Health & Life Sciences Program Philosophy and Professional Standards Guide

2024/25 | Conestoga College

Health & Life Sciences

Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning

Professionalism Overview

Expectations for all Health and Life Sciences Students

  • Students adhere to the published Standards of Conduct, Conestoga College's policies and procedures as well as this guide.
  • Students interact with peers, faculty, and the wider college community in a way that fosters trust, respect, collaboration, and innovation.
  • Students continually strive to improve the application of professional knowledge.
  • Students understand, uphold, and promote the ethical standards of the profession.
  • Students maintain competence while striving to improve the quality of their skill set.
  • Students protect the integrity of the Health and Life Sciences Programs and the College community by behaving and interacting in such a way that demonstrates respect and professionalism.
  • Students seek clarification from faculty/administration when unsure of any of these standards.
  • Students complete the course work with honesty and professional integrity. Students must submit original work which adheres to the standards of academic integrity and are not permitted to use artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT, to write assignments on their behalf.
  • Please note that most health care environments are now scent-free to accommodate clients with allergies. As you are preparing for a career in health care, and as we do have students with scent sensitivities, students may not wear colognes or perfumes to class.

Additional Expectations for Work-Integrated Learning, Placement, Co-op, Lab and Simulation Experiences

  • Attendance at work-integrated learning, placement, co-op, lab and simulation experiences provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate their ability to link theory to practice. Attendance is mandatory.
  • Absenteeism will jeopardize the successful completion of courses. Absence Verification may be required. Permission from the student's health care provider to return to placement may be requested.
  • Attendance hours are monitored for the purposes of program accreditation and for your evidence of practice for regulatory college registration, where applicable.
  • Students are required to attend the placements, labs and simulation experiences as assigned and scheduled. Assigned hours, particularly for placements, may include days, evenings and nights.
  • Students who are absent for the orientation to the agency will not be able to proceed in the placement and will be deemed unsatisfactory in the course.
  • Students are responsible for any expenses incurred, including travel costs, meals, lockers, keys, parking and uniforms.

In the event that a student violates the Student Rights and Responsibilities Policy, it will be dealt with according to the procedure outlined in the Student Rights and Responsibilities Procedure and/or the Discontinuance Procedure. This involves submitting a Student Rights and Responsibilities Reporting Form to the Student Rights and Responsibilities (SRR) office as outlined in the Students Rights and Responsibilities Procedure.

If a student's behaviour/conduct interferes with the learning process or in any way jeopardizes the safe environment of the classroom or clinical setting, the student will be required to leave the class, lab, simulation or placement. Inappropriate Behaviour or unsafe practices may require the removal of the student from the course prior to the end of the course. Consequently, the student will receive a failing grade for the course.

Continuing Education Programs

Program Standards for Professional Practice

In addition to the Student Expectations for all Health and Life Science Students above, students completing this certificate have the following obligations:
  1. Complete the learning objectives, tests, assignments and all other forms of student work, with honesty and professional integrity;
  2. Attend Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) experience as scheduled;
  3. Demonstrate ethical and professional behaviour while online and at WIL experience;
  4. Maintain the confidentiality of all online and WIL experiences.

Bachelor of Applied Health Information Science

Program Philosophy

Students are, "The embodiment of incredible possibilities. I see imaginatively what they might become if they choose. I may [by teaching] invite them to activate possibilities they may not have envisioned" (Jourard, 1971).

As Faculty, we believe that students deserve to be treated with respect. As a student, it is important that you understand that you are capable of success and that we want to help you to succeed.

We believe that adults benefit greatly from a safe, nurturing classroom and an instructor who truly cares about their success. Caring about student success means that instructors should acknowledge different learning styles and interests.

We understand that you are working hard to achieve your goal of becoming a health information and informatics professional. Because of this, we aim to engage you with material and skills that you can immediately relate to a job, an interest, or prior knowledge. As Faculty, we believe that if we are not pointing out connections to our learners, then it will be difficult to engage and motivate our students.

Conestoga College's Applied Health Information Science Program incorporates the above philosophy into our program by:
  • Accommodating individual situations, as appropriate for emerging adult learners
  • Encouraging and expecting students to develop behaviours necessary in the workforce and in the profession, including: responsibility for self and one's own actions, honesty, integrity, and punctuality
  • Designing courses and lab experiences to support students in constructing knowledge about the field of health information and informatics in meaningful ways
  • Providing a variety of learning experiences, and by using a variety of evaluation methods
  • Supporting the integration of theory and practice
  • Engaging students actively in their learning process
  • Recognizing and appreciating the different styles and approaches to learning that an emerging adult learner may use/exhibit (multiple intelligences)
  • Building on previous successes in order to enhance confidence of the student as a learner

Bachelor of Environmental Public Health

Program Philosophy

As faculty, we believe that students deserve to be treated with respect. As a student, it is important that you understand that you are capable of success, and that we want to help you to succeed.

We believe that adults benefit greatly from a safe, nurturing classroom and a teacher who truly cares about their success. Caring about student success means that teachers acknowledge different learning styles and interests.

Conestoga College's Environmental Public Health Program incorporates the above philosophy into our program by:
  • Accommodating individual situations, as appropriate for emerging adult learners.
  • Encouraging and expecting students to develop behaviours necessary in the workforce and in the profession, including: responsibility for self and one's own actions, honesty, integrity, and punctuality.
  • Designing courses and lab experiences to support students in constructing knowledge about the field of environmental public health in meaningful ways.
  • Providing a variety of learning experiences, and by using a variety of evaluation methods.
  • Supporting the integration of theory and practice.
  • Engaging students actively in their learning process.
  • Recognizing and appreciating the different styles and approaches to learning that an emerging adult learner may use/exhibit (multiple intelligences).
  • Building on previous successes in order to enhance confidence of the student as a learner.

Bachelor of Science - Nursing Honours Program

Program Philosophy

Primary Pillars of Conestoga College's Bachelor of Nursing Program

The curriculum is built upon four overarching pillars that form the foundation of our nursing practice and direction of this program's nursing education. These pillars appreciate and embrace the personhood of both nurses and those for whom we care. The four pillars are:

  1. Creating Equitable Access to Health & Wellbeing
  2. Appreciating and Appraising Diverse Sources of Information
  3. Fostering healthy relationships amongst ourselves, our colleagues, our clients, and our communities
  4. Valuing Social and Spatial Constructions of Health Equity 

Creating Equitable Access to Health & Wellbeing

Consistent with national nursing policies, the Bachelor of Science - Nursing (Honours) program supports the protection of health for our local and global communities. We believe that access to health is a situated privilege, and we support a rights-based approach to health. Thus, acknowledging barriers to health, including but not limited to lack of access to social determinants of health and oppressive socio-political policies, is the first step in creating positive health movement for our communities. We understand health as a socially and spatially constructed concept, one which is deeply rooted in embedded understandings and practices. We acknowledge the distinction between access to healthcare and access to health.

