What Is a Practicum?

A practicum is a formally scheduled student enrichment clinical laboratory experience performed off-campus at one of the CLT/CLS program's affiliate laboratories. The practicum allows you to practice the laboratory skills that you have learned on campus in an actual clinical laboratory setting under the supervision of a clinical faculty member. 

There are three practicums required in the CLT program and two practicums for the CLS program. All practicums are done during the summer months of May through August.  

1. CLS 1154 is done after you have completed your freshman year of CLT courses.
2. CLS 2256 and 2257 are done after you have completed your sophomore year of the CLT program. 
3. CLS 4453 and 4454 are done after you have taken the corresponding CLS courses in your junior and senior years in the CLS program.

Most practicums are combined to better utilize clinical practicum resources. The length of any one practicum will not exceed two weeks. Most practicums are scheduled during the day shift, Monday through Friday. However, some clinical affiliates offer practicum times during the evening and/or weekends.

There are specific performance objectives identified for each practicum, and the clinical faculty member involved will formally evaluate your performance. Because these are actual CLS courses, it is essential that you must attend the practicum with a ready-to-learn state of mind.

Where Are Practicums Performed?

Practicums are performed at a number of CLT/CLS affiliate laboratories in the Ogden/Salt Lake City area, along with sites in central and southern Utah: 

• Brigham City Community Hospital, 950 South 500 West, Brigham City
• Davis Hospital & Medical Center, 1600 West Antelope Drive, Layton
• Lakeview Hospital, 630 East Medical Drive, Bountiful
• LDS Hospital, 8th Avenue & C Street, Salt Lake City
• Ogden Clinic, 4650 Harrison Boulevard, Ogden
• Primary Children's Medical Center, 100 North Medical Drive, Salt Lake City
• Ogden Regional Medical Center, 5475 South 500 East, Ogden
• McKay-Dee Hospital, 4401 Harrison Boulevard, Ogden
• Dixie Regional Medical Center, St. George

What You Need Before Practicums Are Scheduled

Before you are allowed to perform your practicums, you must provide the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences with documentation of your health examination, HBsAG test result, TB Tine test result, and proof of health care insurance or signed waiver. These documents will be kept on file in the CLS department. 

In addition, you also will need to have a drug screen, fingerprinting, and background check completed. Complete information can be found on our screening procedures page. The clinical facilities where you will be doing your practicums are essentially going to treat you as an employee. Many of the clinical facilities require screening of their potential employees prior to being hired. Therefore, for in order for you to complete your practicums, you must comply with the rules set forth by the clinical facility. This requires that all WSU CLT/CLS students undergo the following:

1. Urine drug screening (must be completed by December 1)
2. Fingerprinting
3. FBI background check

How Are Practicums Scheduled?

Practicums are arranged by the CLS department chairperson around the end of April and posted on the bulletin board outside the CLS department office. Once you are scheduled for a practicum, the schedule is considered to be a firm commitment. The schedule may only be changed in case of emergency and only by the CLS department. 

If You Are Unable to Attend a Practicum

Practicums last for one to two weeks, and during that time, most facilities will treat you as an employee of that facility. They will expect you arrive on time and to behave in a professional manner. If during the course of your practicum you are unable to attend for any reason, it is essential that you call your contact person at the facility (names and phone number can be found in your practicum packet). 

For example, if you are going to be late or unable to attend that day, you MUST call the contact person before you are scheduled to arrive and let them know your situation.

Before you start your practicum, if you realize that you are not available during the period the practicum is scheduled, contact the CLS office as soon as possible to reschedule the practicum. Under no circumstances should you reschedule a practicum on your own. All such requests must be done through the CLS department office. Any attempt to reschedule the practicum directly with the practicum facility is cause for dismissal from the CLS program.

Contact:

Yasmen Simonian
CLS Department Chair
ysimonian@weber.edu
801-626-7080
801-467-4344
801-557-1320

Amanda Harden 
Department Secretary                    
aharden@weber.edu
801-626-6118

If you register for a practicum that you do not complete, a grade of NC (No Credit) will be given for the practicum. 

If you do not perform the practicum within 12 months after completing the academic CLS course, you must demonstrate proficiency and subject knowledge of the course material prior to being allowed to perform the practicum.

When Should You Register for Practicums?

In the following chart you will find information on the practicums and when to register for each one.

* CLS 4454 can be taken during the summer following your junior year IF you have completed CLS 3311 Advanced Clinical Immunohematology, CLS 3313 Advanced Clinical Hematology and Hemostasis.

