Frequently Asked Clinical Clearance Questions

For the 2025-2026 academic year, the due date for all new students is August 15, 2025.

For all Fall Returning students, the due date is May 19, 2025.

For all Year 4 Fast Tracking Students, the due date is March 17, 2025.

Uploading means you are adding one of your documents or forms to the website. Submitting means sending your entire clinical clearance package to the clearance team for review. Submitting your clearance package happens once all of your documents are uploaded into the correct sections of the website and the "submit application" button appears on the bottom left of the website. .

No, you can upload as you complete each document, but your clearance package will not be reviewed until all documents have been uploaded AND you click on the “submit application” button on the bottom of the nursing clearance site.

Please note, If you'd like to have your completed documents reviewed early, but still have pending items, you can upload a blank page to the section for the missing document, along with a note specifying what document is still pending. This allows you to "submit" your package for review, even though some documents are still in progress. 

Absolutely not! Upload and submit as early as possible.

Yes, documents can be signed electronically -  Per the Electronic Commerce Act of Ontario, an electronic signature has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature. Accordingly, electronic signatures on documents confirm agreement with the information provided within.

You upload the documents to the nursing clearance site only after you receive email communication that the website is open. The website link is https://selfservice.nipissingu.ca/Student/Student/NursingApplication.

All documents are only accepted via the nursing clearance site. Paper copies, and faxed or emailed copies will not be accepted.

You will receive an email confirmation when your clearance package has been submitted successfully. Ensure you click on the “submit application” button on the bottom left of the nursing clearance site.

Go back to the nursing clearance website and ensure you clicked on the “submit application” button in the bottom left corner.

Please allow up to five business days for an email response. If you have not received a response in five business days, please go back and ensure you have clicked on the “submit application” button of your clearance package. The closer to the deadline you submit your package, the longer the response time will be.

No, it is the responsibility of the student to ensure that they save all original documents after they have been uploaded to the clinical clearance website.

Please wait for clinical clearance to send a “rejection” email with details on what needs to be fixed to have the form approved. Once a form is rejected you have the opportunity to upload again.

Please email clinicalclearance@nipissingu.ca

You can upload as you complete documents, but your clearance package will not be reviewed until all forms have been uploaded and you have clicked the “submit application” button on the nursing clearance site. 

If you'd like to have your completed documents reviewed early, but still have pending items, you can upload a blank page to the section for the missing document, along with a note specifying what document is still pending. This allows you to "submit" your package for review, even though some documents are still in progress.

Extensions are considered on an individual basis, and you must contact the School of Nursing within a minimum of 30 days before the clinical clearance due date.

If clearance requirements are not submitted by the deadline, you will receive a $75.00 late penalty fee as well as a registration restriction added to your student account which will restrict you from being able to register for courses. Only once all clearance documents have been submitted will the registration restriction be removed from your account. 

No, we only accept Police “Vulnerable Sector” Checks (PVSC).

The personalized "consent to disclosure" letter is attached to the first clinical clearance email you received with the information about the clinical clearance process.

If you have a postal code that starts with a "M" you have been sent a PVSC application form for the Toronto Police Service (TPS) and an instruction sheet detailing how to submit the application to the TPS to obtain your PVSC instead of the personalized letter.

It can take weeks to months to receive your PVSC depending on the volume of requests that your local police station is receiving. We suggest you request one as soon as you receive your clinical clearance email notifying you that the clearance package is open. To qualify for special consideration at the clinical clearance deadline, the date of request for your PVSC must be within the first 30 days of the clinical clearance website being open.

Yes, you can upload your receipt, but it will only be accepted if it is dated within the first 30 days of the clearance cycle.

Yes, as long as it is a Police Vulnerable Sector Check.

No, please scan as a legal sized document or even a continuous document to include both pages. Look under the technical section further down if you need assistance.

Students who are under the age of 18 are required to complete the "Declaration of Intention" for submission and must request a PVSC within one week of their 18th birthday. Once the PVSC is received, it must be submitted to the clearance site.