As health protectors, we take a systemic approach to address barriers to health. Barriers may be at the macro, meso, and micro levels. At the macro-level, for example, we value pro-health movement in provincial and national health policies. At the meso-level, we appreciate opportunities for community change-making. We believe that quality nursing leadership at the community and organizational levels can have a significant impact on healthy communities. Thus, our students practice leadership, communication, and management from day one in their program. At the micro-level, working with individuals and families, we appreciate that nurses are often the primary point-of-contact for health matters for many individuals, thus excellence in therapeutic communication, health assessment, and system knowledge is activated by deliberative practice in our program.

Appreciating and Appraising Diverse Sources of Information

The program takes a broad approach to evidence appraisal and application. In addition to empiric knowledge and the conceptualization of knowledge and knowledge lenses as described by Hartrick Doane and Varcoe (2021), we also appreciate other sources of knowing, including but not limited to, Indigenous knowing and information from legal and ethical sources. Hartrick Doane and Varcoe (2021) articulate that in relational inquiry, "we do not assume any knowledge is right or certain simply because it has been 'proven' in research and/or is the dominant way of thinking. Rather...relational inquiry explicitly considers the limitations and fallibility of any existing knowledge" (p. 7).

Conestoga's approach to nursing practice is one that is responsive to and appreciates the varied health needs of individuals and families, which includes an accountability for acquiring cultural, spiritual and race-based knowledge. Furthermore, because caring is socially situated, this accountability is a reflexive process that involves intentionally "questioning the reference points" that shape nursing choices and actions (Hartrick Doane & Varcoe, 2021, p. 14) and acknowledging how nursing practice is embedded in the social construction of power in relationships and discourse.

The pillar of Appreciating and Appraising Diverse Sources of Information is applied to decision-making processes at the organization level. Our learners develop competence in understanding registered nursing professional practice and how it shapes client outcomes.

Fostering Healthy Relationships Amongst Ourselves, Our Colleagues, Our Clients, And Our Communities

In health, the importance of relationships cannot be understated. Our curriculum is modeled on the development of healthy relationships that begins with a healthy relationship with self, supportive relationships amongst students and faculty, therapeutic relationships with our clients and respectful relationships with our communities.

Dr. Lisa-Anne Hagerman's work on self-compassion and how this construct supports compassionate practice deepens our understanding of how to foster relationally compassionate practice and student learning within the program (Hagerman, Manankil-Rankin & Schwind, 2020). Self-compassionate individuals experience positive psychological benefits such as happiness, optimism, emotional intelligence and resilience, as well as having a higher degree of social connectiveness, or the ability to form relationships with others (Hagerman, Manankil-Rankin, & Schwind, 2020). Healthy relationships in a nursing place of work are also of primordial importance. Nurse retention and patient safety is often compromised from a breakdown in or lack of a relationship between nurse, client and healthcare team members.

The contemporary work of Hartrick Doane and Varcoe (2007, 2015, 2021) significantly inspires our approach to teaching and learning. Relational Inquiry (Hartrick Doane & Varcoe, 2015) underpins the curricular framework. Consistent engagement in Relational Inquiry, Relational Orientation and the Five Cs of Compassionate Care (Hartrick Doane & Varcoe, 2021, p.124) support reflective practices.

Reflexivity and intentionality are two central constructs to relational inquiry. Reflexivity is defined as the process of "paying attention to who, how, and what you are being/doing/feeling/thinking in the moment (intrapersonal inquiry), being aware of and critically scrutinizing how you are relating to and with other people" (Hartrick Doane & Varcoe, 2015, p. 83).  Relationships and compassion for self and others are enhanced through the process of reflexivity and intentionality, the willingness to be open to moments of suffering and to be willing to act, and what it means to be a nurse (Hartrick Doane & Varcoe, 2007; Neff, 2003; Strauss et al., 2016).

Our program commits to the enactment of the TRCs Call to Action (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015) and aims to support reconciliation for First Nations Peoples and Communities. We demonstrate our commitment to the process of healthy relationships with First Nations Peoples and Communities, including reconciliation by including an appreciative framework of Indigenous knowledges in our curriculum, providing students and faculty with access to Indigenous health understandings and experiences, and appreciating the value of Indigenous students who are in our program. Furthermore, we recognize the Indigenous members in our greater community, including First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples and that the College and many of our partner sites lie on land that was promised to First Nations Peoples.

Valuing Social and Spatial Constructions of Health Equity

We are inspired by the concept of place-based approaches. We believe that place can be characterized in various ways, but it is always relationally situated. Health equity literature has clearly identified the requirement of place-based approaches to promote community health (Dankwa-Mullan & Perez-Stable, 2016). The Canadian Institute for Health information (CIHI, 2021) reiterates that health status and healthcare needs are impacted by where people live. Waterloo region is home to a diverse number of places including urban, suburban, and rural. It also has unique cultural groups including Old Order Mennonites, refugees, residents of Ontario's only women's federal prison, and individuals identifying as First Nations who not only reside in place, but who engage with and therefore change place. Additionally, frail elderly and people experiencing mental health challenges are very much present in our community. In our program, students practice resource and health management within different models of health care to assess place-based community health needs and resources, with a special emphasis on the needs of our rural communities. Acknowledging the health-place connection further deepens our learners' understanding of health equity.

We agree with Hartrick Doane and Varcoe (2015) that people live within a relational web (p. 17) and that conceptualizing relationally "begins with understanding that each person has unique personal, sociohistorical location that affects and shapes the person's identity experience, interpretations, and way of being in the world" (p. 15). There are community health benefits to "recognizing ... a mutually reinforcing and reciprocal relationship between people and place" (Cummins, et al., 2007, p. 1835). Cummins et al., further suggest that a relational approach to understanding place is essential to understand spatial connections to health. These contributions frame our conceptualization of what we refer to as "the social and spatial constructions of health" that underpin our approach to place-based care.

Graduate Outcomes

The College of Nurses of Ontario (2002) defines competence as the ability to use "knowledge, skill, judgment, attitudes, values and beliefs to perform in a given role, situation and practice setting" (p. 5). Clinical competence in nursing practice includes knowledge, skill, attitude and ability, with skill being the ability to use knowledge, gained over time through the process of practice, repetition and experience (Nabizadeh-Gharghozar, et al., 2021). Areas of nursing competency include assessment, intervention, knowledge integration, organization of care, evidence-based practice, technology, communication and documentation, patient-centred care, critical thinking, caring relationships, teamwork and collaboration, safety, leadership and management, and teaching. Competence impacts patient safety by improving the quality of care, impacts relationships with patients and team members, and contributes to quality of work-life (Nabizadeh-Gharghozar, et al., 2021).

