Nursing and
Health Studies

2.  Welcome to pursuing a
career as an advanced
practice nurse! You should
congratulate yourself for
understanding the need for
continuing education and
for rising to this point in
your career.

3.  There is currently a national shortage of
advanced practitioners and one of the many
reasons is because of the intense amount of
rigor in the programs as well as the amount
of discipline and sacrifice required from the
student.

4.  You already understand that nursing is a
profession, but now you are a leader in the
profession. You will be a role-model, an
advocate, and must exude excellence and
professionalism to succeed. The health and
welfare of others depends on it. While you
may not be at this level yet, our goal is to
transform you to reach a new stratosphere in
your practice and in yourself. Are you ready
for the journey?

5.  Remember you represent the University of
Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies(UMSONHS)
on campus and in the community. Your dress,
communication and overall presentation are a
reflection of UMSONHS and the future of nursing.
 Be on time to class. Not only is it disruptive to other
classmates and the faculty when students arrive late,
valuable information may be missed. Turn cell phones
off or to silence mode. Refrain from distracting
behavior such as talking and surfing the internet.

6. Be on time for your clinical
experiences. This includes
class, lab and simulation
activities. Your
peers, faculty, clinical
partners, and patients
depend on you to be there.

7.  Remember that the general expectations of
academia differ from that of the general
population.
 If you are asked to arrive to a clinical site or
class, you should plan extra time for
traffic, parking, and arrive earlier than the
time set. For example, if you are to arrive to a
clinical site by 0700, aim for 0630.

8.  Part of your professional growth will occur
from your verbal and written communications
with faculty and clinical partners.
 Make sure emails are formally addressed to
an individual, starting with one’s name. Avoid
“texting” lingo and use professional verbiage
and sentences.
 Connote respect and a pleasant tone

9.  Keep your instructors apprised of
events, especially when changes arise. Notify
via phone and email to make sure faculty are
aware if you have an emergency. Be aware of
the processes in place and channels ahead of
time so you can communicate promptly.

10. The advanced practice nurse is expected to
adhere to the same code of ethics as
professional nurses. These principles should
carry into your actions at the School as well
as at your clinical sites. You may want to
revisit The American Nurses Association
(ANA) Code of Ethics for Nurses here.

11. A few specific considerations include:
1. Maintaining appropriate boundaries with
peers, faculty, clients and their significant
others.
2. Confidentiality must be maintained.
 Refrain from gossiping about clients, staff, other
students or faculty. This is non – productive and
unethical behavior . Concerns should be
communicated to the appropriate individual.

12.  Maintain confidentiality for information
regarding the client
 Do not remove any paperwork that could identify a
client from the clinical area. For example you may
not remove a laboratory report that has the clients
name on it from the clinical area.
 Do not discuss clinical information in a non secured
areas such as the elevator, Metro rail, cafeteria, etc.

13. Nurses are ethically and
legally accountable to
maintain confidentiality .
The Health Insurance
Portability and
Accountability Act of 1996
(HIPAA) Privacy and Security
Rules protects the privacy of
individually identifiable
health information. You
likely are familiar with HIPAA
but your actions now reflect
upon the University as well.

14.  If you choose to use social networking sites such
as Facebook or Twitter, be sure you separate
your professional endeavors from your personal
endeavors and enact privacy settings.
 Any patient-care type of experiences must
remain private and never shared on any website.
Sharing confidential information is breaking the
law!
 The NCSBN developed a White Paper for nurses to
Guide them on the use of Social Media.

15. Make sure you read through the honor code of the student
handbook
http://www.miami.edu/sonhs/index.php/sonhs/cur
rent_students/student_handbooks#Masters_Progra
ms
 “This code has been established to protect the academic integrity
of the University of Miami, to encourage consistent ethical
behavior among undergraduate students, and to foster a climate
of fair competition.”
 Examples of violations include:
cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying documents and other
acts of academic dishonesty.

16. Advanced Practice Nurses are encouraged to
participate in multiple professional
organizations. Your membership demonstrates
devotion to the profession and supports
important educational and lobbying efforts.
Employers will look at your CV for
memberships. For an extensive list of nursing
organizations please visit the website listed
below.
http://www.nurse.org/orgs.shtml

17. Advanced Practice Nurses strive to provide the best nursing
care to clients to promote wellness. In order to maintain
excellence, a nurse must commit to life long learning and
competency. Life long learning has been described as “a
continuously supportive process which stimulates and
empowers individuals...to acquire all the knowledge, values,
skills and understanding they will require throughout their
lifetimes...and to apply them with confidence, creativity, and
enjoyment”
Commission for a Nation of Lifelong Learners(1997). “A Nation
Learning: Vision for the 21st Century” Washington, DC:

18. Advanced Practice Nurses
utilize a variety of methods to
achieve their educational goals
including: attendance to
seminars, involvement in
professional
organizations, obtaining
advance degrees, research
activities, subscriptions to
journals, and specialty
certification, collaboration with
other disciplines such as
medicine, occupational and
physical therapy.

19.  Utilizing effective goal-oriented communication
is an essential competency for a nurse. You
will communicate with your student peers, faculty,
clients, clients families/significant others,
advanced practice nurses, and other members of
the health care team.
 Inadequate or poor communication among health
care providers has been associated with increased
errors that jeopardize patient safety.

20. Utilizing the Chain of Command approach
when communicating is recommended to
provide for an organized method of
communication. This also allows the
opportunity for clarification and resolution of
conflict.

21. :
Example : Flow of communication
Student Associate
Faculty Dean for Dean
Concern
Teaching Graduate
Regarding SONHS
Course
Course Program
Please refer to the “Communication” learning
module for more detailed information.

22. While nurses are often part of
a multidisciplinary team of
health care providers,
advanced practice nurses
have autonomy over their
practice.
You are in control of your
planning, time management,
attitude, actions, and
success!

23. The faculty and staff at the University of Miami
School of Nursing and Health Studies support
your educational endeavor. We look forward to
the opportunity to facilitate the learning
process and your professional growth.