Health and Safety Requirements

Health and Safety Requirements for Our Healthcare Education Programs

In order to join a program in the Healthcare Education department, there are several requirements you must meet. Maricopa Community Colleges requires all students to meet the placement requirements as set up by our program’s most stringent clinical partner. We do this for ease of random placement.

Watch our video to learn more about the department's requirements or review the individual requirements below.

Requirements

If a student has an accident, injury, or exposure, please follow the guidelines provided and complete the corresponding form(s) that apply.
 

Download Accident, Injury, and Exposure Guidelines     Download Accident, Injury, and Exposure Forms

Once students are admitted to one of the Healthcare Education programs, they will undergo a background check clearance that includes the following:

Students must also complete the Health and Safety form as requirements for enrollment in nursing courses. Other background checks may be required per healthcare agency contracted with Maricopa Community Colleges. Any costs associated with such checks are the responsibility of the student.

If you would like to perform a self-assessment first, download this document. Students who have been admitted to a Healthcare Education program are required to sign a Maricopa Community Colleges Criminal Background Check Disclosure Acknowledgement form.

If a student receives a failed background check or believes they may receive a failed background check. It may be helpful to research Arizona laws that allow for "setting aside" of prior convictions under certain circumstances and also Arizona laws that allow for "expungement," which is the sealing of criminal records.
 

Download Background Check Requirements

Maricopa Community Colleges does not require students to provide proof of vaccination to enroll in its colleges or programs, but certain clinical partners may require adherence to vaccination protocols. Students may be able to decline a vaccine by following the clinical partner’s declination or accommodation process, if the clinical partner has one. The Maricopa Community College programs will try to assist students who decline required vaccinations with clinical placement—however, declining may limit the availability of clinical placements in a given semester.

As is outlined in Arizona Revised Statutes 15-1650.05, students participating in clinical settings at a healthcare institution licensed under A.R.S. Title 36 which includes hospitals, nursing care institutions, residential care institutions, intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF-IID), group homes, or other medical facilities may be required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination and subject to regular health screening and testing as determined by the healthcare institutions. (See Arizona Revised Statutes 15-1650.05). Maricopa County Community College District will require all Allied Health and Nursing students to show proof of vaccination in order to ensure compliance with our clinical partner health and safety requirements.

Maricopa Community Colleges cannot provide accommodation in the clinical setting and cannot force our clinical partners to provide accommodations to students. We will work with students in an effort to provide clinical experiences necessary for the completion of the program. When necessary, students are required to obtain accommodations from the clinical site by completing the clinical site’s religious or medical disability accommodation process if the clinical site has identified a process. If you are unsure if the facility where you have been placed provides accommodations, please visit myClinicalExchange (mCE) to confirm and obtain directions for requesting accommodations from the site.

To Meet This Requirement

Upload a copy of proof of COVID-19 vaccine proving vaccination.

  • Provide proof of two-dose vaccination of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine or
  • Provide proof of one dose vaccination of Johnson and Johnson’s Janssen vaccine or
  • Provide proof of one dose vaccination of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna Bivalent vaccine
  • Upload a copy of your signed COVID-19 declination. This does not need to be sent to anyone at Maricopa Community Colleges, just upload the completed form to American DataBank. Please note that a completed declination form does not guarantee clinical placement. Furthermore, the declination does not guarantee an accommodation will be granted by a clinical partner or that you will be placed at a clinical site that does not require the COVID-19 vaccine, which may impact the continuation of your clinical course.

Note: All documentation is required to have the student’s full name, date of administration, manufacturer, and Healthcare Professional or Clinic Site. Annual vaccination and/or renewal are not determined at this time.

Health and safety requirements are subject to change without notice depending on clinical agency requirements.

Typically, CPR requirements may be met in one of the following ways:

  1. Successfully complete Maricopa Community Colleges course HCC109 (or equivalent Maricopa Community Colleges cross-referenced CPR course
  2. Have a current and valid American Heart Association Healthcare Provider CPR Certification, which includes AED

Due to the standards of their accreditation agencies and clinical partners many of our programs require that the CPR training taken by their students be certified by the American Heart Association. Check with the program you are applying to for its most current requirements.

Drug Screening Policy

 

  • All healthcare students are required to submit to a pre-clinical urine drug screen according to the policy of the specific Healthcare Program.
  • Students will be expected to follow the guidelines and timeline provided to them by your program. The drug screen will be random, and the student will be expected to pay at the time of order. Private health insurance will not pay for this screening.
  • Students will receive information from the program with steps to place an order with the contracted vendor. The program will identify the time frame the student has to complete the urine drug screening.
  • Once the order is placed, the vendor will provide a receipt upon payment. The student will receive an authorization form. The authorization form will be needed when performing the test. This form will include the student’s name, college name, program designation, and program account number. If the form is not taken to the collection site, the student will not be able to complete the urine drug screening, and a new order will have to be placed at an additional cost.
  • The student will then have to complete the drug screening at the outlined timeline. It is important that students understand that they may not take a prescription to the lab to be evaluated during the testing process. The student will provide a list of the prescriptions they are currently taking as needed.
  • Positive drug screens are referred to the Medical Review Officer (MRO), who will contact the student.
  • The Program Director or designee will receive all results once the review is completed. The student will be able to see the results in the contracted vendor’s system.
  • If a student provides a dilute sample which tests positive, the result is considered positive and pending MRO review, the student will be withdrawn. A negative dilute specimen will require a retest at an additional cost to the student.
  • If a student would like to challenge a positive result, they would need to work directly with the Medical Review Office (MRO). When challenging a positive result only the original sample can be retested. The student is responsible for the cost of the retest and dispute.