In addition to clinical competence, the Bachelor of Science – Nursing (Honours) program at Conestoga College prepares graduates who 

  • Are deliberate in action and intention, based on systematic collection of important information
  • Value multiple types of information as a basis for nursing care – the social and spatial constructions of health – as an approach to reducing health disparities
  • Are connected to their communities and provide care that is responsive
  • Appreciate, adapt to and thrive amidst ever evolving societal health needs – within the context of available resources

References

Canadian Institute for Health Information (2021). Rural health care in Canada. https://www.cihi.ca/en/rural-health-care-in-canada

College of Nurses of Ontario (2002). Professional standards, revised. https://www.cno.org/globalassets/docs/prac/41006_profstds.pdf

Cummins, S., Curtis, S., Diez-Roux, A. V., & Macintyre, S. (2007). Understanding and representing 'place' in health research: A relational approach. Social Science & Medicine, 65(9), 1825–1838. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.05.036

Dankwa-Mullin, I., & Perez-Stable, E. (2016). Addressing health disparities is a place-based issue American Journal of Public Health, 106 (4), 637-639. https://doi.org/10.2105%2FAJPH.2016.303077

Hagerman, L. A., Manankil-Rankin, L., & Schwind, J. K. (2020). Self-compassion in undergraduate nursing: an integrative review. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1515/ijnes-2020-0021

Hartrick Doane, G. H., & Varcoe, C. (2015). How to nurse: Relational inquiry with individuals and families in changing health and health care contexts. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Hartrick Doane, G. H., & Varcoe, C. (2021). How to nurse: Relational inquiry in action (2nd ed.). Wolters Kluwer.

Hartrick Doane, G. H., & Varcoe, C. (2007). Relational practice and nursing obligations. Advances in Nursing Science, 30(3), 192-205. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.ans.0000286619.31398.fc

Nabizadeh-Gharghozar, Z, Alavi, N. M., & Ajorpaz, N.M. (2021). Clinical competence in nursing: a hybrid concept analysis. Nursing Education Today, 97, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2020.104728

Neff, K. D. (2003). Self-compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. Self and Identity, 2, 85-102.

Strauss, C., Taylor, B.L., Gu, J., Kuyken, W., Baer, R., Jones, F., & Cavanagh, K. (2016). What is compassion and how can we measure it? A review of definitions and measures. Clinical Psychology Review, 47,15 –27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2016.05.004

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (2015). Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to action. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/indigenous-people/aboriginal-peoples-documents/calls_to_action_english2.pdf

Professional Standards for Professional Practice

In addition to the Student Expectations for all Health and Life Science Students, each nursing student is responsible for ensuring that their practice and conduct meet legislative requirements as well as the College of Nurses of Ontario standards, guidelines, reference documents, fact sheets and code of conduct.

Each Student:

  • Is accountable and responsible for own actions;
  • Ensures practice is consistent with current legislation and the standards of practice as defined by the College of Nurses of Ontario;
  • Has the knowledge, skill and judgment for entry to practice.

Students are expected to work in partnership with their faculty and the teaching team to:

  • Fully engage in learning opportunities that enable students to acquire the knowledge, skills, and clinical experience needed to practice competently;
  • Evaluate the student's ability to meet the required learning outcomes for each course experience.

Biotechnology Programs

Program Philosophy

We believe that students deserve to be treated with respect. As a student, it is important that you understand that you are capable of success, and that we want to help you to succeed.

We believe that adults benefit greatly from a safe classroom, where everyone is respected, and a teacher who truly cares about their success. Caring about student success means that teachers should acknowledge different learning styles and interests.

We understand that you are working hard to achieve your goal of becoming a biotechnology professional. Because of this, we aim to engage you with material and skills that you can immediately relate to a job, an interest, or prior knowledge. As faculty, we believe that if we are not pointing out connections to our learners, then it will be difficult to engage and motivate our students.

Conestoga College's Biotechnology Programs incorporate the above philosophy into our programs by:
  1.  Accommodating individual situations, as appropriate for emerging adult learners;
  2.  Encouraging and expecting students to develop behaviours necessary in the workforce and in the Biotechnology profession, including: responsibility for self and one's own actions, honesty, integrity, and punctuality;
  3.  Designing courses and lab experiences to support students in constructing knowledge about the field of Biotechnology/Life Sciences in meaningful ways;
  4.  Providing a variety of learning experiences, and by using a variety of evaluation methods;
  5.  Supporting the integration of theory and practice;
  6.  Engaging students actively in their learning process;
  7.  Recognizing and appreciating the different styles and approaches to learning that an emerging adult learner may use/exhibit (multiple intelligences);
  8.  Building on previous successes in order to enhance confidence of the student as a learner;
  9.  Introduction and engagement into the diverse themes of the profession.

Laboratory Absence Standards

Repeated laboratory absences are unacceptable. The program is a skills-based program and without attendance in lab an individual cannot develop the hands-on competencies required to proceed through the program. If an individual is regularly absent from laboratory sessions (regardless of whether absences are for the same course, or span across several courses), this will result in a formal meeting with the Program Coordinator and Program Chair and could jeopardize an individual’s ability to receive a course credit regardless of their ability to achieve a passing grade in the course. 

Missing 25% or more of lab periods in a course puts you in jeopardy of failing to meet the course standards. It is expected that those who are ill will follow proper procedure (as outlined above) to report their absence, and for these students, considerations will be made as to how to ensure course standards are met. However, any student who skips a lab, or chooses not to attend for an invalid reason, must recognize that course completion rests not only on final grades but on the completion of course competencies. Lab absences will result in failing to meet the required laboratory skill standards of a given course and could result in a student not earning the course credit. 

Enhanced Professional Practice for Internationally Trained Nurses

Program Standards for Professional Practice

Each EPIEN student "is responsible for ensuring that their practice and conduct meet legislative requirements and the standards of the nursing profession" - College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) Professional Standards.

Each Student:
  • Is accountable and responsible for own actions;
  • Ensures practice is consistent with current legislation and the standards of practice as defined by the College of Nurses of Ontario;
  • Has the knowledge, skill and judgment for entry to practice.
Students are expected to work in partnership with their Faculty Clinical Team members to:
  • Provide learning opportunities for the nursing student to enable them to acquire the knowledge, skills, and clinical experience needed to practice;
  • Evaluate the nursing student's ability to meet the required learning outcomes for each course experience.