To start the eLearning module, go to Worker Health and Safety Awareness in 4 Steps | Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (gov.on.ca) Please remember to download the certificate of completion as a pdf so that you can upload it to the clinical clearance website.

No, we only require proof of completion at present or past, you may upload a copy of your past certificate of completion, and it will be accepted for clearance purposes.

We accept CPR level C, Health Care Provider (HCP) or Basic Life Support (BLS). We do not accept CPR A (Adult)

No, first aid is not required.

No, acceptable CPR must be updated annually for clinical clearance and cannot expire before April 1 of the following year.

No, your CPR must not have an issue date prior to: 

January 1, 2025 for all Year 4 Fast Tracking Students, 

March 1, 2025 for all new and returning students.

If your employer offers CPR within our clearance timeline, (after Jan 1 for fast tracking students and after March 1 for new and returning students), and before the clinical clearance deadline, we will accept it.

Yes, providing it is not dated prior to:

January 1, 2025 for Year 4 Fast Tracking Students

March 1, 2025 for all new and returning students

No, fully online certification is not accepted. The training session must have a face-to-face component delivered by an approved Canadian health care training agency. We do accept bended/hybrid delivery CPR certification that includes both online content as well as a face-to-face hands-on component. We do not accept Blended temporary CPR certificates where the hands-on component has not been completed in addition to the online portion. Blended CPR courses must be fully complete before the final deadline in order to be accepted.

Extensions are considered on an individual basis, and you must contact the School of Nursing a minimum of 30 days prior to the clinical clearance deadline. 

If you are having trouble finding a CPR course, please reach out to clinicalclearance@nipissingu.ca for assistance.

No, your mask fit is valid for two years, but is required to be uploaded annually to the nursing clearance site. Your mask fit test cannot expire before March 1 of the following year.

You can submit either your report from Occupational Health, or the mask fit card/certificate received when mask fit testing is done. Your mask fit report/certificate must include the following:

• Name of the agency you completed the mask fit test with
• Name of the mask fit tester
• Your name
• Date of the mask fit test
• Size/Model of the mask 

Please ensure if double-sided that both sides are submitted. Copies or photos of ID Badges are not accepted.

Accepted masks are as follows:

• 3M- 1870+
• 3M- 1860 small and regular
• 3M- 1804 small and M/L
• 3M-9205+

We will accept other types of mask fittings such as KN95, P100 masks at this time with the understanding if the placement agency you are attending does not carry the mask fit size you have a fitting for, you will need to complete a new mask fit at your expense prior to clinical.

If you are having a hard time finding a place to complete your Mask Fit Test, please reach out to clinicalclearance@nipissingu.ca for assistance.

You will need to self-enroll in order to have access to the WHMIS training. 

Please click the following link and follow the instructions to self-enroll in the WHMIS training: Instructions on How to Self-Enroll for WHMIS Training and How to Access the WHMIS Training Quiz for your Clinical Clearance Package.

Should you encounter any issues in this regard, please create a helpdesk ticket here: helpdesk.nipissingu.ca.

Yes, you need to complete this training annually to clear for clinical.

Your official certificate or a screenshot of your certificate are accepted. Your score results will not be accepted as they do not include your name or the date of completion.

Once you achieve a score of 80% or higher, the certificate will open for you to download. Simply fill in your name and date of completion to submit with your Clinical Clearance Package. Certificates that do not include your name and date of completion will not be accepted.

If you are using a browser other than Chrome, try using Chrome. If the issue persists, please create your own ticket with the University Help Desk using the Self-Service Ticket Portal (helpdesk.nipissingu.ca).

Any Licensed Healthcare Provider (HCP) can sign, example: Physician, Nurse Practitioner, Registered Nurse, Registered Practical Nurse.

A Licensed Healthcare Provider (HCP) can be any of the following: Physician, Nurse Practitioner, Registered Nurse, Registered Practical Nurse.

A Primary Healthcare Provider is a Physician or Nurse Practitioner.

If you do not have a primary healthcare provider, please reach out to your local health unit. 

