Learner Experiences

ThedaCare Partner School(s)

* Active Advisory Board Member/Collaborating Partner
Note: Academic programs covered vary by school.
For more information, contact: Nichele.Kane@thedacare.org

ThedaCare provides more than 1,000 student experiences each year for individuals enrolled in our affiliated academic institutions.

To request a learner experience, school coordinators must complete the official form as listed in Step 3 below. Learners, please do not reach out to potential preceptors or departments directly.

Clinical and Learner Experience Areas

Determine the Appropriate Contact for Your Experience Area
Depending on your learner type, submit your forms in steps 3, 4, and 5 to one of the following contacts:

To be eligible for a placement, ThedaCare must have an affiliation agreement in place with the school. (Note: new agreement consideration can take up to 12 weeks.)

Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant request deadline dates:

Fall Semester (start dates between August 15 – December 31):  April 15

Spring Semester (start dates between January 1 – April 30):  September 15

Summer Semester (start dates between May 1 – August 14):  January 31

Medical Student requests can be submitted up to 6 months prior to the requested start date.

All other program areas can be submitted 3 months prior to requested start date.  Requests sent less than 6 weeks prior may not be possible, or start dates may need to be adjusted. 

School representatives can download the appropriate form below:

• Instructions for completing a request – please review before submission as information may change
• Request Form – Single Learner
• For ADN/BSN 1:1 requests in ICU, OB, ED or Periop, learners must complete the Nursing Clinical Application and submit it, along with all other required documents, to their school’s clinical placement coordinator to be included with the school submitted Single Learner Request Form.
• Request Form – Learner Project
  • Please note, all require review and approval from the ThedaCare Clinical Research Office prior to starting.
• Request Form – Group

ThedaCare Education will respond within 4-6 weeks whenever possible.

If your request for placement is approved, your school should work with you to complete all onboarding and orientation requirements as listed here:

• View the Learner Orientation PowerPoint.
• Sign the Confirmation of Completion of Learner Orientation PowerPoint.
• Review and sign the Confidentiality Agreement.
• Review and complete all Health Requirements (including 10 panel drug screen and proof of physical examination).
  • For returning students, if applicable- Annual Physical Declaration Form and Annual TB questionnaire
  • If your immunization record for Hepatitis B is unclear or incomplete, or if you decline showing proof of vaccination, complete Hepatitis B Vaccine form.
• Complete the American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) class, or provide proof of current certification (must be current through end date of onsite clinical).
• Work with your school to complete Background Check Requirements.
• Submit proof of all onboarding requirements as listed above and send to your school coordinator.
• Department Safety Walk and Orientation Tour — must be completed on first day of ThedaCare experience, and signed form given to leader at your site. Learner must send a signed copy to school to be put in learner school record.
• NOTE: if your experience takes you to more than one location, you must complete a form at each new site.

School coordinator requirements after a learner experience has been approved:

• Review Required Information Form (RIF) Instructions.
• Work with student to complete Background Check Requirements.
• Verify learner has completed all onboarding and orientation requirements.
• Save all learner requirements as part of school record. ThedaCare may request proof of completion.
• Required Information (RIF) Form – Single Learner or Project Experiences
  • Projects require review and approval from the ThedaCare Clinical Research Office before starting.
  • Projects that utilize information from or about a living person, may require additional training along with submission to Learner’s school Institutional Review Board (IRB) for waiver or approval.
• Required Information (RIF) Form – Group Experiences Only
  • Requirements must be completed annually if learner is returning for future experiences. They must be valid through the approved end date.
  • RIF to be sent 6-8 weeks prior to approved start date, but no less than 4 weeks, or may have to be adjusted.
• *Important: Learner must complete Department Safety Walk and Orientation Tour on first day at ThedaCare and submit to school as part of school record. (One copy remains with onsite leader.) If experience takes learner to more than one location, must be done at each.

The goal is for project work to combine with a quality or educational effort already in progress within ThedaCare. Based on your program, ThedaCare Education will provide further direction regarding options.

After Steps 2, 3, and 4 are completed and tentative approval for a project experience is granted, the following will apply:

• Learner schedules meeting with approved ThedaCare Preceptor to discuss project ideas.
• Learner and Preceptor talk through a project proposal plan and complete the Learner Project Proposal form.
• Submit Project Proposal form to ThedaCare Clinical Research for review.
  • Learner Project Proposal forms, along with any written materials will be reviewed by the Clinical Research Office.
  • Projects determined to be Quality Improvement will be expedited for final approval.
  • Projects that are not determined to be Quality Improvement may require additional training and IRB review (as applicable) prior to final approval.
• ThedaCare Clinical Research must give formal approval prior to starting any project work.
• Upon project completion, a copy of the project and all materials must be sent to Carolyn.Harvey@thedacare.org – ThedaCare Clinical Research Manager.