Fitness and Health Promotion

Program Philosophy

The fundamental responsibility of a student is to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to be a competent practitioner upon graduation. As students preparing to become fitness and health promotion practitioners, it is imperative that your behaviours and attitudes reflect the professional, ethical standards that are embraced by your chosen profession. We believe that a value system incorporating high moral and ethical integrity is of vital importance and regard the absence of such values as critical and dangerous to practice. We believe integrity to be a quality that includes sound moral principles, sincerity, honesty and self-respect.

It is the expectation of all students, Faculty, and administration that fitness and health promotion practitioners will incorporate and function within the Standards of Conduct for Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning.

The job market in the field of fitness and health promotion is changing as it is in most human services. The growing demand and need for the provision of fitness, leisure and health promotion services in our complex society has imposed increased responsibilities on agencies and individuals responsible for service delivery.

The increasing emphasis on lifestyle modification through fitness and health promotion and the growing private sector opportunities in both community services and specific corporate services are current examples of these changes. The need for educated and well trained fitness professionals is upon us.

Graduates of the Fitness and Health Promotion Program are skilled in identifying needs in the community while also designing programs for individuals and groups to meet a wide range of objectives and goals. Being faced with the task of creating or adapting programs requires special knowledge and skills in program administration and business practices, an awareness of community resources in general, and the ability to communicate effectively with managers, boards, committees and funding agencies.

Fitness and health promotion professionals are qualified consultants working within the fitness and lifestyle industry, equipped with the skills to provide assessment, counselling, exercise prescription and leadership services that require keen motivational, technical and organizational abilities. Along with strong interpersonal and communication skills, the practical and administrational skills of graduates are recognized by the industry and are paramount in the provision and management of safe, effective fitness and health programs. Graduates plan, promote, and deliver a wide range of services including activity and educational programs, which enhance the health and fitness of individuals in many diverse settings. The concept of wellness, especially the relationship between active living and well-being, is an integral part of a graduate's learning. Additional skills include operation/management of fitness facilities, program administration and promotion, fitness testing procedures, planning/conducting physical exercise programs, designing, implementing and evaluating health promotion interventions, identification and management of safety and injury issues, and adaptability and flexibility in servicing diverse populations from both profit and non-profit sectors.

Graduates may find employment in the retail fitness industry in a variety of settings including private fitness and health clubs, YMCA/YWCA, corporate recreation and health programs. Graduates may also find employment with community institutions for special populations, hospitals, municipal recreation departments, and private health consulting firms. In addition, graduates may choose to become consultants or business entrepreneurs. They are prepared to meet the multi-dimensional demands of a growing market in fitness and health promotion.

*Adapted from Vocational Standards, Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU), Fitness and Health Promotion Program Standards, May 2020.

Our Beliefs Applied to the Fitness and Health Promotion Program

We believe that Conestoga College's Fitness and Health Promotion Program incorporates the above philosophy into our preparation program by:
  • Accommodating individual situations, as appropriate for emerging adult learners, encouraging and expecting students to develop behaviours necessary in the workforce and in the Fitness and Health Promotion profession, including self-reflection, responsibility for self and own actions, honesty, integrity, and punctuality.
  • Designing courses and experiences to support students in constructing knowledge about exercise science and health promotion in meaningful ways.
  • Modeling a variety of teaching styles, providing a variety of learning experiences, and by using a variety of evaluation methods.
  • Modeling communication and problem-solving skills as well as professional behaviours and attitudes required of fitness and health promotion educators.
  • Supporting the integration of theory and practice.
  • Providing students with opportunities to connect theory and its application in combination with practical experience.
  • Facilitating students' understanding to enable them to "make sense" of their practical experiences in view of theory.
  • Engaging students actively in their learning process, recognizing and appreciating the different styles and approaches to learning that an emerging adult learner may use/exhibit (multiple intelligences).
  • Building on previous successes in order to enhance confidence of the student as a learner, supporting students as they develop their professional philosophy of fitness and health promotion.
  • Mentoring students as they proceed through their journey of becoming a fitness and health promotion practitioner in both the classroom and through their field placement experiences.
  • Offering general knowledge and generic skills, in addition to specific vocational skills, and endeavoring to support the fitness field and the local community, believing that learning is life-long, and that fitness and health promotion practitioners play a vital role in our society.

Program Standards for Professional Practice

The Fitness and Health Promotion Program provides both academic study and practical training to prepare students for careers in working with a variety of populations. Throughout the program, students are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and to apply themselves to academic achievement. Professionals function in an independent and interdependent environment. The fundamental responsibility of a student is to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to be a competent fitness and health promotion practitioner upon graduation. As students preparing to become professionals, it is imperative that behaviours and attitudes reflect standards that are endorsed by Conestoga College and your chosen profession. As a Conestoga College Fitness and Health Promotion student, there are three areas of conduct you are expected to follow; Academic Conduct, Professional Conduct, and Social/Behavioural Conduct.

As a student of Conestoga College, you are a member of the College community and as such you have received a Conestoga Student Guide that includes Student Rights and Student Responsibilities. It is essential that you review this section and familiarize yourself with these responsibilities. It is expected that your conduct as a student will be reflective of the responsibilities listed. If you have any questions regarding any of them, please contact your Program Coordinator.

In additon to the Student Expectations for all Health and Life Science Students above, Fitness and Health Promotion students have the following obligations:
  1.  Complete the learning objectives, tests, assignments and all other forms of student work, with honesty and professional integrity.
  2.  Attend class, and field placement as scheduled.
  3.  Actively engage in classroom learning processes.
  4.  Demonstrate ethical and professional behaviour while attending class, and field placement.
  5.  Protect the integrity of the Program and the College.
  6.  Maintain the confidentiality of all classroom and field placement experiences, including use of any form of social media, and seek clarification from Faculty/administration when unsure of any of these standards.
As a Fitness and Health Promotion student, please note that all expectations referred to above and found in the Academic Handbook, Conestoga Policy and Procedure and this guide apply equally to field placement experiences and to all work/activities related to field placement experiences as they relate to clients and staff, their person and/or property.

Hearing Instrumentation Specialist

Program Philosophy

Students are, "the embodiment of incredible possibilities. I see imaginatively what they might become if they choose. I may [by teaching] invite them to activate possibilities they may not have envisioned" (Jourard, 1971).

As adult learners with the goal of entering autonomous clinical practice as a Hearing Instrument Specialist, it is important that you take responsibility for your own learning in the Program. As Faculty, we believe that students deserve to be treated with respect and that it is our role to support you in your learning journey. As a student, it is important that you understand that you are capable of success and that we want to help you to succeed.