No, lab reports are not accepted for clinical clearance and will be rejected. You must have the information from the lab report transcribed onto the CDSF and then have a licensed Healthcare Provider sign and date the Licensed Healthcare Provider Declaration to verify the accuracy of the information.

Yes, you must re-upload the entire CDSF once the error has been corrected and the form has been re-signed and dated acknowledging the updated information.

Yes, every change made to the CDSF must be signed and dated by a Licensed Health Care Provider.

Yes, we do not question the date the titre is done. It is up to the licensed HCP if they feel a booster would be beneficial.

No, whiteout on the CDSF is not acceptable. CDSFs with whiteout will be automatically rejected, and you will be asked to re-complete the page in full.

The flu shot is mandatory and due by December 1st annually. Failure to submit proof of a flu shot by the due date may result in your removal from clinical.

Annual chest x-rays are not required, but a Surveillance Letter is. You only need an x-ray if your Primary Healthcare Provider has indicated that you are a moderate or high risk of TB. After an initial clearance package with a positive TST, only an updated TB Surveillance Letter is required with your Renewal Communicable Disease Screening Form.

Two-step Tuberculosis Skin Testing cannot be dated prior to September 1. If you have received a two-step TB test in the past, you will need not be required to complete an additional two-step TB test, however; you will need to provide the dates of your past two-step TB test, and a current one-step TB test will be required.

One step Tuberculosis Skin Testing cannot be dated prior to:

January 1, 2025 for Year 4 Fast Tracking students

March 1, 2025 for all new and returning students

The COVID-19 vaccine is mandatory. Clinical placement is considered high risk as per Nipissing University’s COVID-19 Policy, Nipissing University School of Nursing policy and our affiliated placement agency policies. You are required to upload your vaccine certificate that includes the QR code, name and date of each dose received to the designated area on the nursing clearance site as one PDF document.

A request for an exemption to the Covid19 vaccine must be requested and approved through the School of Nursing - Clinical Clearance at clinicalclearance@nipissingu.ca

Please upload your exemption email to the nursing clearance site. 

Yes, as long as you upload a signed CDSF with a note from an HCP stating the above. Ensure it is noted the date of your most recent Covid19 dose and the anticipated date that you will be able to have your TB test completed.

You can provide a note from your Primary Healthcare Provider indicating the anticipated date(s) of vaccination(s). Any Covid19 vaccination exemptions/extension must be requested and approved through the School of Nursing -  Clinical Clearance.

There are many options for this, but your documents need to be saved as PDFs for uploading. On your PC, Mac, iPhone or Android phone, you can download “free” scanner apps. Ex. Adobe. There are also businesses such as your local library or Staples that provide scanning services.

Yes, if the picture is converted to a pdf and the entire document must be clearly visible.

No, it must be scanned as one legal sized document. The scanner apps will allow for legal sized document scanning.

No, the file format must be PDF.

Yes, you can click on the button “view uploaded form.” If you need to re-upload, click on “re-upload form.” We encourage you to review all of your uploaded documents prior to submitting your completed package.

Your files may need to be compressed. You can do this for free using the online Adobe app. 

If you are certain that your document is already in PDF format and less than 10 MB, it is possible that your browser needs to refresh the nursing clearance site page. Please use the sign-out button on the upper right-hand side of the screen to sign out completely. Now clear your browser’s cache for “all time” not just for the last day/hour. After clearing your cache, exit out of the browser completely before launching a new session and logging back in. If you receive the same error, please try using a different browser (i.e. Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox) before making another attempt.

For instructions on clearing your browser's cache, please contact Technology Services by telephone to 705-474-3450 ext. 4342 or put in a ticket with UTS at https://helpdesk.nipissingu.ca.

If you have taken the troubleshooting steps above and are still receiving the same error message, please create a helpdesk ticket with UTS at https://helpdesk.nipissingu.ca.

No, all documents need to be uploaded separately into their specific section for review. i.e. PVSC needs to be the only documents uploaded into the PVSC section on the clearance website.