• Once the school has submitted all learner onboarding and orientation requirements and ThedaCare has approved, learner access will be requested.
• Approximately 2-4 weeks prior to the learner start date, the learner, school coordinator, and ThedaCare preceptor will receive a “Welcome” or clearance email from ThedaCare Education.
• Once the learner receives the email, they may contact their ThedaCare preceptor to discuss scheduling of hours starting on/after the approved start date.
• Learners must wear their school-issued photo ID badge and purple “Learner” badge when onsite. If the school does not provide a photo ID, please reach out to Nichele.Kane@thedacare.org for next steps.

*New educational partnership consideration must be initiated by a ThedaCare Leader
*May take 3 months or more for final approval; please plan accordingly

• Step 1: Leader receives request from team member/learner to complete clinicals at ThedaCare through an academic
  institution not currently listed on our partner list, OR a Leader is interested in initiating a new educational
  partnership to support workforce needs. (Note: team member must be in good standing in current role, with plans to
  remain at ThedaCare upon graduation. Non-employees must be strongly considering future employment and/or have ties to the area).
• Step 2: Leader reviews ThedaCare’s New Educational Partnership Key Factors to determine whether this school aligns with ThedaCare’s criteria for partnership consideration.
• Step 3: Leader discusses need for new partnership with their direct leader/team and receives approval to move forward.
• Step 4: Leader contacts Education Program Managers (Jen.meyer@thedacare.org and Hannah.stanga@thedacare.org) to
  discuss partnership proposal and next steps. May require meeting with Education VP to review and approve.
• Step 5: If all necessary parties agree to move forward with the new educational partnership, leader completes and submits
  SBAR to designated Education Program Manager.
• Step 6: Education Program Manager prepares and sends ThedaCare contract to academic institution for signature.
• Step 7: Upon receipt of signed contract, Education Program Manager submits SBAR and school signed contract into UCM for
  legal review.
• Step 8: Education Program Manager works with ThedaCare and School Legal on contract specifics and any proposed contract language requests. If approved, Education advises school on requests for formal student placement consideration, paperwork, timelines, and onboarding requirements.
• Important Notes:
  • ThedaCare does not accept any version of legal contracts from educational partners – ThedaCare templates are
    required.
  • Legal contract (educational affiliation agreement – EAA) means our system can consider clinical placements with
    the school partner, it does not require us to accept all requests.
  • Placement approvals are determined with partnership of site leadership, based on resource availability and patient
    care needs.
  • Final approval is dependent on learner completing all onboarding and orientation requirements.

For further questions with Learner Experience areas in Column A, please contact Jen.Meyer@thedacare.org.

For further questions with Learner Experience areas in Column B, please contact Hannah.Stanga@thedacare.org.

How do I request a clinical experience or educational project at ThedaCare? See Step 3: Learner Experience Request Form on website for information regarding submission dates.”  

What is an affiliation agreement, and do I need one? An affiliation agreement is a legal contract between your school and ThedaCare. One must be in place before requests are considered. A new agreement takes up to 12 weeks to be considered. We cannot use a school Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

Can I find my own preceptor? Once we receive a request, our team works with leadership of the requested area to find an available preceptor wherever possible. If you have someone in mind, your school can list the name. However, we cannot guarantee placement even if the potential preceptor has agreed.

I am a current ThedaCare employee. Do I need to complete all of the learner onboarding/health immunizations/background check requirements? Yes. Can you just get it from Employee Health or Human Resources (HR)?No. We cannot access your records, and Employee Health/HR cannot provide them to you for learner requirements. See the Wisconsin Immunization Record (WIR) or contact your personal healthcare provider.

My school says I need to update a health immunization record or receive a titer. Since I’m an employee, can I do this through ThedaCare Employee Health? No. Employee Health cannot assist with any learner requirements or questions.

Do I need to wear an identification badge? Yes. ThedaCare policy requires every learner to wear their school photo ID, along with a purple ThedaCare “learner” placard. This will be sent to the unit/department of your experience prior to your start date. If you are an employee, please do not wear your employee ID during learner experiences. Please email Nichele.Kane@thedacare.org for details on ID badges.

How do I get access to locked areas while here as a learner? Most learners are not eligible for badge access to restricted areas, as the expectation is to remain with your preceptor while onsite (or to follow that process for visitors). For a limited number of learner types, site leadership will provide further information and requirements regarding access. Also, you cannot use your employee badge while onsite as a learner.

What must happen before a clinical rotation or learner project can start? Once we approve an experience, your school will work with you to complete learner onboarding requirements. Your school verifies completion by sending us a Required Information Form (RIF) 6-8 weeks before your start date. If the RIF isn’t sent at least 4 weeks prior, we may have to adjust start dates.

Will I receive access to the Electronic Health Record (EHR) or EPIC? If documentation within the EHR is required for your program, a learner account will be created. If you are also a team member, you will have two accounts. Do not use an employee EHR while here as a learner.

How will I know when I’m cleared to start my experience? A few weeks before your start date, you, your school, and your onsite preceptor will receive a clearance/welcome email from Education. This is when you may reach out to the preceptor to discuss scheduling of hours on/after your approved start date. Remember, you cannot legally start until the start date on the RIF form, nor can you go past the end date listed.

