Student Health Policy and Health Services

The objective of the Student Health and Wellness program is to encourage health promotion and illness prevention. The College provides limited health services through Employee Health located on both east and west campuses of the Bryan Medical Center. These services are available to students Monday through Friday, 0700 to 1600. Students are encouraged to call (402) 481-8622 for appointments. In addition, Nurse Practitioner services are available by appointment for acute illness or urgent care. Students can also access Bryan Health ezVisit, an online virtual care service, at no charge using the code provided on student portal. They may also utilize one of the Bryan Urgent Care facilities using own health insurance.

Students as health care providers are at increased risk of exposure to communicable and blood borne illness including, but not limited to: influenza, tuberculosis, hepatitis, pertussis and COVID-19. (Refer to Bryan College of Health Sciences website for COVID-19 information). Students are required to maintain complete and current health and immunization records with Student Health. This requirement ensures the well-being of students, clients and the health community. (Please refer to the Program-specific policies for additional health and safety information).

A. Health and Immunization Requirements

All health science students with an on-campus presence, and students in a program containing clinical experiences, and/or students in a program completing practicum experiences in a clinical setting, are required to provide proof of required immunizations/immunity, complete the Tuberculosis (TB) Screening Questionnaire, identify allergies, and indicate Varicella history. Students are expected to complete all health requirements and submit documentation by the designated due date.

Immunizations required by program:

MSN

MMR (Measles, Mumps, & Rubella) - 2-dose vaccine series or a blood titer demonstrating positive immunity of each- measles, mumps, rubella
Varicella (Chicken Pox) - 2-dose series or a positive Varicella blood titer demonstrating immunity if previously had Chicken Pox. The history of disease alone does not meet the requirement.
TB (Tuberculosis): TB testing may be required prior to practicum experiences.
Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis) - 1 dose required within the past 10 years prior to start date- Once expired, can be updated with another Tdap or plain Tetanus (Td).
Hepatitis B – 2 or 3 dose vaccine series (depending on type of vaccine) AND Hepatitis B Surface Antibody blood titer demonstrating immunity OR positive Hepatitis B Antibody blood titer by itself.
Mandatory seasonal influenza vaccination- required prior to scheduled practicums. Influenza vaccine documentation is to be submitted to Student Health. For students who decline or are unable to receive the flu vaccine due to medical reasons, a Bryan Health declination form must be signed and submitted to Student Health.

Ed.D

Exempt from all immunization requirements if completing practicum experiences in non-clinical settings.

If a student is completing a practicum experience with exposure to a clinical setting, proof of the following immunizations prior to starting practicum is required:

MMR (Measles, Mumps, & Rubella) - 2-dose vaccine series or a blood titer demonstrating positive immunity of each- measles, mumps, rubella
Varicella (Chicken Pox) - 2-dose series or a positive Varicella blood titer demonstrating immunity if previously had Chicken Pox. The history of disease alone does not meet the requirements.
TB (Tuberculosis): TB testing may be required prior to practicum experiences.
Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis) - 1 dose required within the past 10 years prior to start date- Once expired, can be updated with another Tdap or plain Tetanus (Td).
Hepatitis B – 2 or 3 dose vaccine series (depending on type of vaccine) AND Hepatitis B Surface Antibody blood titer demonstrating immunity OR positive Hepatitis B Antibody blood titer by itself.
Mandatory seasonal influenza vaccination- required prior to scheduled practicums. Influenza vaccine documentation is to be submitted to Student Health. For students who decline or are unable to receive the flu vaccine due to medical reasons, a Bryan Health declination form must be signed and submitted to Student Health.

DNAP

MMR (Measles, Mumps, & Rubella) - 2-dose vaccine series or a blood titer demonstrating positive immunity of each- measles, mumps, rubella
Varicella (Chicken Pox) - 2-dose series or a positive Varicella blood titer demonstrating immunity if previously had Chicken Pox. The history of disease alone does not meet the requirement.
TB (Tuberculosis) - 2-step TB skin test (two separate skin tests at least 1 week apart or two TB skin tests within the 12 months prior to start date) OR a TB blood test (IGRA: T-spot or QuantiFERON Gold) within 12 months prior to start date. A TB Screening Questionnaire was completed upon admission. If a student has a history of a positive TB skin test or IGRA, documentation of follow-up screening/care from a healthcare provider must be submitted to Student Health. TB testing will be required annually to meet the clinical site requirements.
Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis) - 1 dose required within the past 10 years prior to start date- Once expired, can be updated with another Tdap or plain Tetanus (Td).
Hepatitis B – 2 or 3 dose vaccine series (depending on type of vaccine) AND a positive Hepatitis B Surface Antibody blood titer demonstrating immunity OR Hepatitis B Surface Antibody blood titer demonstrating immunity alone
COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2)- fully immunized 2 weeks prior to start date or declination for medical, religious, or creed exemption on file with Student Health. Declination may result in a weekly COVID-19 testing requirement.
Mandatory seasonal influenza vaccination- Influenza vaccination will be provided at no expense to students during the annual flu season. If the flu vaccine is received elsewhere, documentation is required. For students who decline or are unable to accept the flu vaccine due to medical reasons, a declination form must be signed and kept on file.

Non-Degree Seeking

Non-Degree Seeking (NDS) students with a clinical component in their assigned course must complete a TB Screening Questionnaire. Additional screening (TB Symptom Screening/Risk Assessment) may be required if further evaluation is needed. Depending on clinical site requirements, students may need to provide proof of a current TB skin test or TB blood test within 6 months prior to the start date. Students are required to follow Bryan Health’s policy on seasonal influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations.
Non-Degree Seeking (NDS) students without a clinical component in their assigned course are exempt from these requirements except for Bryan Health’s policy on seasonal influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations.

