Critical Requirements Acronyms & Glossary of Terms

Adult Combined Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis (Tdap) is a combination of three vaccines that protect against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. Tetanus, also called lockjaw, is a disease caused by bacteria that affects the body's muscles and nerves. Diphtheria is a respiratory disease caused by bacteria that can cause the breathing tube to be blocked and it is recommended to be given one time every 10 years.

A background check is the collection and verification of an individual’s information or records from private and public sources.

University of Cincinnati College of Nursing scope of testing:

The background checks are required to:

1. Ascertain the ability of students to eventually become licensed, registered, and/or certified in their health career profession and
2. Determine the ability of the students to attend mandatory clinical, practicum, and/or internship rotations at internal and external facilities in accordance with the requirements of the applicable program of study.

This background check may reveal both student’s unsealed and sealed convictions. Please inform us immediately of any convictions, guilty pleas, or findings of guilt that occur after your enrollment at the UC College of Nursing. Felony and misdemeanor records may result in an inability to progress in the nursing program and subsequent withdrawal from the program. Subsequent retesting will be determined by site-specific requirements.  

Bloodborne pathogens are microorganisms such as viruses or bacteria that are carried in blood and can cause disease in people. Familiarity with measures that prevent exposure to bloodborne pathogens and appropriate actions is mandated by the federal government. 

Bloodborne Pathogens web course training is required annually through the University of Cincinnati.

A front and back copy of your American Heart Association (AHA), American Red Cross (ARC), or American Safety & Health Institute (ASHI) card verifying certification of completion of an adult, infant, and child Basic Life Support (BLS) course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation is required. Certificates of completion from the identified agencies are acceptable if physical cards are not issued. The dates of certification must be evident. Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) may be substituted for basic life support. When you are in clinical settings your CPR certification must be current.

University of Cincinnati College of Nursing requirements: 

CPR courses must contain both a written and skills assessment to satisfy the College of Nursing CPR requirement.  Courses which are taught and completed entirely online are not acceptable. AHA HeartSaver is not acceptable.

CastleBranch is a secure platform that allows you to order your background check, drug test, and medical document manager/compliance tracker online. Once you have placed your order, you may use your login to access your MyCB profile.

The Compliance Tracker module digitally organizes and manages student background screening, document management and other task-oriented, process-driven requirements. The tracker is a custom list of requirements established by the College of Nursing and based on the requirements of the clinical sites.

1. Students will provide documentation or respond to specific questions to complete each requirement.
2. Individual requirements are listed on the To-Do List with due dates.
3. Some requirements must be renewed on a scheduled basis, most often annually.
4. It is the student’s responsibility to maintain compliance.

Compliant status: temporary status of completion when a student has completed all current requirements on or before the due date. 
To remain compliant, students must respond to each requirement on or before its due date. The school most likely will NOT allow a student to attend clinicals without being compliant. Students may be pulled from a clinical rotation if compliance cannot be demonstrated.

Overdue status: when the overall compliance tracker due date has lapsed or there are incomplete requirements on the compliance tracker or when a specific requirement due date passes.

Rejected status: the compliance tracker is not yet overdue, but there are one or more requirements that are currently rejected and need the student’s attention.

A county background check is a type of criminal records check that’s conducted at the county level by searching county and municipal court records.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) students (all MSN, DNP, and Graduate Certificate students in Arkansas AR, Florida FL, Iowa IA, Illinois IL, Maryland MD, Maine ME, Michigan MI, Minnesota MN, North Carolina NC, Nebraska NE, New Hampshire NH, New Jersey NJ, Ohio OH, Pennsylvania PA, South Dakota SD, Texas TX, Washington State WA, or Wisconsin WI must order a supplemental state-specific background check package based upon the state where clinical activity will be conducted.

Find your state-specific code here.  

*Site-specific requirements will be provided from the clinical partner during the onboarding process.

The consent and statement of release proves that the individual has consented to the release of information.

University of Cincinnati College of Nursing requirements:

Enrollment and participation at the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing (UC-CoN) requires that students provide proof of general and specific health status, immunization status, CPR certification, criminal background check, social security number, citizenship status including current Visa standing, driver’s license/photo identification card, telephone and address data, urine/blood tests for drug screening and any other information that may be required by the college or clinical facility policy or legal mandate to establish students’ fitness to care for live patients in a clinical setting.  

A clinical facility may refuse to permit a student to participate in the clinical practicum at the facility if the health clearance information, background check information or drug screening results is not provided, or if upon review of a student’s health clearance information, background check and drug screening, it determines the student is disqualified.  

Choosing to not provide permission for the release of this information will prohibit participation in UC CoN Programs as it will result in a ban from the clinical facilities where students are required to complete the clinical portion of training. Admission to and successful completion of the clinical training portions of courses are required for program enrollment and completion.  