How do I get a laptop? Laptops are not available for learner use. You will complete documentation at a ThedaCare workstation. In some advanced-level placements, alternative options may be possible. Your site leadership can explain more if appropriate.

I need remote access so that I can review patient charts ahead of time. Remote access is not provided for any learner experience.

I need to do a job shadow for a school requirement. Can I just set that up with people I know? No.Depending on the number of hours, it could actually fall under the clinical placement process. Have your school reach out so we can determine the best approach. Please remember that any and all learner experiences require a request form, approval from ThedaCare Education, and learner onboarding documents.

My school said I can count hours that I work as an employee for my student requirements. Is that true? Any student experience needs to be done outside of regularly scheduled paid/work time. If you are an employee, connect with your leader to discuss adjustment of your schedule, or use paid time off if necessary.

I couldn’t finish my learner hours within the approved timeframe. What do I do? We ask that learners keep track of their hours and take advantage of all hours that the onsite preceptor offers. If there is a valid reason why hours weren’t completed, your school must contact Education prior to the original end date with an explanation and updated regulatory paperwork. If we can’t extend your experience, your school can advise on options within its program.

Does ThedaCare require an affiliation agreement to be in place for clinical experiences? Please see Step 3: Learner Experience Request Form for submission dates based on program area.

Do you accept a school’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) instead? No.

How do I request a clinical experience or learner project at ThedaCare? Visit our website and submit a request form on behalf of your learner. Allow 12 weeks before the potential start date. NOTE: Nurse Practitioner placement or project requests are due March 1 for summer, April 15 for fall, and Sept. 1 for spring.

How long does it take to hear back if a request is approved? Our goal is to let you know 4-6 weeks after submission. (NP/PA approvals will be sent as soon as possible after the semester deadline dates as listed above.)

Does ThedaCare Education let the learner know an experience is approved? ThedaCare Education will let the school requestor know either way. The school lets the learner know and informs of next steps for paperwork requirements.

What happens after a request is approved? You will work with the learner to complete the onboarding requirements and ensure that documentation to ‘back up’ every requirement is housed within the learner’s school record. Use this information to fill out the Required Information Form (RIF) and send this form ONLY to Education, 6-8 weeks — but no less than 4 weeks — prior to the experience start date.

After submitting the RIF, what happens next? Education will review the RIF and request EHR access if appropriate. A few weeks before the start date, we will send a clearance email to the school/learner/preceptor. At this point, the learner can reach out to the preceptor directly to discuss scheduling of hours on/after the approved start date.

Our learner couldn’t finish their hours. Can they extend their time? We ask that learners keep track of their hours, and take advantage of all hours their onsite preceptor offers. If there is a valid reason they didn’t complete their hours, the school must contact Education prior to the original end date with an explanation. Extensions are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and require reapproval and an updated RIF.

Our learner’s EHR access isn’t working. What do we do? If the learner is using the username/password as provided in the clearance email and there are issues, contact the ThedaCare Help Desk directly, and reference the email.

Our learner found their own preceptor, and our school doesn’t require any other paperwork. Are they free to start? Any and all learner experiences — including those for ThedaCare employees — require a formal request submission from the school, approval from ThedaCare Education, and learner onboarding paperwork prior to starting.

Our learner hasn’t completed the onboarding requirements yet, so the RIF will be late. Is that ok? Please help your learners stay on track with completing all requirements, so that you can submit the RIF 6 weeks — but at least 4 weeks — prior to their start date. If not, we may have to delay the start date, cut the experience short, or know that EHR access will not be ready due to the high number of experiences supported each semester.

I’m interested in supporting a learner. How can I do that? Please let your leadership team know you are willing, as schools submit formal requests to ThedaCare Education. We then send requests to site leadership to determine preceptor capacity.

A learner reached out and asked if I could support them. Is that OK? We ask our school partners to not have their learners reach out to our team members directly, as there are quite a few steps that need to be completed before we can consider an experience. Please forward the request to your ThedaCare Education contact so we can help. If appropriate, we’ll talk with your leadership team about next steps if they determine you might be a good fit.

My leadership team received a request from ThedaCare Education and asked if I could support a learner. I’ve agreed. What happens next? Education will work with the school to ensure all legal and learner onboarding requirements have been met. We’ll also set up student EHR access if needed. After everything is approved, you, the learner, and the school rep will get a clearance/welcome email with additional information. Once received, the learner can reach out to you directly to discuss scheduling of hours within the approved timeline.

How will I know what my learner needs to cover during the experience? The learner should provide information from their school regarding competencies learned to date and goals for this next rotation based on the program curriculum. You can also review ThedaCare’s Preceptor Policy.

I have a few concerns with my learner’s competencies / professionalism / communication. What should I do? Document any information that may be helpful to the learner and their school faculty regarding any of these topics. If you’ve talked to the learner and still have concerns, reach out to the school faculty member connected to the student. (Contact information is included in the clearance/welcome email you received from Education.) If you need additional help, reach out to your ThedaCare Education contact for advice.