Undergraduate Placements
Student Preparedness Permits
In order to enroll in the BScN 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 undergraduate 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 enrolment. We advise students 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, 2023 (Friday) deadline. All documents need to be in English (translations should be certified/notarized). Students returning from a leave of absence must update their documents and satisfy Year 1 requirements. Confirmation of enrolment letters are available if needed for regional police departments. Please send your requests to Kong Ng Nursingplacementoffice@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 Immunization FAQ (Rev.2023)
Year 1 Students
Year 1 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 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 documentation (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 BScN student webpage for further instructions. 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 enrolment will be withheld:- New Student Immunization Record_Rev.May 2023 Read our Immunization FAQ (Rev.2023) for helpful tips on how to meet our requirements! 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. A negative TB test result is valid for 12 months only. . Please obtain your TB Skin Test result between July 1 and July 31 to ensure the result is valid until the end of the academic year – June 30)
- Everyone identified Tuberculin Positive is also required to complete the “Tuberculosis Awareness, and Signs and Symptoms Self-Declaration Form” (p.7 on the Immunization Record) and submit to Synergy.
- Proof of full COVID-19 vaccination (primary series of two doses). Note: Students are strongly encouraged to stay up-to-date with booster doses as required. Students who choose not to receive these additional doses should be aware they may be limited from clinical placements if required by institution policy. Students must adhere to the COVID-19 policies and protocols at their placement sites.
- 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 by June 29th with detailed instructions about the process.
- Signed Annual Student Police Record Consent Form
- Signed Workplace Safety Student Declaration
- Signed HSPnet Student Consent Form
- Certification of CPR Competence (BLS) Note: Expiry date must be valid until the end of the academic year June 30) . The CPR requirement for entry into our nursing programs is BLS (Basic Life Support). These suggested services include St. John Ambulance, Heart & Stroke Foundation, City of Toronto, or Canadian Red Cross.
- Mask Fit N95 Model Number and Expiry Date*(Note: Expiry date must be valid until the end of the academic year – June 30). Mask Fit Testing will take place on campus on August 28th & 29th, 2023. Students will be able to sign up for a fitting appointment via a link from Advance Healthcare Solutions. More details will be sent out via email in late May 2023. All Year 1 BScN students should attend an on-campus mask fit testing organized by our Faculty on August 28th and 29th , 2023 at 155 College Street Health Science Building 1st floor Room 124. Information will be given in advance on how to book their appointment online when they reserve their mask fit testing timeslot.
- For Fall Term Placements Agency-Specific Orientation/Onboarding Documents 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 the website for most of the teaching hospitals. Students should also check their UofT email for messages with further details about onboarding documentation.
- 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.
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. 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 enrolment will be withheld:- Police Record Check – Vulnerable Sector Screening (updated from last year)**. Toronto residents will receive the Toronto Police Services Disclosure Form by e-mail from the Clinical Education Office.
- Signed Annual Student Police Record Consent Form
- Returning Student Immunization Record_Rev. May 2023 (A negative TB test result is valid for 12 months only. Please obtain your TB Skin 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 also required to complete the “Tuberculosis Awareness, and Signs and Symptoms Self-Declaration Form” (p.4 on the Immunization Record) and submit to Synergy.
- Updated original New Student Immunization Record_Rev.May 2023 (if second Hep B series or other health matters in progress during Year 1)
- Mask Fit updates (if not already uploaded to your profile)
- ALL Year 2 students MUST obtain ANNUAL CPR recertification*
- For Fall Term placements: 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 the website for most of the teaching hospitals. Students should also check their Uof T email for messages about onboarding documentation.
- New Student Immunization Record_Rev.May 2023 Read our Immunization FAQ (Rev.2023) for helpful tips on how to meet our requirements! 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. A negative TB test result is valid for 12 months only. . Please obtain your TB Skin Test result between July 1 and July 31 to ensure the result is valid until the end of the academic year – June 30)
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 BScN 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 BScN students must submit a current police record check vulnerable sector screening along with a signed Annual Student Police Record Consent Form through the secured web portal.
When to Request a Police Record Check
Processing time can take several months (depending on the region). Students should initiate their police record check VSS in 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 Co-ordinator will send this form to students who are Toronto residents in mid-June. 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 Synergy deadline due to the lengthy processing times and not being approved for registration.
Instructions By Region
Listed below are procedures for the Toronto, Durham, Halton, Hamilton, London and Niagara police in Ontario.
For students who reside in the City of Toronto (i.e. postal code starts with the letter “M”), a copy of the Toronto Police Service Consent to Disclosure Application form must be obtained in person from the Faculty of Nursing at 155 College Street, Room 257, during designated office hours (TBA). You must bring a government-issued photo ID that includes current address with postal code as well as a record of prior addresses with postal codes for residences from the last five years. 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, 2020 and may not be able to start the academic year. Students who are requesting a police record check report – vulnerable sector screening after the second week of June are strongly recommended to consider the expedited process to ensure they have their results before the start of the academic year. A third party can make the request on a student’s behalf by visiting Toronto Police Service headquarters in person with two pieces of the student’s ID (or notarized photocopies), an authorization letter signed by the student giving authority to the name of the person and the address where the results should be sent. The third party must also produce one piece of photo ID.
For Durham, Halton, Hamilton, London, Niagara 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 service.
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
All Year 1 BScN students should attend an on-campus mask fit testing organized by our Faculty on August 28th and 29th at 155 College Street Health Science Building 1st floor Room 124. Students will pay in advance online when they reserve their mask fit testing timeslot. If students are not able to make the on-campus mask fit testing, appointments can be made for a N95 mask fit test at one of the hospital site. All students should have their mask fit testing completed by no later than September 12. This will ensure students have all their requirements before the start of the academic year and are prepared for their first clinical placement.
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. All Year 1 BScN students are required to attend a mask fitting on campus session in 1st floor Room 124. Students will book their appointment online and pay in advance for the mask fit testing.
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).
Site-Specific Requirements
Please note some sites have their own set of practicum requirements.
**NEW** Chest X-Rays for Year 1 and Year 2 students
All students with a positive TB Skin Test are required to have a chest X-ray dated after the positive test or other positive history. Routine repeat chest X-rays are not required by the faculty. Students must also complete the “Tuberculosis Awareness, and Signs and Symptoms Self-Declaration Form”. Click here for further details for health and immunization forms.
Please Note: Students must adhere to the TB policies and protocols at their placement sites. This may include requirements for a routine chest X-ray prior to beginning their placements.
Annual Flu Shot
It is strongly recommended students receive the influenza vaccine each year when the flu vaccine is available and to provide their placement agencies proof of vaccination upon request. Students who choose not to have an annual influenza vaccination should be aware they may be limited from clinical placements in some organizations without documentation of vaccination. Students must adhere to the influenza policies and outbreak protocols at their placement sites.
CV Requirements
Your CV is required at the following agencies: Access Alliance, Anishnawbe, Centre Francophone, North York Family Health Team, South Riverdale, Surrey Place, UofT Health Promotion, WHIWH, WCH (SADVCC and Bay Centre for Birth Control), or York Region Public Health.
Application Requirements
Below are some sample applications packages which are subject to change by the agencies.
Hamilton Health Sciences Application
Sherbourne Health Centre Application
NUR461
More information to be posted soon.
NUR470 Placement Site/Forms
NUR470 Clinical Resume Template and Samples
Health Force Ontario Resumes Example