We believe that adults benefit greatly from a safe, nurturing classroom and an instructor who truly cares about their success. Caring about student success means that instructors should acknowledge different learning styles and interests.

We understand that you are working hard to achieve your goal of preparing to enter a healthcare setting. Because of this, we aim to engage you with knowledge and skills that you will be able to apply in your future program. As Faculty, we believe that if we are not pointing out connections to our learners, then it will be difficult to engage and motivate our students.

Conestoga College's Hearing Instrument Specialist Program incorporates the above philosophy into our program by:
  •  Accommodating individual situations, as appropriate for emerging adult learners,
  •  Encouraging and expecting students to develop behaviours necessary in a professional educational setting, including responsibility for self and one's own actions, honesty, integrity, and punctuality,
  •  Designing courses, lab and simulation​ experiences to support students in obtaining the skills necessary to succeed in future programs,
  •  Providing a variety of learning experiences, and using a variety of evaluation methods,
  •  Incorporating simulated experiences to create a real-life learning environment,
  •  Engaging students actively in their learning process,
  •  Recognizing and appreciating the different styles and approaches to learning that an emerging adult learner may use/exhibit (multiple intelligences),

  •  Building on previous successes in order to enhance confidence of the student as a learner.

Massage Therapy

Program Philosophy

The fundamental responsibility of a student in health sciences is to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to be a competent health care professional upon graduation. As a student preparing to become a health care professional, it is imperative that your behaviours and attitudes reflect the professional, ethical standards that are embraced by your chosen profession. We believe that a value system incorporating high moral and ethical integrity is of vital importance.

It is expected that all Massage Therapy students, faculty, and administration will function within the Standards of Conduct and Professional Practice for the Massage Therapy Program at Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning.

Program Standards for Professional Practice​

The Massage Therapy Program provides academic study and practical training to prepare students for careers working in the health care field. Throughout the program, students are expected to conduct themselves professionally and apply themselves to their learning. Professionals function in an independent and interdependent environment. The fundamental responsibility of a student is to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to be a competent Massage Therapist upon graduation. As students preparing to become professionals, it is imperative that behaviours and attitudes reflect standards that Conestoga College and your chosen profession endorse. As a Conestoga College student, there are three areas of conduct you are expected to follow; Academic Conduct, Professional Conduct, and Social/Behavioural Conduct.

As a student at Conestoga College, you are a member of the College community and as such you have received a Conestoga Student Guide that includes Student Rights and Student Responsibilities. It is essential that you review this section and familiarize yourself with these responsibilities. It is expected that your conduct as a student will be reflective of the responsibilities listed. If you have any questions regarding any of them, please contact your Program Coordinator.

In additon to the Student Expectations for all Health and Life Science Students above, Massage Therapy students have the following obligations:
  1. Students are required to provide, facilitate, and promote the best possible professional services. The Massage Therapist responds to the needs of patients in a way that fosters trust, respect, collaboration, and innovation.
  2. Students possess and continually acquire knowledge relevant to the professional service that they provide.
  3. Students maintain competence while striving to improve the quality of their dimension of practice.
  4. Students are accountable to the public and responsible for ensuring that their practice and conduct meet legislative requirements and the standards of the profession.
  5. Students may not post pictures/videos taken within labs, classrooms or at outside program functions in the public domain, without express written permission of the individuals involved, and the Program Coordinator.
  6. Students have the responsibility and are accountable for safe and appropriate use of all lab supplies and equipment. Damaged equipment should be removed from service and reported immediately to the Program Coordinator.

Medical Laboratory Programs

Program Philosophy

Excellence in Medical Laboratory Science

The fundamental responsibility in health sciences is to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to be a competent caregiver upon graduation. As students prepare to become healthcare professionals, their behaviours and attitudes must reflect their chosen profession's professional and ethical standards. As educators and health professionals, we believe that students deserve to be treated with respect, and as a student, it is important that you understand that you are capable of success.
We understand that you are working hard to achieve your goal of becoming a medical laboratory technologist. Because of this, we aim to engage you with material and skills that directly respond to the national occupational profile of your chosen profession so that you can immediately relate to a career, an interest, or prior knowledge. We believe that adults benefit greatly from a safe, nurturing classroom and an educator who truly cares about their success. Caring about student success means that educators acknowledge different learning approaches and interests, and we believe it will be difficult to engage and motivate our students if we are not pointing out real-world connections to our learners.

Conestoga College's Medical Laboratory Programs incorporates the above philosophy into our program by:
  • Accommodating individual situations, as appropriate for emerging adult learners;
  • Encouraging students to develop behaviours necessary in the workforce and the Medical Laboratory profession, including responsibility for self and one's actions, honesty, integrity, and punctuality;
  • Adhering to the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Sciences Code of Professional Conduct;
  • Designing courses and lab experiences to support students in obtaining the required competencies for practice as an entry-level Medical Laboratory Technologist;
  • Providing a variety of learning experiences and using a variety of evaluation methods;
  • Supporting the integration of theory and practice;
  • Engaging students actively in their learning process;
  • Building on previous successes to enhance the student's confidence as a learner.

Medical Laboratory Absence Standards

  1.  Repeated laboratory absences are unacceptable. The Medical Laboratory programs are skills-based, and without laboratory attendance, an individual cannot develop the hands-on competencies required to proceed through the program. Students must make up 100% of the course lab session to the satisfaction of the course instructor to receive a passing grade in any core medical laboratory science course. Those who are ill are expected to follow proper procedure (as outlined above) to report their absence, and for these students, considerations will be made as to how to ensure course standards are met.  
  2.  If an individual is regularly absent from laboratory sessions (regardless of whether absences are for the same course or span across several courses), this will result in a formal meeting with the program coordinator and program chair and could jeopardize an individual’s ability to receive a course credit regardless of their ability to achieve a passing grade in the course. 
  3.  To be eligible to write the Final Exam (including Supplemental if eligible) and receive a passing grade in a course that contains a laboratory session, students must complete all scheduled laboratory sessions in that course to the satisfaction of the course instructor. Students who miss one or more laboratory sessions due to extenuating circumstances may be granted an opportunity to complete the session(s) at an alternate time. 
  4.  An absence from a laboratory period is only considered valid if the reason for the absence is one of the reasons listed in the above acceptable reasons for absence section and if the proper procedure for reporting the absence is followed.

Nutrition and Food Service Management

Program Philosophy

The fundamental responsibility of a student in health sciences is to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to be a competent caregiver upon graduation. As a student preparing to become a health care professional, it is imperative that your behaviours and attitudes reflect the professional and ethical standards that are embraced by your chosen profession. We believe that a value system incorporating high moral and ethical integrity is of vital importance and regard the absence of such values as critical and dangerous to practice. We believe integrity to be a quality that includes sound moral principles, sincerity, honesty and self-respect.