The state of Minnesota Department of Human Services background check.

The donor was exceptionally hydrated at the time of the test; and the urine, and everything else it contained, was diluted. University of Cincinnati College of Nursing requirements: 

A diluted positive drug screen will be considered positive. Retesting will be required at the donor’s expense if a result cannot be determined or if the drug test is positive.

If a student experiences a medical emergency while in the academic setting, the College will notify the individual identified as the person to contact in case of an emergency. The student’s clinical, practicum and/or internship instructor may request this information as well. We ask that students keep us informed when this information changes and will require an annual update.

A medical/religious exemption* is allowed when an individual has a medical condition/religious belief that prevents them from receiving a vaccine.

University of Cincinnati College of Nursing requirements: 

Student must apply for exemption and acknowledge that the vaccination is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for all healthcare personnel to prevent infection. 

*Each clinical partner outlines their own vaccination requirements and exemption protocols.  They make final determinations regarding vaccination requirements and exemption protocols. A student's exemption status will be revisited each semester.

The Act (Title VI of the Consumer Credit Protection Act) protects information collected by consumer reporting agencies such as credit bureaus, medical information companies and tenant screening services. Information in a consumer report cannot be provided to anyone who does not have a purpose specified in the Act.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (34 C.F.R. Part 99—commonly known as FERPA), is the federal law that governs the release of and access to student education records. FERPA affords students certain rights with respect to their education records and dictates what UC faculty and staff may and may not share with third parties on a student's behalf.

The CastleBranch vendor who performs fingerprinting services to meet background check requirements. An order must be placed through CastleBranch to secure services.

A federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient's consent or knowledge.

University of Cincinnati College of Nursing requirements: 

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability web course training is required annually through the University of Cincinnati.

Health Insurance is required annually. A front and back copy of the health insurance card or a statement of coverage is required. If your name does not appear on the documentation, verification from the insurance carrier is required. If your name does not appear on the card, contact your insurance carrier for a proof of coverage letter. Black out all other names that appear on the card.

Hepatitis B (Hepatitis-B) immunity is to be documented by a positive Quantitative Hepatitis B Surface Antibody lab report, with reference range. University of Cincinnati College of Nursing eequirements: 

Starting January 2024, documentation of Hepatitis-B primary series must accompany the lab report submission. Negative or equivocal results will require proof of a primary series and 2-dose, or 3-dose Hepatitis B booster series followed by a second titer.

Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) immunity is to be documented by a positive MMR IgG Antibody Titer lab report, with reference range. Negative or equivocal results will require proof of 2-dose primary series and a booster MMR vaccination. If the 2-dose primary MMR vaccination series is not on file, the two-dose MMR series is required to be administered at least 1 month apart. 

Varicella (Chicken Pox) immunity is to be documented by a positive VZV IgG Titer lab report, with reference range. Negative or equivocal results will require proof of 2-dose primary series and Varicella booster series followed by a second titer. 

Flu, also called influenza, is an infection of the nose, throat, and lungs, which are part of the respiratory system. The flu is caused by a virus. Influenza is commonly called the flu, but it's different from the stomach "flu" viruses that cause diarrhea and vomiting.

University of Cincinnati College of Nursing requirements: 

Proof of vaccination or approved declination from clinical site is required for rotations occurring September – April annually.

Contraindications (conditions in a recipient that increases the risk for a serious adverse reaction) to vaccination are conditions under which vaccines should not be administered.

Nationwide Healthcare Fraud and Abuse Scan that searches sanctions taken by the following: Office of Inspector General (OIG), General Services Administration (GSA), Office of Research Integrity (ORI), Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA), Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), FDA Deparment Check.

This document provides sourcing within the National Record Indicator search. The Nationwide Record Indicator with Sex Offender Index is a nationwide database search that is used as a pointer file to identify potential search locations at the county level or within the National Sex Offender Registry. This is a multi-jurisdictional search of proprietary databases compiled from multiple sources consisting of court records, incarceration records, prison/inmate records, probation/parole/release information, arrest data, wants and warrants and/or other proprietary sources.

University of  Cincinnati College of Nursing requirements: 

The Hepatitis B and the Adult Combined Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis vaccinations follow a strict dosage schedule.  You must remain on schedule to continue enrollment and participation in your practicum course(s).  Administered vaccinations must be documented by your Health Care Provider on your Health Requirements Report Form or on supporting documentation i.e. immunization records. Document your progress in the appropriate fields and sign where indicated.  

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus. The virus spreads from person to person and can infect a person’s spinal cord, causing paralysis (can’t move parts of the body).

University of Cincinnati College of Nursing requirements: 

Evidence of polio (vaccination or declination is acceptable): Vaccination history demonstrating the completion of a series of 3 polio injections over the period of 6 months is acceptable.