How Are Practicums Graded?

Each practicum earns one credit hour and is graded on a Credit/No Credit basis. Your performance and attendance are evaluated by the clinical faculty and reported to the instructor by means of a practicum packet. You should keep the packet with you at all times; it contains the following:

• practicum objective sheets
• student evaluation forms (completed by clinical faculty)
• practicum evaluation forms (completed by you) 
• logbook (completed by you, reviewed and initialed by the clinical faculty)

You will receive practicum packets and activity notebook from the CLS secretary shortly after the practicum schedule is posted.

After you have successfully completed the practicum, it is your responsibility to return your completed practicum packet to the CLS office. These evaluation forms will be placed in your student file. If the evaluation forms are not on file, credit will not be given for the practicum until the forms are received.  (Graduation exception does apply.)

If you fail to successfully complete the practicum with the specified proficiency, you will receive Due Process Policy Step 3 (see the Student Policy Handbook) and you will be allowed to repeat the practicum at one different clinical facility. Failure to successfully complete the second parallel practicum is cause for program dismissal.

Practicum Completion

After successful completion of the practicum, you should register for the practicum course at the beginning of the next semester, (i.e. fall semester).

A practicum is considered complete by the CLT/CLS program when you have returned your practicum packet to the CLS office.

Standards of Behavior and Appearance for Practicums

It is very important to keep in mind that your are both a representative of the Weber State University CLT/CLS program and a guest of the clinical facility. Your conduct and personal appearance must reflect this status.

Confidentiality

All information gained in the laboratory and adjacent departments concerning patients, physicians or private hospital business is confidential. Disclosure of this information is cause for program dismissal. Be advised that you may be sued for libel, slander or invasion of privacy for disclosure of confidential information.

Appearance

While at the practicum facility, you are required to dress in accordance with the personnel policies set down by the individual clinical institutions. The minimum standards for all institutions affiliated with WSU are:

• Appropriate (OSHA approved) clean lab protective outer clothing and personal safety equipment, as well as the WSU CLS official student name tag
• No blue jeans, miniskirts, halter tops, tank tops, T-shirts, sandals, or open-toed shoes. Clothes must be clean and odor free
• Hospital scrubs may be worn under your lab coat
• Clean fingernails and clean hands
• No more than two pierced earrings in each ear
• Tongue, eyebrow, nose or any other studs, and any visible tattoos, are not allowed
• Hair that is long enough to be a hazard must be tied back
• Hair color should be natural (blue, orange, purple, etc. are not allowed)
• Name badges are required
• Attend specific orientation for each facility
• Complete and turn in your student orientation quiz to CLS department

Lunch and Breaks

You will follow the clinical facility's regulations pertaining to smoking, talking, coffee breaks and lunch periods. The clinical faculty practicum instructor will advise you as to these regulations.

Accidents

Accidents occurring at the clinical facility should be reported immediately to either the clinical instructor or the department supervisor. This includes accidents involving you, patients, equipment and/or supplies. Honesty and prompt reporting are most important.

WSU liability insurance covers injuries to patients and damages to the clinical facility through negligence, but does not cover injuries to you during a practicum. You are, therefore, required to carry your own private health insurance or sign a waiver. 

If during your practicum, you are exposed to human blood through a needle stick, a splash to the eyes, nose or mouth, or through a cut on the skin, immediately notify the individual that you are working with at the clinical faculty. In your practicum packet you will find information on bloodborne pathogen post-exposure procedures and also incident report forms. This information can also be found at the WSU Environmental Health & Safety site.

Attendance and Punctuality

Attendance for a scheduled practicum is mandatory. If an emergency arises, you must notify the clinical facility's practicum instructor before the time you are scheduled to arrive at the clinical facility. Unexcused tardiness during a practicum may result in termination of the practicum, depending on the recommendation of the practicum instructor. Failure to attend a scheduled practicum is cause for program dismissal in accordance with Due Process Policy Step 3 (see the Student Policy Handbook).

Behavior

Practicums afford you additional learning activities and experiences. The clinical instructor and the clinical facility should be regarded as extensions of the WSU campus. You are encouraged to ask questions, but are not encouraged to criticize in a random or inappropriate manner. 

You may see different techniques and methods at a clinical facility than what you've seen on the WSU campus. Please keep in mind that there are several ways to do a procedure. Even though you may have knowledge of a procedure or technique that may appear better, the subject should be approached tactfully and privately with the clinical instructor.