The CHA Health & Safety Test for Sacred Heart clinicals in Connecticut

The rule, and what triggers it

The MSN and RN-BSN guides put it in one sentence: "Students completing clinical in Connecticut (CT) must complete the CT Hospital Association (CHA) Health & Safety Test", with a passing score of 85 or better. The trigger is the state where you train. Your home state, your program's delivery format and the type of site do not change it.

The test's content and format belong to the Connecticut Hospital Association; Sacred Heart's guides set the requirement and the pass mark. Where to sit the test and how to report your score are spelled out in your student guide and Blackboard clinical requirements organization, and the Clinical Placement Team can answer questions about retesting if a first attempt falls short.

It adds to your other requirements rather than replacing any. A Connecticut placement still needs the Health Account items, an active Connecticut RN license, an approved preceptor and an affiliation agreement.

Where it sits in compliance and clearance

Treat the CHA result as one line in your compliance file. The Cleared for Clinical email waits on a complete compliance file as well as preceptor approval and a site agreement. On a Connecticut placement, a missing CHA score leaves the compliance file incomplete however tidy the rest is. The Cleared for Clinical page explains the email.

Compliance due dates differ by program and are listed on the Health Account page. A simple rule of thumb: once a Connecticut site makes your shortlist, take the test, so a passing score is on file well before your due date rather than chased after the site is confirmed.

New York residents, long-distance students and split plans

New York residents in Sacred Heart's NP programs cannot complete clinical hours in New York, so they do their clinicals in a bordering state under that state's RN license. Connecticut is one of those neighbors, and choosing it adds the CHA test to your list; the New York clinical rule page covers the rest.

If you live farther away and choose a Connecticut site, perhaps near family or around a Fairfield residency, the same rule applies: once any hours are in Connecticut, you take the test. Hours in Massachusetts, Rhode Island or New Jersey do not trigger this Sacred Heart requirement, though a site there may keep its own onboarding list.

A split plan follows the same logic. With NU 606 in Rhode Island and NU 621 in Connecticut, you still need a passing score on file before the Connecticut course clears. Taking the test early, alongside your first compliance items, keeps it from becoming a late surprise.