It is expected that all students, faculty, and administration will function within the Standards of Conduct and Professional Practice for the Nutrition and Food Service Management Program at Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning.

Program Standards for Professional Practice

The School of Health & Life Sciences has been given the mandate to prepare Nutrition and Food Service Management professionals. The Province of Ontario expects the College to graduate Nutrition and Food Service Management professionals who meet the standards that have been established for the profession. Conestoga College Student Guide, Standards of Conduct stipulates college expectations that are to be applied to all programs.

Nutrition and Food Service Management professionals function in independent and inter-dependent environments. It is the direct responsibility of a student to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to be a competent nutrition and food service management professional upon graduation. In the nutrition and food service management industry, professionals may often provide care to clients and patients in an independent nature, without direct supervision. There is implicit trust by the care recipient that the professional is an ethical, moral, and competent person. 

As a student of Conestoga College, you are a member of the College community and as such you have received a Conestoga Student Guide that includes Student Rights and Student Responsibilities. It is essential that you review this section and familiarize yourself with these responsibilities. It is expected that your conduct as a student will be reflective of the responsibilities listed. If you have any questions regarding any of them, please contact your Program Coordinator.

It is the expectation of all students, faculty, and administration of Conestoga College that we, as health care practitioners, will incorporate and function within the guidelines of these professional standards of ethical practice.

In additon to the Student Expectations for all Health and Life Science Students above, Nutrition and Food Service Management students have the following obligations:
  1.  Complete the learning objectives, tests, assignments and all other forms of student work, with honesty and professional integrity,
  2.  Attend class and field placement as scheduled,
  3.  Actively engage in classroom learning processes
  4.  Demonstrate ethical and professional behaviour while attending class, and field placement,
  5.  Protect the integrity of the program and the college
  6.  Maintain the confidentiality of all classroom and field placement experiences, including use of any form of social media, and seek clarification from Faculty/administration when unsure of any of these standards.
As a Nutrition and Food Service Management student, please note that all expectations referred to above and found in the Academic Handbook, Conestoga Policy and Procedure and this guide apply equally to field placement experiences and to all work/activities related to field placement experiences as they relate to patients, families, and staff, their person and/or property. 

Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant

Program Standards for Professional Practice

Conestoga College School of Health & Life Sciences has been given the mandate to prepare OTA & PTAs. The Province of Ontario expects the college to graduate OTA & PTAs who meet the standards that have been established for the profession. Conestoga College Student Guide, Standards of Conduct stipulates college expectations that are to be applied to all programs.

OTA & PTAs function in an independent and inter-dependent environment. The majority of the time, the practitioner's involvement of care at the recipient's side is of an independent nature when direct supervision of an action is not possible. The client has implicit trust that the OTA & PTA is an ethical, moral and competent person.

As a student of Conestoga College, you are a member of the College community and as such you have received a Conestoga Student Guide that includes Student Rights and Student Responsibilities. It is essential that you review this section and familiarize yourself with these responsibilities. It is expected that your conduct as a student will be reflective of the responsibilities listed. If you have any questions regarding any of them, please contact your Program Coordinator.

It is the expectation of all students, Faculty, and administration of Conestoga College that we, as health care practitioners, will incorporate and function within the guidelines of these professional standards of ethical practice.

In additon to the Student Expectations for all Health and Life Science Students above, OTA & PTA students have the following obligations:
  1.  Complete the learning objectives, tests, assignments and all other forms of student work, with honesty and professional integrity;
  2.  Attend class and field placement as scheduled;
  3.  Actively engage in classroom learning processes;
  4.  Demonstrate ethical and professional behaviour while attending class, and field placement;
  5.  Protect the integrity of the program and the college;

  6.  Maintain the confidentiality of all classroom and field placement experiences, including the use of any form of social media, and seek clarification from faculty/administration when unsure of any of these standards.

As an OTA & PTA student, please note that all expectations referred to above and found in the Academic Handbook, Conestoga Policy and Procedure and this guide apply equally to clinical placement experiences and all work/activities related to clinical placement experiences as they relate to patients, families, and staff, their person and/or property.

Practical Nursing Program

Program Philosophy

The Program Philosophy is about caring in context. The organizing themes of Nursing, Professionalism & Inter-professional Practice, Caring & Relational Practices and corresponding capabilities will provide graduates with the competencies necessary to perform in their expanding role as Registered Practical Nurses.

Nursing

The practice of nursing is the promotion of health and the assessment of, the provision of, care for, and the treatment of, health conditions by supportive, preventive, therapeutic, palliative and rehabilitative means in order to attain or maintain optimal function (Nursing Act, 1991).

The foundational knowledge for practical nursing is based on scientific theory from nursing, the physical and psychosocial sciences and humanities. Practical nurses integrate multiple ways of knowing in the provision of care including; aesthetics, empirics, ethics, personal and socio-political.

Health is a holistic experience determined by the complex interaction of psychosocial, economic and environmental factors and the individual. Health care and promotion are facilitated by qualified, professional care providers in relationships that promote trust and empowerment. People are individuals, families, groups and communities from a variety of backgrounds and diverse life experiences.

Professionalism and Inter-professional Practice

Practical nursing is a professional practice discipline. As responsible and accountable professionals, practical nurses make use of self-reflection to ensure their practice and conduct meets legislative requirements and the standards of the profession. Care decisions are made within a legal, moral and ethical framework established by the regulating bodies and associations.

Practical nurses work in collaboration and partnership with clients, families and other members of the health care team. As vital, contributing members of the health care team, practical nurses are prepared to assume many different roles including leadership. Continuous quality improvement is a natural outcome of team reflection and collaboration with the aim of improving health outcomes. Practical nurses influence the evolution of health care by being politically astute, knowledgeable of the health care environment, willing to manage change and drive efforts for social action.

Caring and Relational Practices

Caring is central to the practice of nursing (Watson, 1979).  A caring relationship is one that recognizes the needs of the client and contributes to their well-being first and foremost. The relationship recognizes that clients are the experts in the best position to make decisions about their lives when they are active, informed participants in the care process. Communication is practiced within caring relationships that demonstrate respect for individual diversity and autonomy.

Practical Nurses are health care professionals. They combine nursing skills, knowledge and judgment and are experts of nursing care at the bedside. Practical Nurses work anywhere that health care is provided. 
Relational practice encompasses the therapeutic nurse-client relationship and relationships among health care providers. It is guided by the conscious utilization of relational skills including listening, questioning, empathy, mutuality, reciprocity, self-observation, reflection and a sensitivity to emotional contexts (Ministry of Colleges and Universities).

