There are several steps you can take to ensure a smooth transition into clinical rotations:
Plan Ahead
If you plan to complete clinical rotations outside the Middle Tennessee area (OMTA), we strongly encourage you to plan ahead. The Clinical Placement staff and faculty will collaborate with you to secure quality clinical placements. After a site has been identified, Clinical Placement staff will work to secure all necessary contracts and paperwork. Given the competition for clinical placements in some parts of the country, however, securing a preceptor and negotiating and finalizing the necessary agreements can take several months, or more. In rare cases, Vanderbilt is unable to come to an agreement with an agency, or a particular area may not have an appropriate site or preceptor available; the Clinical Placement staff is in regular communication with your faculty to allow sufficient time for you to secure another placement, if necessary.
Double Check Your Compliance
Student compliance items must be kept current during your entire program of study. Make sure items such as your nursing license, immunizations, screening, and other certifications required by your specialty (e.g., BLS, ACLS, PALS, etc.) are up to date before you start clinical rotations. Failure to maintain current compliance will result in removal from your clinical rotation and may delay registration for courses until all compliance items are resolved. Be proactive and keep track of all expiration dates!
Create Your Exxat Profile
Each student, regardless of MTA or OMTA status, must complete a profile in Exxat. Make sure your photo is uploaded, as well as your CV and any other information required. Many facilities require a photo, date of birth and/or CV. It makes the process smoother if all that information is already available in Exxat.
Become Familiar With Exxat
Exxat is Vanderbilt’s Clinical Placement system and you will use it for everything from requesting placements (if you are OMTA) to completing timesheets or logging procedures. This is a robust system that captures all your clinical rotation experiences in one portal. There are videos and tutorials on Exxat that we advise you watch. A small investment of time early on can make your journey through Clinical Placements easier down the road.