Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing

Navi Mental Health Wayfinder

Student Preparedness Permits

Preparedness Permits
Police Record Checks
Mask Fit
Agency Info

  • Student Preparedness Permits

    In order to enroll in the MN or Post Master NP program, students must submit information and documents as outlined below. Failure to complete and provide these documents will affect your ability to engage in practicum and proceed in the graduate program. All students must keep original copies of their police record check – vulnerable sector screening results and their immunization records to present to healthcare agencies on demand throughout the year. The processing time for health and police record check reports can take months (depending on the region). Any incomplete documents submitted will also delay student enrollment. We advise students in the MN or Post Master NP program to initiate their requests for immunization information from their healthcare provider and clearance from their regional police at the end of June in order to meet our August 11th deadline. All documents need to be in English (translations should be certified/notarized). All new graduate students must satisfy the Year 1 requirements including individuals who were previously enrolled in the BScN program or were away for a period of time. We do not count the records submitted previously towards a new academic year. Students returning from a leave must update their documents and satisfy Year 1 requirements. Confirmation of enrollment letters are available if needed for regional police departments. Please send your requests to Sharon Lee  nursingstudentpracticum@utoronto.ca Please note it is your responsibility to ensure you keep your documents current and update them with Verified. In order for you to do this you will be required to book a new ESPC appointment prior to the documents expiration date. If you have more than one document expiring we suggest you update them together in one appointment to avoid further charges. Expired documents will impact your clinical experience. The University of Toronto does not share documentation submitted by students for their student preparedness permits with third parties. The onus is on the student to verify their own information with their placement sites to meet agency-specific requirements. If requested by an agency, the Faculty of Nursing can sign attestation forms or letters. For further assistance, also please review our General FAQs.

    Year 1 Students

    Year 1 students can submit their documents (10 items as indicated below, excluding TCard photo) via a secure login-based online system. Students will be able to upload and store their documents, book when their files will be reviewed, check for the status of their files 24/7, and receive reminders for any upcoming expiry dates. Students will receive an initial email from Synergy Services. Once students have their login information, they can access this secure web portal to upload documents and book their file-review appointment prior to the deadline. Students do not need to be present for the appointment but their documents must be uploaded. An initial fee will be charged for the file review and additional charges will apply for any subsequent file reviews due to incomplete or unacceptable files (don’t forget to upload your JPEG along with all your forms and do not scan one document as two separate files i.e. one page of the police record check must fit one screenshot). Visit the new graduate student webpage for further instructions. Book Your Appointment Early! You should secure your spot in the queue to avoid finding all the appointments have been filled on the day you want your documents to be reviewed and to ensure you meet the deadline date. Students in MN or Post Master NP program must receive a “pass” for their Student Preparedness Permit before August 11th, 2023, otherwise enrollment will be withheld:
    • Immunization Form for New Students (Form being updated April 2023)*  Read our Frequently Asked Questions for helpful tips on how to meet our requirements! One common error is students do not fill out all of Section A for HepB (i.e. dates of shots AND lab evidence results). Forms will be rejected if sections are left blank and lab results are attached separately. All forms must be signed at the bottom by your health care provider. Incomplete submissions will result in students having to book and pay for subsequent appointments to have their files reviewed again. Note: A negative TB test result is valid for 12 months for most practicum agencies. Please obtain your Mantoux test result between July 1 and July 31 to ensure the result is valid until the end of the academic year – June 30. Also, students will need to consider the timing of the TB skin test in conjunction with COVID-19 vaccination.  TB skin testing can be done either 2 weeks before or 4 weeks after the COVID-19 vaccine.  Please review and discuss this information with your health care provider. 
    • Proof of full COVID-19 vaccination (primary series of two doses) Note: Students are strongly encouraged to receive a third vaccination (booster). The Province has mandated third doses for all students completing clinical placements in Long Term Care (LTC) settings and we anticipate expansion of this requirement to all placement settings.
    • Police Record Check – Vulnerable Sector Screening* Note: The VSS result expires one year from the date of issue. Please obtain your VSS between July 1 and July 31 to ensure that it is valid until the end of the academic year – June 30. In some cases an agency may request a shorter time frame. All documents need to be in English (translations should be certified/notarized).  Students who reside in the City of Toronto are required to complete the Toronto Police VSS ‘Police Reference Check Program’ Disclosure Form. Toronto residents will receive an email around mid-June with detailed instructions about the process.
    • Signed Annual Police Record Consent Form
    • Signed Workplace Safety Student Declaration (for students in NP Field of Study) or Workplace Safety Student Declaration (for students in Clinical Field of Study) or Workplace Safety Student Declaration (for students in HSLA Field of Study)
    • Signed HSPnet Student Consent Form
    • Certification of N95 Mask Fit Testing Result including Model Number and Expiry Date (Note: Must be valid until the end of the academic year – June 30). Students will be able to sign up for a fitting appointment via a link from Advance Healthcare Solutions for those who may be unable to get it through their workplace. Mask Fit Testing will take place on campus around late August/early September.  More details will be sent out via email.
    • Certification of CPR Competence (BLS or PALS or ACLS) and Expiry Date  Note: Must be valid until the end of the academic year June 30.
    • College of Nurses of Ontario Registration Number (or equivalent)
    • Clear JPEG head-and-shoulder photograph (similar to a passport photo)
    The University of Toronto does not share documentation submitted by students for their student preparedness permits with third parties. The onus is on the student to verify their own information with their placement sites to meet agency-specific requirements. If requested by an agency, the Faculty of Nursing can sign attestation forms or letters. *MN or Post Master NP program – Expiry dates cannot occur prior to June 30 at the end of Year 1. Students should time their certifications and immunizations so they are covered for the full duration until the end of June every year.