If you are a non-US Citizen, you should supply a front and back copy of your US Visa and passport identification as some agencies require this before issuing an ID badge for the rotation.

The document submitted is ‘Not Acceptable” and doesn’t meet the necessary requirements to be ‘Accepted’. If your submission has been rejected, the requirement status will show as a red “Rejected” icon. Your next steps will be outlined in the detailed rejection reason located at the top of the requirement drop-down menu once it’s expanded.

A background check that includes location or home history search. At its simplest level, residence implies that a person is living in a jurisdiction: eating, sleeping, and working in that place. A person may "reside" in a place even if he or she is not physically present there from time to time.

Licensure is the process by which boards of nursing grant permission to an individual to engage in nursing practice after determining that the applicant has attained the competency necessary to perform a unique scope of practice.

Nursys is the only national database for verification of nurse licensure, discipline and practice privileges for RNs, LPN/VNs and APRNs licensed in participating jurisdictions, including all states in the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). University of  Cincinnati College of Nursing requirements:

Each graduate student (except Accelerated Direct-Entry MSN) must hold current, active, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) licensure with no restriction(s) or disciplinary action(s) in the state where the clinical experiences (practica and internships) are completed.

All RN licensure (including active and expired) must be disclosed. Provide verification of licensure through the NURSYS NCSBN Licensure QuickConfirm website: https://www.nursys.com. States who do not participate may submit from their respective board of nursing: the full name, license number, discipline (if any), and dates of certification required.

Students participating in clinical, practicum, and/or internship activities must be licensed to practice nursing in your state of residence and in the state where you will complete any practicum or internship courses. 

Special Note: Students in the Nurse Anesthesia, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care, Neonatal, or Pediatric Acute Care nursing specialties are required to be licensed in the state of Ohio with a compact license or RN license issued by the state of Ohio.

Self-disclosure of criminal history is to be completed annually. A criminal history does not automatically bar you from clinical, practicum, and/or internship experiences. The College follows acceptance criteria as outlined by our clinical partners.

A SSN activity alert happens when your name or address, and any changes to either, shows up on your credit report. Here's how this alert works: You change your name or address. You notify your lenders about this change. The lenders report this information to the credit bureaus.

A titer is a laboratory test that measures the presence and number of specific antibodies in blood. If a titer comes back positive/reactive, it means you have been immunized at some point and are sufficiently protected against the disease. Negative or equivocal titers mean you are not sufficiently protected and will require additional vaccination to increase antibodies.

This report not only shows your compliance status. It reflects outstanding requirements and approaching action alerts with due dates. Your status must be recorded as COMPLIANT to participate in clinical activity. May be referred to as your compliance tracker.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by germs that are spread from person to person through the air. TB usually affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body, such as the brain, the kidneys, or the spine. A person with TB can die if they do not get treatment.

University of Cincinnati College of Nursing requirements:

Baseline Tuberculosis Testing:

The TB component may be satisfied by submitting sufficient documentation of one (1) of the following:

1. An IGRA blood test [QuantiFERON® Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) or T-SPOT® (T-Spot)] within the past 12 months (Collection date must be evident) OR
2. A Two-Step Mantoux tuberculin skin test (TST/PPD) within the last 12 months; (Date placed and read must be evident.) OR
3. Two (2) successive annual one-step Mantoux (TST) tests with the last test completed within the past 12 months (Date placed and read must be evident.) OR
4. Individuals with a history of reactive (positive) TB tests must provide documentation that they have been evaluated and determined not to have communicable TB. A copy of the chest x-ray report dated within the last 12 months must be included. An abnormal chest x-ray requires documentation of the medication regimen. Positive responders must complete and submit a yearly TB questionnaire to document symptoms of active TB.

Annual Tuberculosis Testing (TB):

The TB component may be satisfied by submitting sufficient documentation of one (1) of the following:

1. An IGRA blood test [QuantiFERON® Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) or T-SPOT® (T-Spot)] within the past 12 months (Collection date must be evident) OR
2. A One -Step Mantoux tuberculin skin test (TST/PPD) within the last 12 months; (Date placed and read must be evident.) OR
3. Individuals with a history of reactive (positive) TB tests must submit a yearly TB questionnaire to document symptoms of active TB.  

A professional license verification involves contacting the board or agency from which the applicant's license was issued as well as checking other jurisdictions in which he or she has previously lived. This type of report will provide the following types of information: Type of license, certificate number, discipline, and board action.

University of  Cincinnati College of Nursing requirements: 

The Hepatitis B and the Adult Combined Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis vaccinations follow a strict dosage schedule.  You must remain on schedule to continue enrollment and participation in your practicum course(s).  Administered vaccinations must be documented by your Health Care Provider on your Health Requirements Report Form or on supporting documentation i.e. immunization records. Document your progress in the appropriate fields and sign where indicated.