Nursing A.A.S. (Plan 21NC)

Issue 

Standard 

Examples of Required Activities (Not all inclusive)

Visual

Visual ability for observation and assessment necessary in the operation of equipment and care of patients.

•    Ability to observe subtle changes in patients such as

skin color intensity, color coded supplies and abnormal skin conditions.

•    Ability to view various equipment settings such as patient monitors, infusion pumps, syringes with minute calibrations and Intravenous and medication labels.

•    Ability to view computer records necessary for patient care.

•    Ability to perform procedures using hand-to eye-coordination.

•    Ability to read medication administration records in paper or electronic format.

Hearing

Auditory abilities sufficient to monitor and assess patient needs, and to provide a safe environment.

•    Ability to hear and verbally respond to patient questions and directions from instructors, students, and staff, in person and/or over the phone.

•    Ability to listen to breath and heart sounds while assessing vital signs including BP, pulse, and respiration rate.

•    Ability to hear equipment monitors such as IV pumps, bed alarms and heart monitors.

•    Ability to hear patient call lights.

•    Ability to hear faint body sounds (heart sounds, bowel sounds) and assess placement of tubes.

•    Ability to hear in situations where masks are required such as surgery or isolation rooms.

Tactile

Tactile ability sufficient for patient assessment and treatment and operation of equipment

•    Ability to perform the required techniques using patient equipment such as probes, sensors, pumps, bed controls, monitors, and computers.

•    Ability to perform palpation of pulses in a variety of locations on the body.

•    Ability to palpate the body surface during physical assessment.

•    Ability to sense changes in body temperature by touch.

Mental

 Mental ability sufficient for patient assessment and treatment and operation of equipment and care of patients.

•    Ability to visually concentrate and focus attention, thoughts, and efforts on patients and equipment for varying periods of time.

•    Ability to respond to patients’ changing physical conditions

•    Ability to function in rapidly changing and high stress situations and environments.

•    Ability to respond in a calm manner during an emergency situation.

Issue

Standard

Examples of Required Activities (Not all inclusive)

Environmental Requirements

Physical health sufficient enough to be able to tolerate certain conditions present in the

clinical setting.

•    Ability to tolerate risks or discomforts in the clinical setting that require special safety precautions, additional safety education, health risk monitoring, working with sharps, chemicals, and infectious disease. Students may be required to use protective clothing or gear such as masks, goggles, gloves.

Communication

Communication abilities sufficient for interaction with others in verbal and written form.

•    Ability to effectively communicate to the patients in order to assess, instruct, relieve anxiety, converse, gain their cooperation during procedures, provide care and treatments, dispense medications, and understand the patients when they are communicating symptoms of a medical emergency.

•    Ability to obtain information, explain treatment procedures, initiate health education training, and describe patient situations

•    Ability to perceive non-verbal communications

•    Ability to document following ethical and legal guidelines

•    Ability to read the patient’s medical history and/or medical consult.

•    Ability to document own actions and patient responses as indicated.

•    Ability to collaborate with other members of the health care team verbally, on the phone or in writing.

•    Ability to accurately report a patient’s condition to others verbally, on the phone or in writing.

Mobility

Physical abilities sufficient to move from room to room and maneuver in small spaces.

•   Ability to assist all patients in turning, moving in bed, transferring, and ambulating according to individual

needs and abilities.

•    Ability to move in confined spaces.

•    Ability to stand and walk for prolonged periods of time.

•    Ability to squat, bend, and stoop.

•    Ability to push, pull, and lift 50 lbs.

•    Ability to push a wheelchair, cart, bed, or equipment without injury to self, patient, or others.

•    Ability to reach above the shoulders to assess and maintain IV fluids or bedside monitors.

Motor Skills

Gross and fine motor abilities sufficient to provide safe effective patient care.

•    Physically be able to administer emergency care including performing CPR.

•    Ability to execute the small muscle hand and finger movements required to safely perform nursing procedures such as medication administration, intravenous therapy, dressing changes, and tube or catheter insertion and removal.

•    Ability to grasp, twist and manipulate small objects such as IV tubing, syringes, droppers, and medication packaging.

Issue

Standard

Examples of Required Activities (Not all inclusive)

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking ability sufficient for safe clinical judgment.

•   Ability to recognize cause-effect relationships in clinical situations.

•   Ability to develop and implement nursing diagnoses and patient care plans.

•   Ability to assess subtle changes in a patient’s condition and respond appropriately.

•   Ability to evaluate patient information such as assessment data, vital signs, or laboratory values and respond appropriately.

•   Ability to safely administer medications and understand the actions and potential reactions.

•   Ability to initiate proper emergency care protocols, including CPR, based on assessment data.

Interpersonal Behavioral

and Social Skills

Interpersonal abilities sufficient to interact with individuals, families, and groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds.

•   Ability to establish rapport with patients, families, and colleagues.

•   Ability to allow mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients and fellow workers (interpersonal skills).

•   Ability to tolerate a physically taxing and mentally challenging workload.

•   Ability to function effectively under stress.

•   Ability to adapt to changing environments (flexible schedules, emergency conditions, multiple interruptions, noised, distractions).

•   Ability to display compassion, professionalism, empathy, integrity, concern for others, and interest and motivation.

•   Ability to negotiate in situations of conflict and appropriately resolve the conflict.