Mental Health Nursing Field Placement FAQs

You are eligible to apply for field placement if you have the following:

1. Successful completion of ALL required prerequisite(s) by the placement course start date.
2. Achieved a minimum Program GPA of 2.0.
3. Completed and approved placement paperwork by the posted deadline.

Note: You will be advised via email (sent to your DCMAIL.ca email address) and removed from the placement course if you have not met the above minimum criteria.

• All students wishing to apply for a field placement, must complete the placement request form.
• Placement requests are open approximately six weeks before the paperwork deadline, allowing students to begin submitting paperwork early.
• Some requirements may take longer to receive than anticipated. Students are strongly encouraged to begin collecting these requirements the semester before the placement is to begin.

The following are the documents required for the Mental Health Nursing placement:

• Mental Health Field Placement Host Application Form (available only during the posted application timeframe)
• Remote Work Health and Safety Pre-Placement Checklist (for remote and hybrid placements only, where the agency can support a remote format)
• Professional Resume
• Entry Immunization Form
• Criminal Reference Check with Vulnerable Sector Screening (valid within six months from the start of the placement term)
• Basic Cardiac Life Support Certificate (BCLS)
• Proof of current CNO Registration
• Current Mask Fit Test Results (Required only for students attending a hospital setting. Students attending a community agency will follow that agency's PPE requirements.)
• Student Declaration of Understanding
• Informed Consent for the Release of Personal Information
• Online Training Module Completion Certificates (accessed via PPL’s Paperwork Modules):
  • Workplace Hazardous Materials Information (WHMIS) Module Completion Certificate
  • Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities (AODA) Module Completion Certificate
  • Workplace Violence and Harassment Prevention Module Completion Certificate
  • Worker Health and Safety Awareness in 4 Steps Module Completion Certificate

Note: All placement paperwork must be uploaded to Synergy Gateway prior to the posted deadline.

• Students will upload their documents to Verified by Synergy Gateway.

• Students can access the Worker Health & Safety Awareness in 4 Steps, WHMIS, AODA and Workplace Violence and Harassment Prevention trainings via the DC Connect Paperwork modules.
• Students who have already completed these certificates for previous placements within their program are not required to complete the trainings again.
• Trainings from other sources are not accepted.

• Once the student completes the placement request form, the placement officer will complete an eligibility audit, and if eligible, will add the student to Synergy Gateway.
• Synergy Gateway will send login instructions to the student’s DCMail account.

Option 1: In-Person, Remote, or Hybrid

• Remote or hybrid options may be available with community agency partners (e.g., LTC, Correctional Services, Community Mental Health agencies, hospices, etc.).
• Remote placements can be secured at agencies anywhere in Ontario, provided the agency is willing/able to support this option and can meet the learning objectives and supervision requirements for each placement.
• Hospital placements are in-person placements only.

Option 2: Mental Health Nursing Capstone

• This online course is an alternative to the field placement option and includes a series of applied learning activities/assignments to consolidate learning across the program.
• No agency hours will be required; therefore, no paperwork is necessary.
• Students interested in the Capstone course may register and pay online via the PPL website.

• Web registration is not available for field placement courses.
• Students will be registered by the placement officer once the placement request has been submitted and the eligibility audit has been completed. The tuition fee will be added to your student account for payment before the course start date.
• If applicable, final grades from prerequisite courses from the previous semester must also be posted.

• Mental Health Nursing Practicum - 80 hours

• Students will arrange a mutually suitable schedule with the host agency/supervisor.
• When arranging their schedule, students must ensure they meet the required number of placement hours by the end date of the course.

• Students wishing to complete their placement in a hospital setting are not permitted to contact hospitals to arrange their own placements. The Field placement officer will secure a spot at an available site.
• Students wishing to complete their placement in long-term care facilities, corrections or an agency other than a hospital setting must contact their chosen agency to arrange their own placement and provide the information to the field placement officer.

• Students may find it necessary to make personal adjustments to work and/or family schedules in order to complete the field placement.
• Options to be considered are: leaves of absence, use of vacation time, extended work hours to free up hours for placement, etc.
• We recognize that such arrangements require a great deal of time and effort on the students (and their families) and applaud their commitment to the achievement of their goals.

• Nursing placements must be completed in the province of Ontario.

• Students in the Mental Health Nursing practicum must be supervised by an RN or RPN.

• Doing your placement where you work is a conflict of interest and is not permitted.
• However, students may have opportunities within their workplace to complete a placement in another department, under a different supervisor. Please contact the field placement officer for more information and whether this option applies to you.

• Students are not permitted to complete a placement experience where they have a relative or familial relationship with anyone with supervisory responsibility at the agency. This would be considered a conflict of interest.

• Field placements are unpaid learning opportunities, and therefore, students are not permitted to accept payment for the field placement experience.

Due to the limited availability of in-hospital placements, it can take a considerable amount of time to find available opportunities. Students may not be placed by the course start date and, in some cases, could be waiting weeks or even months for a preceptored placement opportunity to become available.

• Students may not be placed at the hospital of their choice due to these limitations and will be placed at the first available location in Durham Region or surrounding GTA.
• If students have location restrictions, this could greatly affect the time it takes to be cleared for placement, and it is encouraged for students to secure community placements instead.

• We encourage students to check DC Connect and your DCMAIL.ca account daily for updates and any important communication.
• Depending on your program and the type of agency you are to be placed with, securing and confirming a placement can take time.
• You will be contacted as soon as your agency has been confirmed and approved.

• No. Students must ensure that they have been officially cleared prior to beginning their hours at the host agency. Clearance will not occur prior to the start date for the placement course.

• Each student will receive official clearance via email to their DCMAIL.ca account only advising them of placement details and official clearance date.
• Students cannot start placement before official clearance is received.

• The Mental Health Nursing Practicum is eligible for PLAR.
• Please contact the PPL Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) coordinator for eligibility requirements and how to apply here: pplplar@durhamcollege.ca
• This program also offers the Mental Health Nursing Capstone Course as an alternative option to an in-person field placement. Students can register for the capstone course directly via the PPL Website.

• Please view the PPL Withdrawals & Refunds Page for details.
• Once registered, withdrawals are subject to a minimum $30 admin fee.