Background Checks
All students registered for any class at the College, on-campus or online, need to submit to a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) background check. Students registered for a clinical course, or a course with a professional practice experience involving the care of minors, will undergo a Sex Offender Record Information (SORI) background check prior to the start of the course. Students may be required to undergo additional background checks, in accordance with affiliation agreements between the College and sites to which they are assigned.
Student Health Requirements
Part 1 - College Vaccination Requirements
Once registered for any class at the College, on-campus or online, in order to be in compliance with state and College health and safety standards, students must meet a set of health requirements. All students must submit the following documentation according to the student’s department or program policy.
- MMR vaccine (Measles, Mumps, Rubella): Two doses (minimum of twenty-eight days apart) or Measles, Mumps, AND Rubella titers (all results have to be positive);
- Varicella vaccine (Chicken Pox): Two doses (minimum of four weeks apart) or Varicella titer (result has to be positive). A history of Chicken Pox is not accepted;
- Hepatitis B vaccine: Completion of three dose series or Hepatitis titer (surface antibody [anti-HBs] result has to be positive);
- Tdap vaccine (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis): within past ten years; every ten years; and
- Influenza vaccine: yearly, and as soon as available, during the annual flu season (early fall through early spring). College deadline will be announced. There may be additional flu shot deadlines in accordance with the College’s affiliation agreements. Students may decline the flu shot in writing annually. Some affiliate sites may not admit a student who has not received a flu shot, while others will require personal protective equipment (e.g., mask) to be worn, or other measures to be taken.
Part 2 - Clinical Course and Professional Practice Experience Health Requirements
Students admitted to the Associate in Science in Nursing program (ASN) and registered for a clinical course are required to submit to CastleBranch evidence of compliance with the immunization requirements specified by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2018/07/02/guidelines-adult.pdf
The following documentation must be submitted by August 15 (Fall); December 15 (Spring); April 15 (Summer session I and II):
- PPD (Tuberculosis Skin Test): within past year; every year or if PPD is positive: chest x-ray every five years and Annual TB Symptom Review Form; and
- CPR Certification: Submit a copy of the card (front and back) and current certification. The following two courses are the only approved courses: “American Heart Association, Healthcare Provider” or “American Red Cross, CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer and Health Care Provider.”
All Nursing students will use the MyCB platform within CastleBranch to upload all required health documentation as well as complete all required responses. MyCB Quality Assurance Clinical Specialists will classify health requirement verification document submissions with a status of complete or rejected. Unanswered requirements will have a status of incomplete or overdue. When a tracked requirements status is incomplete, rejected or overdue, the student receives weekly notifications through MyCB. When documentation is missing, incomplete, or in need of updating, the student receives email alerts. The Compliance Department will refer to MyCB data to determine whether a student has demonstrated compliance with all requirements to attend clinical. The Compliance Department does not accept or maintain any hard copies of health records, nor review any records for compliance. Submission of medical records to Laboure’s Compliance Department does not fulfill requirements for Nursing students.
Students registered for courses with a professional practice experience must submit the following documentation according to their department or program policy by August 15 (Fall); December 15 (Spring); April 15 (Summer session I and Il):
- PPD (Tuberculosis Skin Test): within past year; every year or if PPD is positive: chest x-ray every five years and Annual TB Symptom Review Form.
Additional health clearance steps may be required of students, in accordance with affiliation agreements (e.g., physical exam, two-step PPD, drug testing, fingerprinting).
Part 3 - Student Health Insurance
Massachusetts requires that students enrolled in nine credits or more each semester have health insurance. Students enrolled in online programs are exempt. Attendance at clinical sites, however, does require health insurance. Students will be automatically enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan. If a student has comparable insurance and does not wish to enroll in the Student Health Insurance Plan, the student must waive online by the announced deadline. Visit the Health and Safety Compliance section at my.laboure.edu for more information.
Part 4 - Health Compliance Deadlines
Massachusetts Department of Public Health (105 CMR 220.000) requires students to provide evidence of necessary immunizations within thirty days of registering for courses or clinicals.
A “Compliance Hold” will be placed on accounts of returning students who are not compliant with health and safety requirements. Students will be unable to register with a Compliance Hold. Throughout the calendar year, students enrolled in courses with expired health requirements (e.g., PPD, Tdap, chest x-ray, Annual TB Symptom Review Form, CPR) will not be permitted to attend class, lab, clinical, or professional practice experience until the proper documentation is submitted. Absence from class, lab, clinical, or professional practice experience may result in course withdrawal or failure.
Part 5 - General Student Health Policy
Students engage in proper health maintenance activities so as to function safely and effectively in the class, lab, clinical, or professional practice experience. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises students to stay home if they are sick. Students should stay at home until at least twenty-four hours after their symptoms have disappeared.
In the event that a student develops a health condition or illness that results in time away from class, lab, clinical, or professional practice experience, or if his or her condition warrants dismissal, the following shall occur at the discretion of the Divisional Chairperson, Clinical and Compliance Director, and/or the Vice President of Academic Affairs. The student will be required to submit a health clearance letter from his or her healthcare provider (MD, DO, NP, PA-C) that states the student “may return with ‘no restrictions’ to class, lab, clinical, or professional practice experience”.
A student who is pregnant will notify all faculty members. Additionally, the student will obtain and submit a health clearance letter from her Obstetrician that states the Estimated Due Date (EDD) and that the student “may return with ‘no restrictions’ to class, lab, clinical, or professional practice experience.” The student should submit this letter to faculty members who will forward it to the appropriate Chairperson. The letter will be filed in the student's health record in the Office of Human Resources and Compliance.
The College reserves the right to release health records to clinical sites.