Online Only

Exempt from all immunization requirements.

B. Student Health and Wellness Office (located in Room 206, 402-481-8468)

Health Nurses will monitor and ensure completion of the required Tuberculosis Screenings per policy.
Students will be notified by Health Nurses of immunizations that require renewal to meet continued immunization requirements.
Health Nurses will coordinate the seasonal influenza vaccination clinics offered at the Lincoln location, including clinics offered at the Mary Lanning location.
Students can request and obtain a copy of their immunization record through the Student Health Office.

C. Health and Hospital Insurance/Medical Expenses

Students are to be covered by health and hospitalization insurance. The name of the insurance carrier and the identification numbers of the student are to be kept current with the Registrar. Students can contact Student Health for health insurance questions and informational resources.
Students coming into the College with any known physical conditions are to be responsible for their medications and treatments resulting from these conditions.
Medications, referrals, treatments, diagnostic tests or other special services will be at the student's own expense.

D. Illness/Injury/Hospitalization/Surgery/Exposure

Students reporting an absence are expected to follow the specific course protocols identified for each classroom and clinical experience.
If a student is seen at Employee Health for a health condition, the Employee Health nurse can make the recommendation whether the student should return to class or clinical. The nurse communicates the recommendation to the College personnel. The student may be referred to their healthcare provider for follow-up care at the student’s expense. If the student does not have a personal healthcare provider, Employee Health or Student Health can assist in providing referral information through the Bryan Physician Network.
If a student is absent due to injury, inpatient admission, hospitalization, surgery, or any actual or probable infectious conditions, the student must present documentation from a healthcare provider or Bryan Employee Health for review by the College Student Health Nurses. Documentation would include dates of absence, date of return to class or clinical experiences, and specify any restrictions, if applicable, that may impact the student’s ability to engage in normal classroom and/or clinical experiences. Students with restrictions/limitations may not be allowed to provide patient care in the clinical area. This will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the ADA Coordinator (Director of Academic Support and Accessibility Services) in consultation with faculty and the respective medical center’s Employee Health Manager. Students are advised to contact the ADA Coordinator (Director of Academic Support and Accessibility Services) to discuss the situation and determine if special accommodation is deemed necessary.
The College reserves the right to specify provisions of treatment and follow-up for return to course activities following illness, injuries, or hospitalization.
Student Injuries while attending class or clinical experience

At the time of injury, notify course faculty and contact Bryan Employee Health (402-481-8622) for evaluation/treatment if needed
If emergency care and treatment are indicated, seek medical attention at the Emergency Dept., Urgent Care, or a personal care provider.
Access the B-Safe reporting form on the Hello Bryan website- use the icon Employee Event and report an incident as a student

Student Needle Stick or Blood and Body Fluid Exposure (All exposures must be seen by Bryan Employee Health for follow-up)

At the time of the exposure, notify the assigned faculty and contact Bryan Employee Health (402-481-8622) or, after hours, the on-duty Administrative Manager at Bryan Health (402-481-1111).
Exposures incurred at an off-campus educational experience must also be reported to that facility’s supervisory staff.
Source patient blood is drawn onsite at the assigned facility. Blood testing for students is completed through Bryan Employee Health or as directed by that department.
Access B-Safe reporting on the Hello Bryan website- use the icon Employee Event and report an incident as a student

E. Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Policy

The College’s influenza vaccination deadline coincides with the Medical Center’s designated influenza deadline. Dates will be determined annually and communicated to students prior to the influenza season.
Students are required to provide influenza vaccination documentation to the Student Health Office, Room 206, through one of the following methods of communication:

Students attending the College flu clinics will have their vaccination recorded into their electronic immunization record by Student Health Nurses.
Students who receive their vaccination through Bryan Employee Health are responsible for notifying Student Health of receiving their vaccination.
Students who receive their vaccination outside of Bryan Employee Health or Mary Lanning Employee Health are responsible for submitting documentation to Student Health.
If a student receives an influenza vaccination elsewhere, documentation must be submitted to the Student Health Office by email or uploaded into the Student Portal.
Students who complete the Influenza Vaccination Declination must provide the document to the Student Health Office.

Students who complete an Influenza Vaccination Declination will follow their respective medical center’s policy.
Students who do not provide the required documentation to the Student Health Office by the College’s designated deadline will violate the Student Code of Conduct.
The following sanctions will be applied to students who violate the Student Code of Conduct due to non-compliance with the Influenza Vaccination Policy:

Students are placed on a Registration Hold, which prevents them from registering for future classes.
Students are eligible to attend class but NOT eligible to participate in clinical experiences, which include but are not limited to hospital, clinic, community, skills lab, and simulation experiences.
The Clinical Absence Policy and fee structure will be applied to absences.

The sanctions identified above will be removed when students complete one of the following:

Students receive the influenza vaccination, and documentation is submitted to the Student Health Office.
Student submits a completed Influenza Vaccination Declination form to Student Health.

F. Lactation/Nurturing Rooms

Bryan Medical Center has several Lactation/Nurturing rooms on both east and west campuses, which are available to students who need to breast pump while at the College or Medical Center.
Accessibility is via proxy card entry, and students who would like to have access should contact Employee Health at (402-481-8622) or contact the Title IX Coordinator.
Lactation consultants are available to answer questions or assist and can be reached at (402) 481-7103. A list of room locations is available through the Employee Health Service, the Student Health Office (located in Room 206), or by calling (402) 481-8468.
Students at the Hastings Location may contact Mary Lanning, Employee Health, 402-463-4521, for available lactation rooms.