Practical nurses are information managers and as such information and computer technologies are utilized as essential components of safe and effective health care.

Philosophy of Education

The practical nursing program uses a learner-centered approach that encourages the personal and professional development of practical nursing students. Learning how to learn in a life-long process of continued growth is promoted.

Transformative nursing education is achieved by creating environments and relationships where learning can be created and mastered. Learning in context provides the opportunity to gain knowledge and insight from real-life situations in communities of practice.


Program Standards for Professional Practice​

In additon to the Student Expectations for all Health and Life Science Students above, each Practical Nursing student "is responsible for ensuring that their practice and conduct meet legislative requirements and the standards of the Practical Nursing profession" - College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) Professional Standards.

Each Student:
  • Is accountable and responsible for own actions;
  • Ensures practice is consistent with current legislation and the standards of practice as defined by the College of Nurses of Ontario;
  • Has the knowledge, skill and judgment for entry to practice.
Students are expected to work in partnership with their Faculty Clinical Team members to:
  • Provide learning opportunities for the practical nursing student to enable them to acquire the knowledge, skills, and clinical experience needed to practice;
  • Evaluate the practical nursing student's ability to meet the required learning outcomes for each course experience.

Primary Care Paramedic

Program Philosophy

The fundamental responsibility of a student in health sciences is to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to be a competent caregiver upon graduation. As a student preparing to become a health care professional, it is imperative that your behaviours and attitudes reflect the professional, ethical standards that are embraced by your chosen profession. We believe that a value system incorporating high moral and ethical integrity is of vital importance.

It is expected that all Primary Care Paramedic students, faculty, and administration will function within the Standards of Conduct and Professional Practice for the Primary Care Paramedic Program (PCP) at Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning.

Program Standards for Professional Practice​

The Primary Care Paramedic Program provides academic study and practical training to prepare students for careers working in the health care field. Throughout the program, students are expected to conduct themselves professionally and apply themselves to their learning. Professionals function in an independent and interdependent environment. The fundamental responsibility of a student is to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to be a competent Primary Care Paramedic upon graduation. As students preparing to become professionals, it is imperative that behaviours and attitudes reflect standards that Conestoga College and your chosen profession endorse. As a Conestoga College Primary Care Paramedic student, there are four areas of conduct you are expected to follow; Attendance and engagement, Academic Conduct, Professional Conduct, and Social/Behavioural Conduct.

As a student at Conestoga College, you are a member of the College community and as such you have received a Conestoga Student Guide that includes Student Rights and Student Responsibilities. It is essential that you review this section and familiarize yourself with these responsibilities. It is expected that your conduct as a student will be reflective of the responsibilities listed. If you have any questions regarding any of them, please contact your Program Coordinator.

In additon to the Student Expectations for all Health and Life Science Students above, Primary Care Paramedic students have the following obligations:
  1. Students are required to provide, facilitate, and promote the best possible professional services. The Primary Care Paramedic responds to the needs of patients in a way that fosters trust, respect, collaboration, and innovation.
  2. Students possess and continually acquire knowledge relevant to the professional service that they provide.
  3. Students maintain competence while striving to improve the quality of their dimension of practice.
  4. Students are accountable to the public and responsible for ensuring that their practice and conduct meet legislative requirements and the standards of the profession.
  5. Students may not post pictures/videos taken within labs, classrooms or at outside program functions in the public domain, without express written permission of the individuals involved, and the Program Coordinator.
  6. Students have the responsibility and are accountable for safe and appropriate use of all lab supplies and Paramedic equipment. Damaged equipment should be removed from service and reported immediately to the Program Coordinator.

Lab Classes and Lift Circuit Attendance Standards

Students that have indicated they are injured and/or cannot complete lift class will be expected to submit a medical practitioner document indicating the injury and inability to participate in lift class, lab class or both, inclusive of scheduled evaluations. Once the injury has healed, the student must submit a medical practitioner document outlining clearance to resume lift and/or lab activities.  These documents are submitted to the Program coordinator and stored in the individual student file.

Injuries or an inability to participate in lab class or lift circuit activities will result in a hold from Field Practicum Placements until medical clearance from the injury has been received.  Faculty have the discretion to evaluate student (physical strength, clinical aptitude) readiness for Field Practicum placements as needed.

Pre-health Programs

Program Philosophy

Students are, "the embodiment of incredible possibilities. I see imaginatively what they might become if they choose. I may [by teaching] invite them to activate possibilities they may not have envisioned" (Jourard, 1971).

As faculty, we believe that students deserve to be treated with respect. As a student, it is important that you understand that you are capable of success, and that we want to help you succeed.

We believe that adults benefit greatly from a safe, nurturing classroom and professors who truly care about their success. Caring about student success means that professors​ should acknowledge different learning styles and interests.

We understand that you are working hard to achieve your goal of preparing to enter a healthcare career program. Because of this, we aim to engage you with knowledge and skills that you will be able to apply in your future program. As faculty, we believe that if we are not pointing out connections to our learners, then it will be difficult to engage and motivate our students.

Conestoga College's Pre-Health Sciences Pathway Programs incorporate the above philosophy into our programs by:
  • Accommodating individual situations, as appropriate for emerging adult learners.
  • Encouraging and expecting students to develop behaviours necessary in a professional educational setting, including: responsibility for self and one's own actions, honesty, integrity, and punctuality.
  • Designing courses and lab experiences to support students in obtaining the skills necessary to succeed in future programs.
  • Providing a variety of learning experiences, and using a variety of evaluation methods.
  • Engaging students actively in their learning process.
  • Recognizing and appreciating the different styles and approaches to learning that an emerging adult learner may use/exhibit (multiple intelligences).
  • Building on previous successes in order to enhance confidence of the student as a learner.

Personal Support Worker

Program Philosophy

The philosophy of personal supportive care is based on the belief that the individual client and their family are unique individuals with unique experiences. Each individual and family have basic needs and the potential to meet their basic needs. However, at times, assistance may be required to meet their basic needs because of age, environmental and health-related factors and this is where our role is key as personal Support Workers and Supportive Care Providers

Values/Beliefs that Guide the PSW and Supportive Care Program Curriculum

Our Beliefs about Those Receiving Supportive Care

We believe that:
  •  The PSW/Supportive Care Provider provides quality supportive care for individual clients and/or families throughout the lifespan and at various levels of health and wellness, utilizing a holistic approach.
  •  The PSW/Supportive Care Provider recognizes the interrelatedness of the physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being of the individual and stressing optimum functional restoration.
  •  The individual client's right to respect, dignity, confidentiality, cultural integrity, independence, well-being, choice, and self-determination are supported and promoted by the PSW/Supportive Care Provider to enhance the quality of life throughout the life cycle.

