Student Placement FAQ: General questions
How are student placement opportunities coordinated at St. Joseph's?
Placement opportunities for students are coordinated directly through St. Joseph's Health Care London's Student Affairs office and the placement coordinator/practicum director of the school.
The official placement request must come directly from the school.
Are students required to be mask-fitted?
All students with clinical fieldwork placements in patient care areas must complete N95 mask fit testing prior to placement.
Who notifies students if they have been successful in securing a placement opportunity?
Schools will notify students directly if they have been successful in securing a placement opportunity at St. Joseph's.
What are the student pre-placement requirements?
There are placement requirements for health, vulnerable sector screening and required learning that students must complete two weeks before their placement beings at St. Joseph's.
Do students need to have Tuberculosis (TB) tests if they have the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine?
TB requirements:
You are required to have a baseline two-step TST regardless of Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) unless you have: documented results of a prior two-step test which can include: two individual skin tests done at least one week apart*.
A single step is required if the last of the 2nd step was more than 12 months ago, or if there are indications of travel to an area known for high levels of TB or an exposure to someone known or suspected of having TB or symptoms of TB. .
*(The two-step TB skin test is normally given as a series of two single TB skin tests repeated between 1-4 weeks apart. However, two individual TB skin tests performed 4-52 weeks apart are also considered an acceptable “two-step TB skin test” - Canadian Thoracic Society & the Public Health Agency of Canada, 2013.)
Is the influenza vaccine a requirement for placement? What happens if a student declines the influenza vaccination?
Influenza vaccination is strongly encouraged and is an important measure in protecting patients from the spread of influenza. If a student declines the influenza vaccination, the school needs to notify Student Affairs so that both the school and student are provided with the influenza policy and information regarding next steps and protocol. If there is an outbreak in the hospital, the student will be considered unfit for placement and his/her placement hours could be jeopardized.
Where do I find information on parking options and rates?
For parking information and maps (including accessible spaces) and public transit please see our parking at St. Joseph's Hospital, parking at Parkwood Institute, parking at Southwest Centre, or parking at Mount Hope.
What is the dress code at St. Joseph's?
The personal attire required varies according to site and role but there are three requirements that are the consistent across the organization:
- The environment is scent free
- Jewelry should not be worn other than a wrist watch and a medic alert bracelet that are cleaned regularly
- Functional footwear is required for staff and students who work with patients -- closed toe/closed flat heel, material impermeable or resistant to liquids, no large openings or holes, and slip resistant sole
Students should contact the St. Joseph’s staff member supporting their learning BEFORE the placement begins to obtain information about additional expectations or recommendations for personal attire specific to the program area.