    First Aid and WHMIS certificates are not required.

    Once the secure online service is available, book your file-review appointment for when you anticipate your document will be ready. Your appointment is the date your file will be reviewed (you do not need to attend). You can book in advance and cancel/reschedule if you find you are not ready for your appointment due to missing documents. You can upload your documents as you obtain them. You need to have all your documents updated by the date of your appointment. Before your scheduled file review appointment, double-check every form has been signed and there is no information missing. Missed appointments or partial submissions will result in failing the student preparedness permit check. You will need to book a subsequent appointment to pass your student preparedness permit check and additional charges will apply. As an additional note, students are encouraged to receive the influenza vaccine each year and to provide their placement agencies proof of vaccination upon request. For students who do not have their flu vaccination, they will need to comply with the infection control policies at their placement sites. Additional measures may be taken for an outbreak.  

    Year 2 Students

    Year 2 students can submit their documents via a secure login-based online system. Students will be able to upload and store their documents, book when their files will be reviewed, check for the status of their files 24/7, and receive reminders for any upcoming expiry dates. Students access this secure web portal with their login from Year 1. An initial fee will be charged for the first file review and additional charges will apply for any subsequent file reviews due to incomplete/unacceptable files. Book your file-review appointment early! You should secure your spot in the queue to avoid finding all the appointments have been filled on the day you want your documents to be reviewed and to ensure you meet the deadline date. Students must receive a “pass” for their Student Preparedness Permit before August 11th, 2023, otherwise enrollment will be withheld:
    • Police Record Check – Vulnerable Sector Screening** (updated from last year) – Please obtain your VSS between July 1 and July 31 to ensure that it is valid until the end of the academic year – June 30. In some cases an agency may request a shorter time frame. Students who reside in the City of Toronto are required to complete the Toronto Police VSS ‘Police Reference Check Program’ Disclosure Form.  If you are a resident of or have recently moved to Toronto, please ensure your Toronto address is reflected in ACORN by early June so that the Clinical Education Office is aware that you are a Toronto resident. Toronto residents will receive an email from Sharon Lee – Student Placement Coordinator through DocuSign© around mid-June with detailed instructions about the process.  Students who live outside of Toronto do not need to complete the Toronto Police Form.  These students may be required to submit a letter on UofT letterhead in order to apply for a VSS from their regional police department.  If you require a letter, please contact Sharon Lee (nursingstudentpracticum@utoronto.ca).  
    • Signed Annual Police Record Consent Form
    • Immunization Form for Returning Students (Form being updated April 2023)** (complete this form if last year’s TB test was negative. A negative TB test result is valid for 12 months for most practicum agencies. Please obtain your Mantoux test result between July 1 and July 31 to ensure the result is valid until the end of the academic year – June 30. Also, students will need to consider the timing of the TB skin test in conjunction with COVID-19 vaccination. TB skin testing can be done either 2 weeks before or 4 weeks after the COVID-19 vaccine.  Please review and discuss this information with your health care provider. Note: If last year’s TB test was positive, you are required to complete the Tuberculosis Awareness, and Signs and Symptoms Self-Declaration Form and submit the form into Synergy.)
    • Updated original Year 1 Immunization Form (Form being updated April 2023)**(if second Hep B series or other health matters in progress)
    • Proof of College of Nurses of Ontario Registration (or equivalent)
    • Renewal of CPR Certification (BLS or PALS or ACLS) if expired*
    • Renewal of N95 Mask Fit Testing if expired**
