Rush University Student Handbook 2020-2021

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Important Phone Numbers

University Resources

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Mission, Vision, and Values

Mission

Rush University provides outstanding health sciences education and conducts impactful research in a culture of inclusion, focused on the promotion and preservation of the health and well-being of our diverse communities.

Vision

The Rush learning community will be the leading health sciences university committed to transforming health care through innovative research and education.

Values

Rush University’s core values - innovation, collaboration, accountability, respect and excellence - are the roadmap to our mission and vision. 

These five values, known as our I CARE values, convey the philosophy behind every decision Rush employees make.  Rush employees also commit themselves to executing these values with compassion.  This translates into a dedication - shared by all members of the Rush community - to providing the highest quality patient care.

Professionalism

Rush University Honor Code

The Rush University Honor Code is as follows:

I pledge that my academic, research and/or clinical work will be of the highest integrity. I shall neither give nor receive unauthorized aid; I shall not represent the work of others as my own; I shall not engage in scientific misconduct, and I shall treat all persons with the greatest respect and dignity, just as the ethical codes of Rush University Medical Center and my future profession demand.

I recognize that behaviors that impede learning or undermine academic, research and clinical evaluation - including but not limited to falsification, fabrication and plagiarism - are inconsistent with Rush University values and must be reported.

Implementation of the Honor Code

This Rush University Honor Code (from now on referred to as the Code) sets the standards for expected professional behavior within the University and the Medical Center. Commitment to this Code is a shared responsibility of all faculty, staff and students within the Rush University community to ensure the highest standards of behavior - whether in the classroom, the laboratory or in the clinical setting - and to ensure that education obtained at Rush provides a sound foundation for each student’s future success as an academic, scientific, or health care professional.

Code Enforcement

Annually, all students have the opportunity to attest to their commitment of the Code during the completion of annual mandatory trainings within the learning management system. Any violations of this Code or suspicion of student or academic misconduct should be reported to the student’s college for further review in accordance with the procedures specified by that college. Each college will be expected to set standards for addressing Honor Code violations and cases of misconduct in a fair and consistent manner that best fits their respective student population. Students refusing to sign the Code attestation must submit a letter to their dean’s office explaining why. Adherence to the Code is required for matriculation, whether or not the document has been signed. The Code may also be enforced for off-campus actions when the student is representing themselves as a member of the University.

Dress Code

All Rush University students are required to dress professionally and appropriately when in clinical areas at Rush and at off-site locations. Identification cards should be worn by all students at all times, whether on campus or in clinical areas off-site.

First- and second-year medical students should wear white clinical jackets during their preceptorships. Third- and fourth-year medical students should wear white clinical jackets during their clinical rotations.

For specifics regarding the Rush University College of Nursing uniform for pre-licensure students, students should consult the College of Nursing Student Guidebook.

Street clothes, with or without a lab coat, are worn for some clinical experiences. The lab coat, when worn, must be marked with the appropriate identifying patch. Many students in the College of Health Sciences and The Graduate College are required to wear lab coats in clinical areas.

I Care, I Connect Values for Students

• Scan the environment for opportunities to help.
• Be familiar with the Rush campus and locations of Guest Relations/Information Desk Staff.
• Initiate greeting and offer assistance.
• Let patients go first through doors, hallways and elevators.
  • Be courteous to others and remember that visitors cannot always tell the difference between a student and an employee.
• Be aware of backpacks and other bulky possessions, especially in elevators and public spaces.
  • Be careful not to push or bump patients with your backpacks or possessions.
• Assist and accommodate with special needs.
  • Remember you are representing Rush.
• Use professional language, tone and volume in public areas.
  • You never know who might be around.
• Protect privacy and confidentiality, especially in public areas.
  • Remember that examples from class may be real cases, or similar to what a patient or family member is going through.
• Demonstrate active listening.
• Refrain from eating, drinking or gum chewing in public areas (non-food service areas), except for the Armour Academic Center.