Onboarding requirements must be completed before a practicum or field experience can begin.
Walden University nursing program onboarding requirements must be completed by the first day of the month three months prior to your term’s start date. You should begin working on them a couple of months before that deadline, because obtaining documentation, vaccinations, health requirements, background checks, etc., can take several weeks or months. Walden SOC master's field experience programs have their own separate deadline (no less than 2 weeks prior to the start of the term), which will be communicated if required.
Other academic onboarding requirements typically include things like background screens, drug tests, health requirements, immunizations, insurance, and required trainings. All submissions must go through CastleBranch; Walden University cannot directly accept personal health documentation, training documentation, background checks, or drug tests. These are approved only if submitted online through CastleBranch when the Affiliation Agreement specifies that Walden must verify.
If you were cleared as a student or faculty/instructor with Providence in the past 5 years, you may not need to complete all of the onboarding requirements again. However, any renewals are still required due to expire before the start of your term by the onboarding deadline.
General Rule for Completing Onboarding Requirements
The general rule at most schools is that onboarding requirements must be finished before a practicum or field experience can begin. Students will not be permitted to start field experience until onboarding requirements are complete. This applies to both the practicum and field experience portions of your program.
Walden University Nursing Program Deadline
At Walden University, the onboarding requirements for nursing programs must be completed by the first day of the month three months prior to your term’s start date. For example, if your term starts in May, you’ll need to finish onboarding by February 1st. You should begin working on them a couple of months before that deadline, since obtaining documentation, vaccinations, health requirements, background checks, etc., can take several weeks or months.
Walden SOC Master’s Field Experience Deadline
There’s also a separate deadline for Walden SOC master’s field experience programs, which is no less than two weeks prior to the start of the term. If this deadline applies to you, you’ll be notified by the field experience office.
What the Requirements Include and Where to Submit Them
Academic onboarding requirements typically include things like background screens, drug tests, health requirements, immunizations, insurance, and required trainings. All submissions must go through CastleBranch; Walden University cannot directly accept personal health documentation, training documentation, background checks, or drug tests. These are approved only if submitted online through CastleBranch when the Affiliation Agreement specifies that Walden must verify.
Prior Clearance and Renewal Rules
If you were cleared as a student or faculty/instructor with Providence in the past five years, you may not need to complete all of the onboarding requirements again. However, any renewals are still required due to expire before the start of your term by the onboarding deadline.