    • For Fall Term placements Yr 2 NP students only: Orientation documents for placement agencies (this does not need to be included in the upload to Synergy) – This last note is intended to raise awareness that every student is responsible for completing their placement orientation for the agency where they are placed prior to the first day of clinical. Once you are notified of your placement, ensure all agency-specific documents are completed. Orientation information is posted on HSPnet for most of the teaching hospitals. Students should also check their email for messages about onboarding documentation.
    *Expiry dates cannot occur prior to June 30 at the end of Year 2. Students should time their certifications and immunizations so they are covered for the full duration until the end of June every year. First Aid and WHMIS certificates are not required. As an additional note, students are encouraged to receive the influenza vaccine each year and to provide their placement agencies proof of vaccination upon request. For students who do not have their flu vaccination, they will need to comply with the infection control policies at their placement sites. Additional measures may be taken for an outbreak. We strongly recommend you initiate your preparations for your submission of documents at the end of June as it may take several weeks to obtain police record checks, immunization, CPR, etc. Students should initiate their police record check VSS towards the end of June as there can be lengthy wait times for some police services. Toronto residents are required to obtain a form prior to initiating the police record check VSS with Toronto Police Service.  A Student Placement Coordinator will send this form to students who are Toronto residents around mid-June. Once the secure online service is available, book your file-review appointment for when you anticipate your document will be ready. Your appointment is the date your file will be reviewed (you do not need to attend). You can book in advance and cancel/reschedule if you find you are not ready for your appointment due to missing documents. You can upload your documents as you obtain them. You need to have all your documents updated by the date of your appointment. Before your scheduled file review appointment, double-check every form has been signed and there is no information missing. Missed appointments or partial submissions will result in failing the student preparedness permit check. You will need to book a subsequent appointment to pass your student preparedness permit check and additional charges will apply. The University of Toronto does not share documentation submitted by students for their student preparedness permits with third parties. The onus is on the student to verify their own information with their placement sites to meet agency-specific requirements. If requested by an agency, the Faculty of Nursing can sign attestation forms or letters.

  • Police Record Checks – Vulnerable Sector Screening

    A police record check vulnerable sector screening is obtained at regional police headquarters in Ontario. Costs may be associated with the application process and are assumed by the student. If you need a volunteer letter from the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, please direct your request to one of our Student Placement Coordinators – Kong Ng (BScN students) or Sharon Lee (MN/NP students).

    Faculty of Nursing Documents All MN and Post-Master’s NP students are required to comply with the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing Police Record Check Guidelines. Prior to registration into Fall term classes for each academic year, new and returning MN and Post-Master’s NP students must submit a current police record check – vulnerable sector screening along with a signed Annual Police Record Consent Form.

    When to Request a Police Record Check Processing time can take several months (depending on the region). Students are advised to initiate their requests around June in order to have a police record check report – vulnerable sector screening in advance of each new academic year. This time frame should also be followed by students returning from an approved leave of absence. Students who initiate their police record checks late in July or August run the risk of missing the August 1st deadline due to the lengthy processing times and not being approved for enrolment.

    INSTRUCTIONS BY REGION Listed below are procedures for the Toronto, Durham, Halton, Hamilton, London, Niagara and York police in Ontario.

