Technical Standards Policy

College Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University (CSB/SJU) Technical Standards for students enrolled in the Graduate Nursing Program:

1. Technical standards are a necessary component to the complex discipline of nursing, which all students must meet with or without reasonable accommodations.
2. Students wishing to enter the CSB/SJU Nursing programs must be able to demonstrate that they can meet these technical standards and continue to do so throughout their nursing education program. Please thoroughly read the technical standards requirement to determine whether you can meet these with or without accommodations. See procedures listed below.
   The CSB/SJU Department of Nursing is committed to equal access for all persons in its programs, facilities, and employment. The college/university abides by the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Minnesota Human Rights Act and other applicable statutes and regulations relating to equality of opportunity (see below for Student Accessibility Services).
3. The nursing curriculum, leading to eligibility for licensure as an advanced practice registered nurse, requires students to engage in diverse, complex, and specific experiences essential to the acquisition and practice of nursing skills and functions. Unique combinations of cognitive, physical, psychomotor, sensory, communication, affective, and social abilities are required to satisfactorily perform these skills and nursing functions. These skills and functions are essential for the successful completion of the requirements of the Department of Nursing degree program and necessary to ensure the health and safety of clients, self, faculty, and other healthcare providers. As outlined below, these functions comprise the “Technical Standards” performance requirements for students.
4. Procedures
   1. When applying to the program, students are required to review the policy and identify their capacity to meet the technical standards.
   2. If limitations in the ability to meet the technical standards are identified, the student is responsible for consulting with a qualified health care practitioner for further evaluation.
   3. If a limitation is verified by the health care practitioner, the student must present the recommended accommodations in writing to Student Accessibility Services for departmental consideration.
   4. The Graduate Nursing Department chair, in consultation with the Admission, Progressions and Recruitment committee and Student Accessibility Services, will determine which accommodations are reasonable, available, and preserve client/student/faculty safety prior to admission to the nursing major.
   5. Prior to the first day of classes, the student must notify the coordinator of each course about the accommodations.
   6. The student must notify Student Accessibility Services and Student Accessibility Services will provide a copy of the approved accommodations to the faculty involved.
   7. Once admitted to the nursing program, if there is a change in the ability to meet the technical standards the student must notify the course coordinator and Student Accessibility Services immediately. The course coordinator will notify the Graduate Nursing Department chair
5. Technical standards include but are not limited to the following abilities:

Cognitive

General

The student must be able to:

• measure
• calculate
• reason
• prioritize
• analyze
• integrate
• synthesize information
• act with integrity and judgment
• must have the ability to sustain attention and memory to maintain client safety.

Specific

The student must be able to read and comprehend extensive written materials. The student must also be able to evaluate and apply information and engage in critical thinking in the classroom, lab, and clinical setting within the time constraints unique to each setting.

Motor Skills

General

The student should have sufficient motor functions such that they are able to execute movements required to provide general care and treatment to clients in all health care settings.

Specific

It is required that a student possess the motor skills necessary for assessment and therapeutic procedures such as:

• inspection
• palpation
• percussion
• auscultation
• other diagnostic maneuvers and procedures.

Such actions require:

• coordination of both gross and fine muscular movements
• equilibrium
• functional uses of the senses of touch, vision, and hearing.

Specific

The student must be able to perform basic life support (including CPR), transfer and position clients, and position and re-position self around clients. The student must also be able to operate equipment typically found in the health care environment (IV pumps, cardiac monitor, and electric and manual blood pressure equipment, safe client handling equipment, etc.).

Sensory/Observation

General

The student must be able to acquire information presented through demonstration and experience in the basic and nursing sciences.

Specific

The student must be able to:

• observe and hear the client accurately, at a distance and close at hand.
• observe non-verbal communications when performing nursing assessments and interventions or administering medications.
• be capable of assessing the client. For example, sensory and observation information may be derived from visual inspection and images of the body surfaces, palpable changes in various organs and tissues, and auditory information (client voice, heart tones, bowel, and lung sounds, etc.).
• ability to read medication labels and markings on syringes.

Communication

General

The student must have the ability to communicate effectively and respectfully with other students, faculty, staff, clients, family, and other professionals.

Specific

The student must be able to:

• express his or her ideas and feelings clearly.
• demonstrate a willingness and ability to give and receive feedback.
• convey or exchange information at a proficiency level to obtain a health history.
• identify problems presented.
• explain alternative solutions.
• give directions during treatment and post-treatment.
• effectively communicate in English through verbal, written and electronic formats with the ability to retrieve information from various sources of literature and computerized data bases.
• communicate verbally in English in classroom presentations, seminars, simulation, clinical sites, clinical conferences, and online formats.
• process and communicate information regarding the client’s status with accuracy in a timely manner to members of the healthcare team.
• use sound clinical judgment and appropriate communication in seeking supervision and consultation from faculty and/or health care staff.

Behavioral/Emotional

General

The student must possess the emotional health required for the utilization of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, ability to manage impulsivity, and the prompt completion of all responsibilities associated with the nursing care of clients and families.

Specific

The student must be able to:

• maintain mature, respectful, and professional relationships with clients, students, faculty, staff, and other members of the health care team under all circumstances, including highly stressful situations.
• have the emotional stability to function effectively under stress and to adapt to an environment that may change rapidly and/or in unpredictable ways.
• demonstrate empathy for the situations and circumstances of others.
• recognize how their own values, attitudes, beliefs, emotions, and experiences affect their perceptions and relationships with others.
• willingly examine their behavior when it interferes with productive individual or team relationships.
• possess skills necessary for effective and productive relationships in diverse academic and work environments.

Professional Conduct

General

The student must possess the ability to reason morally and practice nursing in an ethical manner.

Specific

The student must be willing to learn and abide by professional standards of practice. They must possess attributes including:

• Compassion
• Empathy
• Altruism
• Integrity
• Honesty
• Responsibility
• Tolerance
• engage in client care delivery in all settings and be able to provide care to all client populations including but not limited to children, adolescents, adults, individuals with disabilities, medically compromised clients, diverse clients, and vulnerable adults.

The students are expected to follow the ANA Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice and the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses. (https://www.nursingworld.org/ana/about-ana/standards/)

The students are expected to follow the Nursing Department policy for professional behavior. The student must be able to meet the CSB/SJU Department of Nursing attendance requirements. The student must be able to satisfy all requirements set forth by the health care agency’s affiliation agreements as well as any additional requirements, such as certain vaccinations, of the assigned clinical settings. The student must uphold professional nursing standards related to the student’s scope of practice