Our Beliefs about Those Who Care for Individuals Requiring Supportive Care

We believe that:
  • The PSW/Supportive Care Provider is a valued contributing member of the interdisciplinary health care team and works under the direction of registered and or designated personnel, and in partnership with clients and/or their families, in institutional and/or home care environments. An atmosphere of mutual respect between all individuals is promoted.
  •  The PSW/Supportive Care Provider learns in an environment that enhances personal and educational growth. Principles of adult education guide the teaching-learning process. Students accept responsibility for their learning, and the program team facilitates achievement of the student's learning needs.
  • Legal, moral and ethical guidelines govern the practice of the PSW and Supportive Care Provider.
  • The PSW/Supportive Care Provider recognizes that they will function in a continually changing society and health care system, which reflects an increasingly aging and diverse population.

Our Beliefs Applied to the PSW and Supportive Care Program

We believe that Conestoga College's PSW and Supportive Care program incorporates the above philosophy into our program by:
  • Designing courses and experiences to support students in constructing knowledge about supportive care in meaningful ways.
  • Modeling a variety of teaching styles, providing a variety of learning and practice experiences, and by using a variety of evaluation methods.
  • Modeling communication and problem-solving skills as well as professional behaviours and attitudes required of Personal Support Workers and Supportive Care Providers.
  • Supporting the integration of theory and practice by providing students with opportunities to connect theory and its application in combination with practical experience.
  • Facilitating students' understanding to enable them to "make sense" of their practical experiences in view of theory.
  • Engaging students actively in their learning process.
  • Recognizing and appreciating the different styles and approaches to learning that an emerging adult learner may use/exhibit (multiple intelligences).
  • Building on previous successes to enhance confidence of the student as a learner.
  • Supporting students as they develop their professional philosophy.
  • Mentoring students as they proceed through their journey of becoming a PSW and Supportive Care Provider in both the classroom, lab and through their field experiences.
  • Offering general knowledge and generic skills, in addition to specific vocational skills.
  • Endeavouring to support the PSW and Supportive Care field and the local community, believing that learning is life-long, and that Personal Support Workers and Supportive Care Providers play a vital role in our society.

Our Beliefs about the Experiential Learning Experience

Experiential learning experiences provide:
  • Students with opportunity to develop skills to apply in a clinical field placement;
  • Students with opportunity to work with a team who support, evaluate, and mentor them as they work to acquire the skills and attitudes necessary of a PSW/Supportive Care Provider;
  • An environment where the teaching/learning team and students work together to implement and evaluate new skills necessary to work in the health care field as a PSW/​Supportive Care Provider.

Program Standards for Professional Practice

In additon to the Student Expectations for all Health and Life Science Students above, PSW and Supportive Care students have the following obligations:
  1. Complete the learning objectives, tests, assignments and all other forms of student work, with honesty and professional integrity;
  2. Attend class, lab and clinical field experience as scheduled;
  3. Actively engage in classroom, lab, and clinical learning processes;
  4. Demonstrate ethical and professional behaviour while attending class, lab and field experience; protect the integrity of the Program and the college;
  5. Complete the Conestoga 101 Mandatory Orientation module
  6. Maintain the confidentiality of all classroom, lab, and clinical field experiences, including use of any form of social media, and;
  7. Seek clarification from program team members/administration when unsure of any of these standards.
A PSW and Supportive Care student needs to:
  • Contribute to positive team functioning and support colleagues;
  • Conduct oneself in a way which promotes respect for the PSW and Supportive Care roles
If a student's behaviour/conduct interferes with the learning process or in any way jeopardizes the safe environment of the classroom, lab or clinical setting, the student will be required to leave the class lab or clinical session.

"Inappropriate Behavior" or unsafe practices may require the withdrawal of the student from the course prior to the end of the course.  Consequently, the student will receive a failing grade for the course.

Respiratory Therapy

Program Philosophy

The fundamental responsibility of a student in health sciences is to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to be a competent caregiver upon graduation. As a student is preparing to become a health care professional, it is imperative that their behaviours and attitudes reflect the professional, ethical standards that are embraced by their chosen profession. We believe that a value system incorporating high moral and ethical integrity is of vital importance.

It is expected that all respiratory therapy students, faculty, and administration will function within the Standards of Conduct and Professional Practice for the Respiratory Therapy Program at Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. The Standards of Conduct and Professional Practice can be found in this handbook.


Program Standards for Professional Practice

The Respiratory Therapy Program provides academic study and practical training to prepare students for careers working in the health care field. Throughout the program, students are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and to apply themselves to their learning. Professionals function in an independent and interdependent environment. The fundamental responsibility of you as a student is to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to be a competent Registered Respiratory Therapist upon graduation. As students prepare to become professionals, it is imperative that behaviours and attitudes reflect standards that Conestoga College and your chosen profession endorse. As a Conestoga College Respiratory Therapy student, there are three areas of conduct you are expected to follow: Academic Conduct, Professional Conduct, and Social/Behavioural Conduct.

As a Respiratory Therapy student,​ you are preparing yourself to enter a profession that has a professional designation (College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario) with Standards of Practice that guide behaviours for all professionals within this field. It is the expectation of all students, Faculty, and administration of Conestoga College that we, as practitioners, will incorporate and function within the guidelines of these professional standards of ethical practice.Program Standards for Professional Practice
The Respiratory Therapy Program provides academic study and practical training to prepare students for careers working in the health care field. Throughout the program, students are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and to apply themselves to their learning. Professionals function in an independent and interdependent environment. The fundamental responsibility of you as a student is to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to be a competent Registered Respiratory Therapist upon graduation. As students prepare to become professionals, it is imperative that behaviours and attitudes reflect standards that Conestoga College and your chosen profession endorse. As a Conestoga College Respiratory Therapy student, there are three areas of conduct you are expected to follow: Academic Conduct, Professional Conduct, and Social/Behavioural Conduct.

As a student at Conestoga College, you are a member of the College community and as such you have received a Academic Handbook that includes Student Rights and Student Responsibilities. It is essential that you review this section and familiarize yourself with these responsibilities. It is expected that your conduct as a student will be reflective of the responsibilities listed. If you have any questions regarding any of them, please contact your Program Coordinator.

As a Respiratory Therapy student,​ you are preparing yourself to enter a profession that has a professional designation (College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario) with Standards of Practice that guide behaviours for all professionals within this field. It is the expectation of all students, Faculty, and administration of Conestoga College that we, as practitioners, will incorporate and function within the guidelines of these professional standards of ethical practice.
Health & Life Sciences Program Philosophy and Professional Standards Guide