Frequently Asked Questions
Updated on August 6, 2024
- I completed the initial COVID vaccine series. Am I required to get a booster?
The best tool against COVID-19 is to stay up to date on your COVID-19 vaccination. Up to date means a person has received all recommended doses in their primary series COVID-19 vaccine, and a booster when eligible.
While not all clinical partner agencies mandatevaccination for COVID-19, it is advised to receive one to strengthen immunity as soon as you are eligible. Students will be asked to upload documentation of their booster dose into their CastleBranch trackers so that we have updated information on individuals who have received the vaccination and boosters.
- The clinical agency to which I have been placed for my clinical rotation does not require the vaccine. Must I get the COVID vaccine now?
Students must meet all agency compliance requirements. If the site does not require the vaccine, you are not required by the SON to obtain the COVID vaccine. However, if the agency changes their requirements to mandate the COVID vaccine, students must comply. The SON will not attempt to find a new clinical placement for any student due to COVID vaccine requirements.
- My clinical rotation is a remote/off-site assignment. Do I still need to be vaccinated?
Clinical site partners have the discretion to waive COVID-19 vaccination requirements for students who are participating remotely in their rotations, but such students are not guaranteed an exemption. The process for requesting an exemption is facilitated through the Clinical Support Division. The SON will not attempt to find a new clinical placement for any student due to COVID vaccine requirements. - I am conducting research in the SON BBL. Am I required to be vaccinated against the COVID virus?
Yes, all students, faculty and staff who do any work or research in the BBL must receive the COVID vaccine. Anyone engaging in clinical research within the BBL must meet all UNC Medical Center compliance requirements – and now that UNC MC is requiring the COVID vaccine, anyone who is involved in BBL work must be vaccinated.
- Who sets the vaccination requirements pertaining to COVID-19?
Each clinical partner agency sets its own requirements for employees and affiliated learners (i.e., nursing students).
- Why must the School of Nursing students comply with clinical partner mandates?
The Clinical Affiliation Agreements between the School of Nursing and our partner agencies determine the relationships between the School of Nursing and the entities and detail the terms under which each site will provide on-site educational experiences. These agreements account for regulatory requirements, accreditation expectations, and other guidelines, and the sites have been approved as meeting specific educational and clinical regulations. These agreements include provisions requiring students to adhere to agency policies relevant to their clinical experiences.
- Who sets the dates for completing the vaccinations and waiting period?
Each clinical partner has set its own compliance deadline for requiring individuals to complete the vaccination(s). Some agencies may also require a two-week waiting period after the second dose as part of their timeline.
- What is the deadline for receiving the full course of a COVID-19 vaccination?
The deadline to upload documentation will coincide with the deadline for completing other matriculation requirements in CastleBranch. All students are highly encouraged to get a full course of the vaccine and should also upload their documentation to their CastleBranch accounts upon matriculation.
If your placement site requires vaccination, you must have completed your vaccinations by the compliance deadline set by your placement site. Students seeking approved medical or religious exemptions must submit a request to their placement site.
Absent an exemption from the compliance requirements of your site placement, failure to meet the compliance deadline of a site placement may cause a delay in the start of a student’s clinical rotation and may jeopardize a student’s ability to progress in their program.
- Do any current placement sites not require the COVID vaccine?
For information regarding specific practice sites, contact the Clinical Support Division.
- I have an allergic reaction to vaccines and can’t get the COVID-19 vaccine. What should I do?
Each placement entity has created an exemption process and students may request an exemption. However, if the agency denies the exemption, the student should explore other options available based on their program and circumstances, such as receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, locating another placement site (if a graduate student), or considering a leave of absence. The SON will not attempt to find a new clinical placement for any student due to COVID vaccine requirements.
There may be alternative vaccines or precautions students can take that will meet the student’s placement site requirements. Please discuss this with your primary care provider.
- I want to request a medical exemption from the SON about getting this vaccine.
The SON does not determine exemptions. Each clinical partner will determine its own process for accepting requests for exemptions. The SON can provide you with contact information for this process. The length of time the entity takes to make a determination about your request should be taken into account, as it may cause a delay in the start of your clinical rotation.
Note: There is no guarantee that a request for exemption will be granted by a clinical partner. If the assigned clinical site will not accept the student’s request for exemption, the SON is not responsible for finding an alternate site. Thus, this may jeopardize a student’s ability to progress in their program.
- My religion prohibits me from getting the COVID vaccine.
Each clinical partner will determine its own process for accepting requests for exemptions. The SON can provide you with contact information for this process. The length of time the entity takes to make a determination about your request should be taken into account, as it may cause a delay in the start of your clinical rotation and your ability to complete the course during the semester. Note: A request for exemption is not a guarantee that it will be granted.
- I am not in a clinical rotation, but I must access a clinical or community agency for my research or other required program assignments. Must I get the COVID vaccine?
Any student entering any agency for any reason must meet all compliance requirements of that agency, including receipt of the COVID vaccine, if that is a requirement (e.g., Master’s Paper practica, DNP Project, PhD Dissertation).
- I am not currently in a clinical experience. Do I still need to get the vaccine now?
The best tool against COVID-19 is to stay up to date on your COVID-19 vaccination. Up to date means a person has received all recommended doses in their primary series COVID-19 vaccine, and a booster when eligible.
Students are responsible for learning about and adhering to the requirements of all courses they are enrolled in. While not a University requirement, students are encouraged to receive the vaccine or seek an exemption as early as possible to avoid potential delays in placement or progression in their program of study.