If You Are Enrolled in an Allied Health Program

  • If the MRO determines there are safety sensitive issues or concerns related to the student’s drug profile further evaluation will be required. Students may be on temporary exclusion from the program until the evaluation is complete.
  • Students testing positive for drugs that are illegal substances, non‐prescribed legal substances, or students deemed unsafe for the clinical setting by the MRO will not be permitted to attend allied health didactic and clinical courses. Students who are licensed or certified in a health profession by the State of Arizona and test positive for these drugs will be reported to their respective Boards.
  • Students will NOT be allowed to use previous drug screens requested by any person or agency outside the Maricopa Community Colleges to meet these requirements. It is at the Program Directors discretion to accept any drug screening completed from another Maricopa Community Colleges program or campus as long as the student has been continuously enrolled.
  • Students failing to test during the date and time documented on the Drug Testing Letter do not meet the requirement for drug testing and may be withdrawn from all Allied Health courses. In the event of a withdrawal being made from classes, students may invoke their rights under the Maricopa Community Colleges Student Conduct Code. The student will be contacted by the program with next steps.

If You Are Enrolled in a Nursing Program

  • Only students receiving negative drug screens can remain enrolled in nursing courses. Reports from the MRO of safety issues/concerns related to the drug profile will require further evaluation. Students may be on temporary exclusion from the program until evaluation is complete.
  • Students testing positive for illegal substances, non-prescribed legal substances, or deemed unsafe for the clinical setting by the MRO will not be permitted to attend nursing courses. All positive results except cotinine (nicotine), and alcohol, resulting in dismissal are reported to the Arizona State Board of Nursing.
  • Students will not be allowed to use previous drug screens requested by any person or agency outside of MaricopaNursing.
  • Students failing to test during the designated date and time do not meet the If the student does not meet the negative drug screening criteria, the student will be contacted by the program with next steps.requirement for drug testing and will be withdrawn from all nursing courses.

Medical Marijuana Policy

  • Maricopa Community Colleges prohibit the possession and use of marijuana on all campuses and in all off-campus student activities, including internships and clinical learning experiences in health programs. This policy is dictated by Arizona Revised Statutes § 15-108, which prohibits any person, including a medical marijuana cardholder or recreational user, from possessing, distributing, or using marijuana on the campus of any public university, college, community college, or post-secondary education institution, regardless of the decriminalization of marijuana in Arizona. Federal legislation prohibits any institution of higher education that receives federal funding from allowing the possession and use of marijuana on campus or at any college/district-related activity or event.
  • Maricopa Community Colleges receives federal funds through grants and federal student aid (financial aid). Maricopa Community Colleges continue to enforce current policies regarding controlled substances, and any student or employee who violates university policy prohibiting the use, distribution, or possession of illegal drugs on campus or in student activities—including educational internships—will be subject to disciplinary action and criminal prosecution.
  • Urine drug screens are required of students prior to attending any healthcare courses, including clinical experiences. Medical marijuana, or its metabolite, is not an accepted substance in urine drug screens and will result in a positive urine drug screen. Students with a prescription for medical marijuana would not be considered exempt from urine drug screening.
  • All placements governed by this clinical placement/externship agreement are hereby identified as safety-sensitive positions where the health and safety of the populations served are at issue.
     

Download Our Drug Screening Best Practices Document

All students enrolled in any of the Allied Health or Nursing programs at Maricopa Community Colleges must have a Fingerprint Clearance Card to continue in their area of study. See the Arizona Department of Public Safety website.

Fingerprint clearance is required to work and care for children, the elderly, and any vulnerable adult. Our contracts with clinical agencies are including this fingerprint requirement, so students must complete this requirement in order to attend any of the health programs.

The level 1/Regular Application option for Maricopa County Community College students is Health Science Students and Clinical Assistants.
 

Download Fingerprint Clearance Card Instructions
 

Additional Information

  • Proof of fingerprint clearance from the FBI generally takes 4-6 weeks, and may take up to 8 weeks
  • The fingerprint clearance card is valid for six years; the card cannot expire before you graduate and a copy must be provided to your Program Director for their records
  • You will need to provide proper identification in order to be fingerprinted; acceptable forms of identification include drivers license, state-issued ID card, Passport, or Resident Alien card (note: school ID is not acceptable)
  • The fingerprint clearance card required for all health programs at the Maricopa Community Colleges will not meet the requirements for certification or licensure through the Arizona State Board of Nursing and may not meet the requirements of other professional organizations; contact the appropriate health professions licensing board for details

For specific questions regarding Fingerprint Clearance Card eligibility, please contact the Arizona Department of Public Safety at 602-223-2279 or visit their website.

Precluding offenses may be found in A.R.S.41–1758.03, subsections B and C.

Maricopa Community Colleges does not require students to provide proof of vaccination to enroll in its colleges or programs, but certain clinical partners may require adherence to vaccination protocols. Students may be able to decline a vaccine by following the clinical partner’s declination or accommodation process, if the clinical partner has one. The Maricopa Community College programs will try to assist students who decline required vaccinations with clinical placement—however, declining may limit the availability of clinical placements in a given semester.

For the protection of students, employees, and patients, students enrolled in Maricopa Community Colleges Healthcare programs that include assignment to patient care facilities requires that students comply with the health and safety requirements listed in the Health and Safety Checklist.