Health Sciences Program Health & Safety Clinical Requirements

Programs in the Health Sciences Division prepare students for careers in healthcare.  All of our programs include clinical experiences as an essential component of the program.  In order to provide opportunities to adequately learn necessary skills and apply theory in an actual clinical setting, we partner with healthcare agencies in our community (acute care hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, and a variety of other specialty agencies) for clinical experiences within their organizations.  These clinical sites have requirements for their employees and any persons in their facilities that are interacting with their patients or clients.  Our partner clinical agreements include clinical requirements for our students. 

These clinical requirements are not imposed by Shasta College Health Sciences but by our clinical partners.  While failure to meet these requirements does not disqualify a student from any of our healthcare programs, it will limit the opportunity to participate in the clinical experiences that are required; and therefore make it impossible to complete the program.

All Health Science program students must comply with program Health and Safety Requirements prior to and continuously while enrolled.  Students will be required to submit documentation of all completed clinical requirements by the deadline established in their communications from the Health Sciences Division.  Complete documentation of requirements must be filed with the Health Sciences division office and kept current during enrollment.

In the interest of your own personal safety, the safety of your patients, and other healthcare providers, there are specific health and physical requirements that must be met before your admission to the program is finalized. These include:

Due to possible occupational exposure to infectious disease (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Varicella, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Hepatitis B), students must complete all non-time sensitive Health Safety (Clinical Requirements).

Proof of immunity to certain communicable diseases is required by our clinical sites. View the link below to see the immunization requirements for our Health Sciences Programs.

Be sure to start the process early;​ if vaccination is needed, some vaccination series take up to 6 months to complete.

Do not complete these requirements until instructed by the Health Sciences Division.

Technical Standards - Attendance requirements and stamina demands require the student to be in good physical and mental health.  Please read the Health Sciences Programs Technical Standards​​ for your program carefully and discuss with your health care provider if necessary.  Applicants will complete a self-assessment of their capability to meet the technical standards and must​ present their copy of the Technical Standards to their healthcare provider for review at the time of the physical examination. If a student requires an accommodation or cannot comply with the standard, they are advised to request to meet with the Dean of the Health Sciences & University Programs. 

Assessment of Current Health Status with a physical examination - to be documented on the mandatory Shasta College Health Data & Physical Exam form. A formal fitness examination (such as that required by health care employers) is not required for the Health Sciences programs.  Applicants will be required to provide a self-assessment of their capability of meeting the program's Technical Standards (see above).  The healthcare provider must be able to document that no health conditions (including previous physical injuries) are present that will create any type of limitation in the ability to provide health care.

Current CPR Certification - All Health Sciences students must maintain current CPR certification for healthcare professional while enrolled in the program. NA students must submit CPR certification in their initial packet submission; all other students will submit CPR certification as instructed in their pre-enrollment packet. Clinical facilities in which students complete clinical experiences and the CA Dental Board (for Dental Hygiene students) will only accept hands-on practice and testing for re-certification; no online courses will be accepted. View local CPR Resources (PDF).

The selected course must include the American Heart Association (AHA) logo, which meets the AHA Guidelines for CPR and Emergency Cardiovascular Care at the Healthcare Provider level. The course will include Basic Life Support (BLS) for adult, child and infant CPR and 2-rescuer resuscitation with a hands-on practicum and testing.   Certification by the American Heart Association is available, but other local vendors are available.

​All new students must provide documentation of two negative PPDs in order to establish a baseline of immunity.  This is accomplished by the 2-Step Process for TB screening.  The process requires an initial TB screening test and, if negative, another TB screening later.

  • ​The 1st PPD must be within 12 months prior to starting the program, and the result must be submitted with your Part 1 packet.
  • The 2nd PPD must be within 6 months prior to starting the program. Students must complete the Tuberculosis Screening form and attach the result of the 2nd PPD.     
  • For example: If your program starts on January 22, 2019, the 1st TB test has to have been placed January 22, 2018 or later and the 2nd TB test has to have been placed July 22, 2018 or later.

All students with a current or past positive PPD must complete the TB Screening Clearance Questionnaire upon entry into a Health Science program and annually thereafter while enrolled.

An acceptable alternative to the TB skin test is one negative QuantiFERON​-TB Gold blood test completed within one year prior to the program start or a chest x-ray completed within two years prior to the program start. Either method can be used with persons who have previously received the BCG vaccine.  Students must complete the TB Screening Clearance Questionnaire upon entry into a Health Science program and annually thereafter while enrolled.

Because healthcare providers care for persons who are dependent in various degrees, national guidelines have been developed to insure the safety of the consumer. For the health sciences student, this includes a confidential application for clinical practice, an initial drug screening, and a criminal background check prior to entry into the programs. 

For all Health Sciences programs, the following criminal background information and instructions apply:

  • Confidential Application for Clinical Practice​​ - A required form that states a student's understanding regarding criminal public records and the possible exclusion from clinical placement for certain background check/drug screen findings.

Upon selection for enrollment, students will be instructed to complete the background check and drug screening through a school-designated vendor.  For specific procedures and instructions, visit the Background Check & Drug Screening Instructions page. If the background check or drug screening do not clear, the student will be unable to meet clinical requirements and the offer of enrollment will be withdrawn.  Students are responsible for cost of criminal background check and drug screening unless exempt by statute.

Drug Screening - All enrolled Health Sciences students are subject to drug screening through a school-designated vendor prior to enrollment.  Shasta College and Health Sciences programs maintain a no tolerance policy regarding substance abuse when participating in Health Sciences programs.  

A student with a positive drug screen will be denied participation and placement at a clinical agency and will be required to withdraw from the program.  Additionally, students must agree at time of admission into the program to be drug tested at any time while in the program.  Any evidence of substance abuse will result in immediate administrative dismissal from the program.  Students are responsible for the cost of all screenings.

​Criminal Background Check - National guidelines from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), State regulations (SB139) and the Department of Health Services (DHS) are the basis upon which Shasta College and the clinical facilities with which we have agreements, require health science students to have clear criminal background checks.     ​

The criminal background check for the Health Sciences programs is an online process that investigates the last seven years, meeting the requirements of the clinical facilities in which students do clinical experience.  For licensure, applicants will be required to complete a criminal background check at the Department of Justice (DOJ) level that is all inclusive.  Any convictions (even if dismissed or expunged) may prompt a further investigation from the Enforcement Unit and delay or prohibit licensure 

If there are concerns regarding criminal histories or background screening, the individual student should contact the appropriate licensing/certification board for clarification regarding eligibility for licensure:

For those students entering the Nurse Assistant/Home Health Aide program, Live Scan fingerprinting is also required prior to enrollment and is based on the California Department of Public Health regulations. (Click on the link for specific instructions.)

For questions concerning eligibility to participate in clinical experiences at health facilities, the applicant may contact the Health Sciences Offices to schedule a meeting with the Dean of Health Sciences & University Programs or the appropriate Program Director at (530) 339-3600.