Ohio Board of Nursing Student Conduct Requirements

1. A student shall, in a complete, accurate, and timely manner, report and document nursing assessments or observations, the care provided by the student for the client, and the client’s response to that care.
2. A student shall, in an accurate and timely manner, report to the appropriate practitioner errors in or deviations from the current valid order.
3. A student shall not falsify any client record or any other document prepared or utilized in the course of, or in conjunction with, nursing practice. This includes, but is not limited to, case management documents or reports or time records, reports, and other documents related to billing for nursing services.
4. A student shall implement measures to promote a safe environment for each client.
5. A student shall delineate, establish, and maintain professional boundaries with each client.
6. At all times when a student is providing direct nursing care to a client the student shall:
   • a. Provide privacy during examination or treatment and in the care of personal or bodily needs;
   • b. Treat each client with courtesy, respect, and with full recognition of dignity and individuality.
7. A student shall practice within the appropriate scope of practice as set forth in division (B) of section 4723.01 and division (B)(20) of section 4723.28 of the Revised Code for a registered nurse and division (F) of section 4723.01 and division (B)(21) of section 4723.28 of the Revised Code for a practical nurse.
8. A student shall use universal blood and body fluid pre-cautions established by Chapter 4723-20 of the Administrative Code.
9. A student shall not:
   • a. Engage in behavior that causes or may cause physical, verbal, mental, or emotional abuse to a client
   • b. Engage in behavior toward a client that may reasonably be interpreted as physical, verbal, mental, or emotional abuse.

For the purpose of the following paragraph, the client is always presumed incapable of giving free, full, or informed consent to the behaviors by the student set forth in this paragraph.

1. A student shall not misappropriate a client’s property or:
   • a. Engage in behavior to seek or obtain personal gain at the client’s expense;
   • b. Engage in behavior that may reasonably be interpreted as behavior to seek or obtain personal gain at the client’s expense;
   • c. Engage in behavior that constitutes inappropriate involvement in the client’s personal relationships; or
   • d. Engage in behavior that may reasonably be interpreted as inappropriate involvement in the client’s personal relationships.

For the purpose of the following paragraph, the client is always presumed incapable of giving free, full, or informed consent to sexual activity with the student.

1. A student shall not:
   • a. Engage in sexual conduct with a client; Engage in conduct in the course of practice that may reasonably be interpreted as sexual;
   • b. Engage in any verbal behavior that is seductive or sexually demeaning to a client;
   • c. Engage in verbal behavior that may reasonably be interpreted as seductive, or sexually demeaning to a client.
2. A student shall not, regardless of whether the contact or verbal behavior is consensual, engage with a patient other than the spouse of the student in any of the following:
   • a. Sexual contact, as defined in section 2907.01 of the Revised Code;
   • b. Verbal behavior that is sexually demeaning to the patient or may be reasonably interpreted by the patient as sexually demeaning.
3. A student shall not self-administer or otherwise take into the body any dangerous drug, as defined in section 4729.01 of the Revised Code, in any way not in accordance with a legal, valid prescription issued for the student.
4. A student shall not habitually indulge in the use of controlled substances, other habit-forming drugs, or alcohol or other chemical substances to an extent that impairs ability to practice.
5. A student shall not have impairment of the ability to practice according to acceptable and prevailing standards of safe nursing care because of habitual or excessive use of drugs, alcohol, or other chemical substances that impair the ability to practice.
6. A student shall not have impairment of the ability to practice according to acceptable and prevailing standards of safe nursing care because of a physical or mental disability.
7. A student shall not assault or cause harm to a patient or deprive a patient of the means to summon assistance.
8. A student shall not obtain or attempt to obtain money or anything of value by intentional misrepresentation or material deception in the course of practice.
9. A student shall not have been adjudicated by a probate court of being mentally ill or mentally incompetent, unless restored to competency by the court.
10. A student shall not aid and abet a person in that person’s practice of nursing without a license, practice as a dialysis technician without a certificate issued by the board, or administration of medications as a medication aide without a certificate issued by the board.
11. A student shall not prescribe any drug or device to perform or induce an abortion, or otherwise perform or induce an abortion.
12. A student shall not assist suicide as defined in section 3795.01 of the Revised Code.
13. A student shall not submit or cause to be submitted any false, misleading or deceptive statements, information, or document to the nursing program, its faculty or preceptors, or to the board.
14. A student shall maintain the confidentiality of patient information. The student shall communicate patient information with other members of the health care team for health care purposes only, shall access patient information only for purposes of patient care or for otherwise fulfilling the student’s assigned clinical responsibilities, and shall not disseminate patient information for purposes other than patient care or for otherwise fulfilling the student’s assigned clinical responsibilities through social media, texting, emailing or any other form of communication.
15. To the maximum extent feasible, identifiable patient health care information shall not be disclosed by a student unless the patient has consented to the disclosure of identifiable patient health care information. A student shall report individually identifiable patient information without written consent in limited circumstances only and in accordance with an authorized law, rule, or other recognized legal authority.
16. For purposes of paragraphs (C)(5), (C)(6), (C)(9), (C)(10), (C)(11) and (C)(12) of this rule, a student shall not use social media, texting, emailing, or other forms of communication with, or about a patient, for non-health care purposes or for purposes other than fulfilling the student’s assigned clinical responsibilities.