Does the COA have other requirements regarding student time spent in the clinical environment?

The 2004 Standards and PDS limit student time commitment to a reasonable number of hours that does not exceed 64 hours per week (ref. 2004 Standards – Standard V, Criterion E9 and PDS Standard F.9). This limitation is meant to support patient safety and promote effective student learning. The Glossary defines “reasonable time commitment” as the sum of the hours spent in class and all clinical hours averaged over 4 weeks. Students must have a 10 hour rest period between scheduled clinical duty periods (i.e., assigned continuous clinical hours). At no time may a student provide direct patient care for a period longer than 16 continuous hours.