    For students who reside in the City of Toronto (i.e. postal code starts with the letter “M”), they are required to obtain a form prior to initiating the police record check VSS with Toronto Police Service.  A Student Placement Coordinator will send this form to students in mid-June. The form for Toronto Police Service must be signed by a Student Placement Coordinator. Once the form has been completed by both you and a Student Placement Coordinator, it should promptly be sent to the Toronto Police Service. The Toronto Police Service requires secured funds in the form of a bank draft, money order, or certified cheque payable to Toronto Police Service. Police record check applications are not accepted in-person. Documents can be mailed to: Toronto Police Service, 40 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2J3 (please submit the signed TPS Consent to Disclosure form with payment). Students who submit their applications for a police record check report – vulnerable sector screening with Toronto Police Service after the middle of June are at risk of not receiving their report by August 1st and may not be able to start the academic year.

    For Durham, Halton, Hamilton, London, Niagara, York regional police, you must apply in person at your specific regional police service headquarters. Additional information can be found at the website for each regional police.

    For smaller communities, police stations may request you submit the Ontario Provincial Police Vulnerable Sector Check application form and a volunteer letter from the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing.

    Please request a volunteer letter to be produced by one of our Student Placement Coordinators: For BScN students, contact Kong Ng at nursingplacementoffice@utoronto.ca. For MN/NP students, contact Sharon Lee at nursingstudentpracticum@utoronto.ca

    International Students

    If you are living or working out-of-country, you will need a police records check vulnerable sector screening from that country as well as a police records check in Canada. All documentation must be in English. If necessary, students are responsible for having documents translated and notarized.

  • Mask Fit

    It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the organization where s/he is placed can provide the appropriate size mask as determined from the mask fit test. In the event that an organization does not use the same brand for masks, the student will need an additional mask fit test. The student is obligated to pay all costs incurred to secure required mask fittings. Neither the University nor the Faculty of Nursing pays for or reimburses students for costs associated with mask fittings.

    Council of Health Sciences Education Subcommittee Mask Fit Statement Healthcare providers adopt infection control procedures including the wearing of personal protective equipment. One of the key pieces of personal protective equipment is a properly fit tested mask. The Ministry of Health has developed directives for health care professionals to wear an approved respirator/mask when droplet protection (as in the cases of SARS and H1N1) is required. In order to protect the health and safety of health care learners, the use of respirators/masks may be required if there is evidence of potential exposure to airborne infectious agents. Dependent upon the nature of the experiential rotation, as determined by the Program/Faculty, learners may be mask fit tested prior to the start of the experiential rotation. Fit test data must be updated every 18 months – 2 years or when facial characteristics change due to weight gain/loss or facial trauma. For an adequate mask-to-face seal learners must be clean shaven at the time of the mask fitting. Accommodation requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Timing for Mask Fit testing: Fall Year 1 (students will be advised via email).

    Mask Fit Policy

    Mask Fit Accommodation Form

  • Site-Specific Requirements

    Please note some sites have their own set of practicum requirements. For some organizations, an online application must be completed by a specified deadline date. For other agencies, the placement process may involve submission of a resume and an interview. We strongly recommend students approach these requirements with attention to detail and thorough preparation in order to be competitive for limited placements. Avoid cutting and pasting from the course syllabus and paraphrase in your own words. Write clearly what your particular objectives are and how you would benefit from a placement at the agency. Potential preceptors look for enthusiastic, well-prepared students who can articulate what they hope to learn in their practicum placements. Typos and grammatical errors will disadvantage students in the application process. The following hospitals have a centralized application process that prohibits students from contacting preceptors directly (e.g. Hospital of Sick Children, The Ottawa Hospital, Niagara Health, and Alberta Health Services.  The following are links to agencies that typically request for a resume and other application requirements: Access Alliance, Canadian Mental Health Association, Surrey Place, Women’s Health in Women’s Hands, RNAO, and Sunnybrook. Other examples of agencies that typically require additional criteria before accepting a request for a practicum placement are Anishnawbe, Centre Francophone, North York Family Health Team, South Riverdale, WCH (SADVCC and Bay Centre for Birth Control), UofT Health Promotion, Lakeridge Health, and York Region Public Health. Once a placement is confirmed i.e. a preceptor has been secured and you have been notified of the placement, then the next step is often to complete agency-specific orientation requirements prior to the first day of practicum. Students who arrive at their placements unprepared may be asked to leave or they may observe with no IT agency systems. Students are urged to ensure they are prepared in advance of their placement. Below are some examples of agencies that have their orientation information posted on their websites: Baycrest Health Sciences, Mount Sinai Hospital, North York General Hospital, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, St. Joseph’s Health Centre (Toronto), University Health Network.

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